Back to work = baby's first big temper tantrum

While I was out of town, Flash got turned in and out everyday as usual but that is about all the handling he received. So I figured I would have a youngster who was in fine shape to go back to work this afternoon. And  I was not far off from that sarcastic thought prediction.

I went right back into where we left off with the ground driving. We started out pretty well going in small circles near the gate end of the arena but  I could tell Flash was not real keen on turning away from the gate. Each time we turned away he became a little less forward. Then after about the 4th time passing the gate and moving away from it going left he just stopped. I flicked the lunge line on his side and asked him to move forward and he spun around left and faced me. ergh. Not what I wanted. I got him straightened out and started going forward again and made the turn away from the gate but this time I kept an outside supporting (more contact on the right rein) rein to prevent him from cutting back in left. Well,suddenly he could not do what he wanted and he let me know about it. He shook his head then started hopping sideways and then bounced up a little in his front end. Ooooo! A little temper tantrum! So I sent him forward around me so that he was lunging; I wanted to reinforce the go forward cue and give him a safe and familiar consequence for his outburst. (If you fuss, you will have more work) After a few circles, we went back to driving and  he had an even bigger outburst in the same spot. This time I asked him to go forward with a flick of the rein on his hip and wow; he really threw a fit about that. He even showed me his heels! Fortunately I was a safe enough distance back that there was no contact. But I was sooo not impressed. Into more lunge work and forward trotting we went. This pattern of tantrums went on a few more times and then he finally realized it was easier to just walk away from the gate without drama and so we at last ended on a good note.