Willig and the Giant Trailer

I am trying a new approach with Willig. Instead of treating him like a trained horse, I am treating him like a 3 or 4 year old (my guess as to what a 3 or 4 year old should be treated like, since I have never actually owned nor trained a 3-4 or any-year old), and instead of being annoyed with him at all the things he can't do, we have backed way, way off, and I am trying to work him in smaller increments and on easier things. So on a "typical" day now, he gets lunged (more transitions than I was doing with him so he exercises his hind legs better and it's less repititious) and then I ride him for about half an hour with a lot more breaks, a lot more "routine", and just a few minutes of something new. This doesn't always work, but there has been a real improvement in his attitude. I'm not sure if they're connected, but it works for me.
Sam has had a few problems with Mercury, and it turns out he's just gotten really hot from all the grain. So I'm going to start scaling him back and working him harder on my days, and I went out with her yesterday on the trail to watch and see if I could help her with the problems. She is really treating him well. He has gained some weight on his hindquarters, but he is still a little too skinny, especially for it about to be the start of July.
I also took the trailer in this week to get a new brake box in the truck and a new, lower drop hitch for the trailer. It ended up costing way more than I thought it would, and then, after I parked the trailer at the barn and disconnected the truck, I went to take out a flake of alfalfa, and the front ramp fell off. One of the hinges rusted completely away. Fortunately, the barn manager's husband can weld, so he is going to pick it up when he gets time to work on it and weld a new hinge, as well as whatever else needs welding, back on it. I can't take it anywhere until it gets fixed, so that might mess up some of my plans for July. The timing was incredible. I mean, that DAY it had been at the shop.
Yesterday it was over 90, and Willig was scared of one particular corner, so we worked pretty hard (with lots of walk breaks) but he got totally soaked. Mercury got pretty sweaty just on his trail walk. I've been giving them electrolytes in their night water each time it gets over 80. Today I had to work on a house project, so I'm waiting until later in the evening to go out, when it starts to cool down a little.

Trailer sleep-over

The trailer got to spend the night at the house last night so that I could take it at lunch today to get a new electric brake box and a longer drop hitch so that it will ride level. I also got the piece that zinged loose when the gravel hit it riveted back in. This all lightened my wallet considerably, but it feels easier to drive, and some little moron tested my electric brakes by pulling out immediately in front of me. The electric brakes passed the test and I narrowly avoided a heart attack smashing some little car with my enormous truck.

Here's what the truck & trailer look like from inside the house and the front corner of the front yard. My yard's not THAT small, either.