Isaac's education continues apace and he is willing to give everything a go. Nevertheless it's important not to assume that he will be fine with everything and to use logical and incremental steps to ask him to accept new experiences. Here are some of my top tips:
One: When introducing the feather duster it's important to touch less controversial areas first - such as the shoulder or the side of the nose before touching the pony's feet.
Two: When asking a pony to touch something new, avoid him taking it into his mouth.If he becomes worried he is likely to clamp his teeth and frighten himself. If he takes off then he will take the item with him and frighten himself even more.
Three: Place yourself between the pony and the thing that he might be frightened of. Quite often you'll feel them ask if you are frightened of it.
Four: When standing at a height next to a pony use a deep flat touch on his back to make it a pleasant experience.
Five: When negotiating more complicated obstacles make sure that the obstacle is sturdy but relatively easy to dismantle.
Six: Go through each obstacle at least three times so that you end on the calmest note.
Seven: Sometimes just stop and wait and allow the pony to investigate things for himself.
Eight: To slow a pony down try acting as if you have lost 50p. He'll help you to look.
Nine: On narrow obstacles make sure that you aim for the centre of the obstacle and control the pony's feet.
Not to be outdone, Jazz negotiated all of the obstacles too.
