Now that we're settled, I've FINALLY gotten my trailer hooked up again. Princess Fancy Pants took a little spin around the block yesterday. She loads really well. She travels . . . not so really well. I am a very conservative and good trailer driver - I maintain an even speed, am very aware of what is going on around me, I don't slam on the brakes or accelerate quickly. But that doesn't seem to matter to PFP. She paws and whinnies and gets very anxious leaving her boyfriends. We only went for a ride around the block (10 minute drive) so we weren't gone for that long. She did some intermittent pawing and whinnying, but also had some moments of quiet, so I feel like there's hope. I have considered trailering her with Paddy (her brother-type friend) or Mac (her boyfriend), but Paddy paws when close to home and that's not a behavior I want to reinforce, and she and Mac are just too amorous and I don't want to go there in close quarters. I'm hoping it is just one of those things that, with multiple mini-outings per week that always return to home, she'll get over with maturity and practice.
The good news is that after we got home and unloaded, I re-loaded her a few more times in and out so she wouldn't think she could have a hissy fit and then get to come home and go out as her reward. So in and out she went, standing quietly and then backing when I gave her the cue. I'm pleased about that.
We've also continued our homework and have started double-lunging in our lessons, which she's picked up on just as easily as everything else. She's a special and fancy little pony!
Poor pony. That's a bummer she gets so stressed. It would be nice to have a quiet unattached hauling buddy for her. I wonder if some longer trips would be better to give her more time to settle in?
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