Car Ride Breakthrough!

 I think we are finally making progress on Cisco's trailering stress level!

I hooked up the trailer last night and parked it towards the front of the field. By the time I returned with both horses, I had trailers parked on either side of me with haul-in lesson students. An excellent training opportunity!

Full-on sweat after a trailer ride on July 31.

When I first approached with Cisco to the trailer there was something about him that made me think this was going to be a good night.

And then he wouldn't get on.

He initially put his front feet into the trailer pretty quickly. But then would only tap dance in place and wouldn't take another step that actually moved him forward. Lots of foot movement going nowhere.

I ended up pulling Phantom off the trailer and sent her to go graze out of sight and went back to the beginning with Cisco. With the divider moved over, on our first approach he took that extra step in that I hadn't been able to get. But not much more.

We faffed about and after a few minutes got a couple more steps, so I backed him off and reapproached.

And he marched right on, right to the front.

And continued to do so another 4 or 5 times in a row, with me gradually moving the divider back over.

Still super sweaty on August 4.

I then had to decide if I wanted to leave it there or put both horses back on and go for a drive. I figured I might as well, we were there and ready to go.

He still loaded without issue after Phantom was on. So off we went!

We just did the loop around the side roads - it's not far, but they are all dirt roads so I drive like a grandma to try to keep the ride more comfortable for the ponies. We were probably gone for about 25 minutes.

Upon arrival, I lifted the rear curtain and for the first time, didn't smell the steaming, sweaty horse aroma.

Sure enough, Cisco had barely broken a sweat!

Sweat patches on his elbow and a bit on his neck - so much better!

Yes, it was much cooler than the last few times we trailered, but that hasn't stopped him in the past from breaking out into an all-over body sweat. There was still some sweat present, maybe about 10% of what it usually is. I'd be okay arriving somewhere and tacking up this horse instead of the other sweaty horse that would need a bath first.

I'm hoping that this was the breakthrough trailer ride and it will only get better from here! (Probably just a fluke though!)