Yesterday we stepped up Rusty's play and training a bit. He has finally come to the point where he's "shy" but not overreactive to strangers and new objects. Thus, Rusty met the pool noodle yesterday! A bright, lime green noodle that is longer than he is (but certainly not as wide!)

I had worked with Tammy for a bit already with Rusty intently watching from his paddock. So he had already seen Tammy accept the noodle and the hula-hoop that makes all sorts of funny noise! There were also new people around yesterday who had, of course, been introduced to Rusty and he accepted all with curious sniffs and just a wee wiggle of the lips on the hands to see how they tasted. No teeth and no indications of using the teeth. He allowed his head to be scruffled and his withers to be scritched by strangers! What a good pony! :) He was curious about the pool noodle at first but his first instinct was to back away. But then I asked him to "touch" and he tentatively came up and, quick as a wink, touched it with his nose then backed up a step! Cutie pie! He got his alfalfa pellet for a reward for being so brave. At the end of maybe 4 or 5 minutes I was scratching his head, his rump, his belly, his legs all over with the noodle while he stood quietly and calmly. The end of this session culminated with me waving the noodle around him wildly and bumping it off his back. What a brave little troll he is! He got a small handful of alfalfa pellets for that and a big hug! Today, we'll introduce the tambourine and umbrella! One at a time. Hopefully, I can get someone to take some photos while we do this today! Then I'll post them here.