Week of HUGE progress on several things...

What a grrrrrrreat week for Camryn & I. 
First off Camryn is Amish trained, pull rein to left, she turns to the left, right rein, right turn.  Also she doesn't  always respond with soft hands.  Especially if there was an off chance we could head towards grass. I really hate being in her mouth and want to ride her in the softest way possible. At last weeks training class Barb showed me some things to do with my body.
So, this week she and I began working with the clicker on turning off my leg, and turning softly. Day 1 we had some progress with my leg aides being very strong and exaggerated.  Day 2 while not 100% I was able to exaggerate my body aides a little less.  Yesterday, as I bridled she was quite eager to "play" her cute lips were just wiggling away reaching for her bit.  At last she's thinking Mom is getting somewhere!!! 
If she listened to my soft cues she'd get click/treat, if she just offered what "she thought" I wanted she got NADA.  Once as she began to "second guess" and turn right (which is what earned the last click/treat), I lifted my little finger just a tad, she hesitated and turned left!!!  Yeehaa, jackpot tons of good girls. 
The rest of that session she was turning with very soft gestures from my body and my little finger raising a tad.  Soooo, awesome!!!  Of course we'll have to start over once we get out of the paddock, so we'll stay there till it's 100% and hopefully she'll respond quickly as we start over on different terrain (grass)!!!  I pumped though and know it's in there "progress rather than perfection".
Today was an even bigger breakthrough for us...
I've written about our trailer loading issues.  She'll load but, only if I lead her in and go out the escape door.  This means a second person needs to be there to do the butt bar.  I'd like to do some weekday riding but, needing a second person and hubs at work well, that isn't happening. 
Earlier this week my  dear non horsey hubby asks what Camryn's favorite thing is that she rarely gets, well that'd be apples without doubt.   Dear non horsey hubby suggests that I put an apple in her manger when loading, and that she only gets apple in the trailer.  Today dear non horsey hubby picks up a bag of apples.  I cut one up in little pieces, place three in the manger, the rest in a baggie for reloading manger. 
I hand grazed Camryn a bit then head for the open trailer. First three times I lead her in, she gobbles up the apple, I also click/treat (regular treats) for backing slowly (she normally does) and off the ramp straight.  Recently she began turning while on the ramp, she was backing straight again after the second unload. 
While reloading apple bits in the manger I'd been tying her to the trailer allowing her to graze.  After the third load when I tied her we had a near fiasco!!!  Camryn attempted to self load while tied!!!  So glad she's awesome at backing so instead of going into panic mode she listened and backed.  Thank you God!!! 
I then walked her back to the paddock and tied her to a secure fence post (which is what I'll be doing from now on).  Reloaded the manger with a jackpot of apples, walked her up, pointed and in she went!!!  Camryn self loaded!!!  Can you believe it and all due to my dear non horsey hubbies brilliance to boot.  Yep, I give credit where credit is due.
 I didn't do the butt bar as I wanted to end with Camryn thinking, "trailer loading is awesome".  I have the next three days off, weather permitting we'll be playing "get the apple" several times each day upping the ante (closing the butt bar) when I'm feeling she's feeling good about the whole thing. 
Funny isn't it how something as simple yet inexpensive as a little apple and a non horsey hubbies thinking outside the box leads to such a breakthrough for us :)