It's the little things

[newforest]

Thought I would put this here as its something I have noticed with mine.
She's not naturally forward, however in season her behaviour changes give me a long list of a cob that's been swapped out for another one!!! (One I don't always particularly like)

Anyway, I have noticed putting on her bridle that she will casually take a step forward into me. I ask her to step back and carry on. She might repeat it, so do I and we carry on.
She's just finished her season where manners go out the window and she does have a habit of pushing, leaning and the odd nose poke. What's interesting for me is how soft she is to correct with the lightest of touches where when in season she's like trying to move a flipping boulder

She's just been split from her pal, but I do wonder if gradually things have been allowed to slip in terms of her manners and my lack of corrections. I did a lot of alterations to accommodate the newbie and nervous sharer ( too many in hindsight) I had thought I would gain a hacking pal once a week, but in fact it managed to knock my confidence when they both took off three times and I knocked it on the head. He's fully retired now which was the original arrangement.

Eta the spelling bits from reading through.

Not saying she's a bad mannered hooligan, we had a lovely lunge session the other day. That's why the the thread is called the little things.

 

[Trewsers]

I think I've noticed the little things with Storm more and more - because Fuzzy is such a clot pole at times! For example, I take it for granted that Stormy knows to step back and when to come forward and is so spatially aware. She will just stand quietly and dip her head for the collar in a morning knowing we are leading out to her paddocks. She stands quietly whilst I re-do all the gates to her paddocks (have to go through quite a few sometimes depending on which one I'm putting her in). Fuzzy has been a wake up call in manners (or lack of!) but even so she does have her own little things. One of those is when I take her boots off in a morning, bless her, she knows the drill, one off and then politely holds the other leg up ready. There is a sweet hearted pony underneath that badger like exterior - but she's not used to so much human one to one and its going to take time.