Yesterday evening went much better. He took several more steps and seemed more at ease with the lead rope. I removed his halter quietly and petted him for awhile to encourage him to stick around after the halter came off. It was a good end to the day.
When I went out to work with JJ this morning, I started by setting up the wedge and preparing to move him in to halter him. He balked at it and gave me a quiet, appraising look. So, I draped the loops of lead rope over his neck (no reaction) and haltered him easily. What a good boy! He got a chunk of carrot for his efforts. I also petted him for awhile as a reward. We did a few steps on the lead and then he let me rub his forehead several times. Things were going so well that I ended the session early. His halter remained on for the evening session, but he can go back to relaxing and finishing his breakfast now.
He has a much quieter look in his eyes than he did before. He is interacting more, rather than simply tolerating me. When I attempted to move him into the wedge, his look seemed to say 'trust me', so I did. I think he's teaching me as much as I'm teaching him.
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