It Was the Eve of My Departure...

... and everything is surprisingly calm! I went up to the barn this afternoon to pack Woody's suitcase, ride Charlotte bareback for about 20 minutes, and get all my stuff in the stall in prep for loading it into the truck tomorrow. I returned to the house and started to pack my own suitcase, which I just now finished doing. Everything is prepared for tomorrow, and I am more excited than ever. I plan to wake up in the morning, take the truck over to the barn with Mom, load it up, prep the trailer (get hay net ready, attach new signs to the back of it), hook it up to the truck, bring it back to the driveway, eat some lunch, go and prep Woody (make him look stunning, put fly spray on him, etc.), and wait for Terrie to arrive at one to give us a lesson in loading & help us load! We then plan to follow her to the farm itself (she lives about 15 minutes away, so it is convenient) because she says if you miss the turn, there's no place to turn around. We have a very busy day tomorrow, but I couldn't be more excited!!
A quick backtrack to my past play sessions over the last week. I played with Woody and the trailer on Thursday morning before work and he did great! I went in it keeping in mind RETREAT, because that is huge when he gets worried. I would ask him to step up, and when he stood calmly, I gave him a reward (rubs, carrots, etc.). Then I would back him up, and send him forward again, and ask him for a different threshold. If he was resistant, I would keep the pressure the same, and he could squirm all he wanted to, but I didn't keep him for backing up or anything. When he found a threshold closer in the trailer, I would release and give him a reward. A couple times of this and he offered to put his front feet in the trailer really relaxed. I gave him a cookie piece, sat for a minute, and asked him to back out before he decided to himself. He did really well, and I'm hoping to expand on that tomorrow.
Following that session, I tacked him and Charlotte up, with his new bridle, and Mom came out and we rode together for about half an hour. We had fun, and Woody offered me a really nice, controlled canter up a hill. Furthermore, when I first got on I worked on the transition exercise I did with Charlotte. I followed the fence line and asked him to trot, then walk, then trot, then walk, etc. only a couple strides each gate. At first he would burst into the trot and pay no regard to my body language and reins asking him to walk. But, eventually he did catch on and he gave me a couple smooth trot transitions to the walk. I really like his new bit and after adjusting it for him, I think he will grow to like it, too.
Well, I might update before I leave tomorrow, but if not I will be taking extensive notes and journaling every night on our experiences and my insights. Not to worry, when I return, expect an extremely long post!!
~Eden