More training for Mickey

Well, Mickey has had 4 more rides and a couple of ground work sessions since the last blog. The day after his first ride I did a little bit on the ground with him teaching him to yield from pressure and laterally flex. He picks things up well but needs a very calm steady consistent hand. I am feeding him a fair bit so this could be a factor. After the little bit of ground work I got on, repeating all of the previous days lesson on getting on and lowering his head. He came down much quicker but I find if i talk while I'M up there, he startles, so my neighbor comes over and we talk the whole session lol. Walk him around talking and relaxing him for a good half hour. Next ride was pretty much the same, still only walking and relaxing(and talking to myself lol). This is all so new to him I want every ride for him to relax into. Next day only did ground work. Yielding of pressure again, some circles and playing with the carrot stick with he is terrified of! Will keep playing with that. Next ride was same as the first and second but I felt he was relaxed enough to try a trot. I asked very gently by clicking as he is so sensitive and he shot forward like I had kicked him and then slammed to a stop. Ok, no probs, go again. This time, I got a shuffle pace but I just let him go, then he stopped again. All this time I am keeping him slightly flexed to the inside. If all goes to hell I can put in a one rein stop. I ask a couple more times and finally I got a trot. Not much of one but it was ok. More asking and pretty soon we are trotting around the arena no problem. I don't put any pressure on him at this stage and although I have a feel on his mouth, there is no pressure. I just let him travel forward. He is going around like a Llama, so I get a bit of forward happening in the trot and then bring him back to walk and lower his head, relax him and finish.
Next ride all the same is repeated. Groundwork, yielding flexing, circles, hop on, walk and relax, trot forward this time asking him to slow up and start to lower his head in his trot. He is learning quick. Next day, all the same but this time I find when I go to scratch my face or play with my sunglasses his head shots up and he gets very tense. Almost like he has been ignoring the fact that I am up there but when I raise a hand he jumps. I then spend half the session waving my arms around and getting him used to it. He is lowering his head really nice in the trot now. I must clarify that when I talk about "lowering his head" it is NOT asking him to work in a frame or "on the bit" It is simply asking him to relax and have his poll lower than his wither. This little horse is such a darling, he really really tries hard even tho he is a nervous type. Will ride again tomorrow and then he can have some ground work for a couple of days and will have Friday off as I work.