Oh dear hahah those look soooo terrrible but I want to try to get them, especially fluttershy! xD Luckily I inherited one amazing trait from my dad- we were both boss at these UFO machines! We went into a Mcdonalds and wiped em' near clean!
Im also good at getting lucky with coin crank toys! I love the ones with the atari-style stick.
Lets see...the way that weird claw is... I would aim the claw to close on part of the tail. the thickness from the seam inside the tail or hair would make it dangle, but it might clamp it. It looks obvious to aim for the torso area or even the head, but the claw might slip.
Did the machine have a moving joint stick by any chance?
I like the purple pony with the orange hair!