The Older Wild Bunch Week 1

Reviewed yesterdays lesson with Red, still not showing submission in his loose work. Put on a halter and reviewed round penning and introduced the concept of lunging. This horse was supposed to have had halter work and been ready to ride.  It took me 10 minutes to convince him he could back up.  It didn't help that he wants to be braced up as soon as he feels pressure on the halter.  I spent some time with my hands on his head showing him how to drop down away from pressure. He would drop to level, but no lower.
The next day Red was good on the things we'd already done. He understood backing and started to drop his head a foot lower and get the endorphins he needed. I alternated between sacking him out with a blanket and putting his head down and disengaging hindquarters and putting his head down and leading forward and putting his head down...  he wasn't nearly as good on the right side.
The last day of the week Red made a lot of progress. I walked up and haltered him, lead him around, loose lead, and backed lightly.  I put the saddle blanket on so it would fall off to the inside and lunged him, disengaging him as it fell off. I want the horse to know to stop and wait when something's falling off you and not panic.  I also want to see what his reaction is, does he bolt, kick, stomp it with his front feet, I've seen it all. Red was good at disengaging and coming back towards it when asked.

Red

Snip was the other horse in the bunch that had "previous work". I round penned and reviewed yesterdays lesson. Then I put a halter on him and tried to lunge.  Snip had his ears pinned.  I checked his mane hair was comfortable and I handled his ears, they seemed fine and yet they were pinned, especially the left one.  I asked him to move, he refused.  The more I insisted, the madder he got. He would not move and was threatening to attack.  I took the line off him and although still hesitant I did get him moving and round penning as he did without the halter. I put the lunge line back on and carefully helped him find a way to move his feet with only slightly pinned ears. We stopped and I worked with him on head down and backing.  He also had no idea what backing was.  

The next day was really windy. Snip still wasn't happy with the pressure of the halter but he did move his feet.  I feel someone has probably tied this horse up and he's learned he can't get loose and he better not move.

Snip with Oreo peeking around behind.

Snips last day of the week was much better. He lunged with the blanket on like Red did and was good about it falling off.  Both Red and Snip were good about having the rope tightened around their girth area and with difficulty, figuring out they could walk with it there.

Cocoa hadn't been worked before.  He remembered his round penning from the day before but he definitely never had a halter on.  He was very protective of his nose.  I put a rope over his neck and used it to desensitize his face. Once I could wrap it around his nose I was able to put a halter on him and help him learn to put his head down. He also backed easier than the two other horses. He is sensitive and smart. A little too sensitive in the hindquarters. He kept disengaging himself.

On the windy day Cocoa was still a little protective of his nose but did let me get his halter on. I worked him with a rope around the neck, moving his hindquarter and used the rope to sack him out.  He doesn't like ropes dragging on the ground, especially coming towards him. He was good at being rubbed by the blanket.

The last day of the  week i was able to carefully halter Cocoa without first catching him with a rope. He was good about the rope around the girth but still didn't like seeing it on the ground. When I lunged him with the blanket on and it fell off he made a mightly leap forward.  I repeated on both sides until he figured out how to stop himself and face up to it.

Cocoa