Play day

After 64mm of rain this last few days the sun came out this morning and dried up all the rain - and voila - green grass!

Later in the afternoon there was a line of convergence cloud which was pretty impressive, to the East but still blue to the west. I got the barrels and tarp out and starting setting them up while the boys looked on wondering.
Maraschino was the first to investigate the tap but Garbo was the first to stand on it while I was getting the barrels. Then paw it! Maraschino then came over and tried to bite it!
I got Garbo's halter and he walked away after smelling it - so I decided after watching Pat and Level 2 of the new DVDs today I was going to be the Ambassador of yes today and be the best me I could be for him! And I was also going to trailer load practise but ask really softly and wait for him to gain confidence inside the float.
I copied Pat with the barrels alongside each other like he did with Midas - but with a gap. Garbo did exactly what Midas did! He must have been watching the DVD through the window I think. He chewed on them, pushed them around with his nose, rubbed on them, rolled them.

I made the gap smaller and asked him through them again... he tried to stick hi foot on one and then tried really hard to step through.
He looked so pleased with himself when he did it - I gave him a treat. We did a few circles at walk and trot over the tarp and through he barrels.

The we went out for trailer loading. In the DVD Pat says - don't do these 4 things;

1. Wait until you are late for the show or trail ride
2. Open the door and see if your horse won't load
3. If he tries cluck him on further
4. As soon as he is on shut the gate.

So since I wasn't rushed we must have spent an hour doing this. First I asked him to squeeze between the trailer and me before I opened the door - a few times - like Pat said, ensuring the space between me and the trailer was the width of the trailer opening or less. That was ok - Maraschino stood watching.

I asked him on from beside the ramp - he put two front feet on straight away and then stopped - so (number 3 in mind) I waited. He also said that when they are in the relax your stance. Take the pressure off.

I then asked again by upping my energy and straitening my pose, and pointing to the inside of the float - he took one more step and kind of back one sideways.
He had a good smell of everything and looked out the windows, every now and again looking back at me to ask if I still wanted to keep going.

This dance went on (two steps forward, one step sideways, one step forward, one step sideways and back - in a square.

He spend alot of his resting time yawning which I have taken as a good thing. I concentrated on seeing how small I could make the ask - after phase one point, I would start jiggling the end of the 22ft then swing it, then twirl it but it never made contact - phase 4 was I made contact with the grass with the twirling rope - he would have felt the air.

This is basically the position I need him to be in to close the divider but he couldn't stay here very long. I just relaxed and tried again. He got to this point about 4 times and then took a step back and to the right.

We had a break at one point - Pat also said never stop them getting off - they are practising getting off.
After a short break we did a few more and then we ended after this one.

It was 6pm by then and I had run out of time to play with Maraschino.

Hoping to go ride at Jools tomorrow by myself - just waiting to hear if Arena too wet or not after all that rain (they are in a low lying area).

Cancelled the beach ride yesterday due to the torrential rain!