Practice, Practice

Yesterday I went out to play with the ponies around 12 o'clock. I gave them all their carrots and haltered Woody. I planned to work with the trailer in some way, but I started out by making both him and Teddy beautiful! I brushed them down really well, put on Mane N Tail Shine On, and brushed through their manes and tails. I then took pictures of them together looking oh-so-beautiful (see pictures above).
I then went and prepared the trailer (put the struts down, put down the ramp, prepared a hay net for Woody to munch on and enjoy as a reward if he went in the trailer, and used the broom to check for wasps and stinkbugs. I then brought him out to the trailer and let him sniff it and explore for a little bit. I asked him to stand all four feet on the ramp, which he did fine and confidently. I took him away from the trailer and we went on a short walk, me being extra aware of when his focus shifted to the grass so I could change his idea quickly by asking him for a back up (a technique I am experimenting with to discourage his grass obsession). The logic behind it is the ever-popular phrase: make the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy. When he puts his head down for grass, he is immediately met with a girl backing into his space and waving things at him causing him to back up quickly. It really seems to be working and it sure beats me having to drag his head out of the grass.
Anyhow, We returned to the trailer and I became increasingly particular about how he entered the trailer. He has a habit of putting his nose in, and then moving his body all over the ramp to try to figure it out, and he ended up coming into me as I was standing in the other stall of the trailer. I would persist until he lined himself up with the trailer straight on, and then I would let him rest and relax in that position. He did this a couple of times, then I took him away from the trailer again and went into a big area where I asked him from some circles. He gave me both a really nice walk and trot on the 12 foot, and I was particularly pleased with the trot in that he wasn't crowding in my space or pushing into me (not literally but mentally) with his shoulder, so improvements have been made in that. I also asked him for several change of direction turns, which we started slowly (so that he could feel confident in the maneuver and understand EXACTLY what body parts I was asking him to move at what time), and then I tried it a couple times at the trot. He certainly proved he was connected to me and aware of my body language because he picked up my stopping and walking the opposite way VERY quickly and was really soft when I pushed him back out onto the circle. He did it really nicely, but at the trot he did break gait when turning, then picked up the trot again after changing directions. That's ok, were making progress, and as Harry would say, "I won't kill him for that."
Back to the trailer we went and we ended the session with him having been in the trailer more than halfway confidently and getting some hay. I will definitely be working with this more before the end of this month, but I was happy with yesterday's results.
We went back in the pasture and I put his flymask back on, and haltered Teddy. I wanted to work on tying with him because he hadn't been tied for several weeks since that one time to the tree. So, I tied him to a tree near the barn, making sure the branch I picked was high so that he couldn't hurt himself. I then haltered Charlotte, brushed her a bit, and got on her bareback. We rode around a bit, and I made sure to keep an eye on Teddy. He stuggled a bit in the beginning (by struggle all I mean in circle the tree a little bit and pull at the rope) but with a matter of 10 minutes he was standing cool as can be with slack in the rope under the tree.
I went to untie him, while still on Charlotte, and all three of us headed off across the pasture. We walked, stopped, and trotted together pretty nicely (he still has a BIT of drag in the lead rope when I ask him to trot, but it is getting better), and when we got to the other side where the pedestal is, I decided to challenge myself. Teddy has never been on the pedestal, not because he is afraid, but merely because I just haven't had a chance to show it to him. So, I directed him (put feel on the rope) towards it while Charlote stood still and guess what? He put his front feet on, then his back feet, then stepped off with his front feet and stood with just his backfeet on. It was so cool to see how open he was to my suggestion and how he trusted my judgement (and how innately curious he is). I led him off, and then directed Charlotte onto it and she stood up there just fine, too. At this time Woody came galloping from the other side of the pasture to see what was going on (I guess he had just realized we three had gone off without him). We all headed off: Charlotte and I, Teddy on the leadrope next to us, and Woody trailing along at Liberty. I retied Ted again to the tree and he stayed and took a mini-nap under the tree perfectly.
So, Woody is making progress in the trailer and on his circles, Teddy is making progress in ponying and tying, and Charlotte is making progress in becoming softer in riding. I am learning so many new things and I am definitely becoming a more natural/soft/relaxed rider for my ponies.
~Eden