Yesterday we had the day off becuase we had worked 6 days in a row.  We started our new week with lounging and what were supposed to be trot poles.   I lounged him with side reins, and he was pretty calm most of the way through.  I put two poles out, very far apart and he had no issues trotting up to and over them.  I put a third one in there where he would have to trot two poles in a row, and after a few laps of cantering and jumping them he finally got tired and trotted them all.   after he was comfortable with it I added one more pole for a total of 4.  Now they are all close enough to be trot poles.  He did great the first and second time around, but then had his meltdown and took off screaming around the pen trying to jump all 4 poles, and stepping on them and all kinds of craziness.  I had to put a lounge line on him to try and calm him down.  Every time he got to the poles he would try to jump or pick up a goofy canter.  I don't know why 4 poles is so difficult.  Maybe we will try this while i am riding to get him to slow down and calm down.  He just melts down a little and then spirals out of control literally and metaphorically!  That is going to be our biggest challenge, dealing with his quirkiness.   Tomorrow I am hoping to lounge him and then ride.  If he does well, maybe we will ride in the big part of the arena :)