Yesterday was a great day! I had another lesson with Marleen. She has repeatedly told me, "The problem is not about the trailer!" I finally get it. I mean I think I really get it. The problem isn't about the trailer at all! And to take that thought one step further, it isn't even Riyah who has a problem. It's me! The problem I have to figure out is how to clearly and consistently show her that I can be her leader while helping her feel safe by preserving her sense of self-preservation and dignity. (Maybe to some people that would seem obvious, but it wasn't to me.) Marleen did a great job of helping me see how to do that involving the trailer. Riyah is very smart and did a great job! She went in and out of the trailer repeatedly, then we drove to the fairgrounds and did the same things again and dealt with the excitement of a new place. It was great. I'm still licking and chewing and blinking about it!

Today I had arranged to pick up a friend to go ride in the Roller Coaster Hills. I told her "1:00-ish," depending on how the trailer loading went and not to worry if I was late--it just meant I was playing trailer loading games with Riyah because I would play them as long as needed. Well I arrived EARLY because Riyah loaded when I asked her to. I made a specific request and got a specific response. She tried some of the old backing up/yanking behavior, but this time it didn't work (hee hee, thanks, Marleen!), so she just got in. And DIDN'T turn around. (She tried, but I said no. (Sideways game!)) Then I backed her out again. And sent her in again. Back out again. In again. (With the rope over her back no less!) And we left.

At Gail's place, she loaded Star into my trailer and we headed out. It was cloudy, but warmish and windy. We wove between cedar trees, passed cows with their little calves, walked through puddles, climbed hills, etc. We got off and hiked down a couple of the steeper hills, and I asked Riyah to stay way back at the end of the lead rope behind me. She did great and stayed very relaxed. Those hills are quite steep and short, but not as steep or long as the Hell's Kitchen Canyon at the ride on the 14th.

A mile and a half from the trailer on the way back, we were attacked by swarms of gnats and mosquitos! I felt panicky; they were everywhere and biting like crazy! Luckily Riyah and Star didn't panic, but we hurried them as quickly as we could on the very rocky road back to the trailer to get the heck away from there! We were totally chewed up, and I looked like I had chicken pox when I got home! Gail was itching badly, too. No more Roller Coaster Hills till the gnats are gone!

It doesn't look steep, but really, it was!