Repairing Leaks.

It is quite humorous if you really think about it, each ride seems to have a theme. Yesterday our theme was 'Leaks'.

Last nights ride, as a whole, was very good. We had a couple moments but they were solved with some reassurance and good riding. While little issues popping up when it should be very simple can be frustrating, I try my best to look at them as learning opportunities.
What can we take from this one?
Well, I was reminded to not allow any of 'your' energy to go outside the 'box' you want it to remain in. Set up your 'box', hands, legs, body and keep the energy flowing where it needs to be.
If you don't, it is relative to a leak in a plumbing line. If there is a hole, your energy will leak out and your horse will drift, run out, refuse etc.

Our ride started off sluggish, which they have recently. I get it, Pal is bored being stuck in the indoor but that doesn't mean she can neglect my requests. I was prepared for this and grabbed a dressage whip. We did our usual 10-15 minutes of walking, with halts and all sorts of lateral work. Key object here, is loosening up and prepping the brain for work. This is important for Pal. If you don't have her brain, you don't have her body.
I prepared her for a trot. Gave her the usual 'listen up and sit', inside leg to outside hand half-halt, ask. Pal responded with a very lack luster, forehand depart. Ew. Came back, gathered up again, asked. Same reaction. Clearly I don't have her brain yet!
With Paloma, the brain to body connection is our main issue, every horse/rider partnership has one.
I have two different reactions for this dilemma depending on the situation and how she is answering my question. Here, she got a tap from the whip accompanying my leg. Much better reaction but I rechecked just in case. Again better.
I am a talker and told her 'glad I have your attention now', Pal responded with a tail swish. I won't translate that.

Throughout the ride, our issue today was maintaining a good flow of energy between the two of us.
Whether it was me letting the energy go past my outside hand, not using enough inside leg or Pal just wanting to go AQHA HUS on me and dodge about on her forehand ignoring me.
Typically, if she is being lazy in her body, she is driven forward, but if she is being lazy in the brain we do quick succession transitions. Today was body. So we worked a lot on hind engine power and going forward.

Trot resulted in nice flow with lift and really stretching into the bridle, but not pulling. Lovely.
Canter left, was a little like riding those plastic horses on springs that we all had when we were kids. *Insert incessant squeaking* Again this lays evidence against Pal having shorter muscles through her right side.
After working some canter leg yields from quarter line to track and some shoulder fore in the canter. Things started flowing much better and Pal began to reach into the bridle.

Tracking right. No problems as per usual... with the exception of my error, which is where our leaking began to become extremely evident.
I had set a line of canter bounce poles, five poles with the third, middle, being raised into a small vertical.
Pal despises tight distances, especially bounces, it makes her second guess herself. Second guessing and tight distances... not a good recipe.
I am on the page of thinking it has stemmed from her naturally long flat stride and her not paying attention when she is stretching. But she has to learn for herself, I can't always help her. It wouldn't be safe for either of us. So, this is why I work often on simple gymnastic exercises like bounce poles, small bounce jumps etc. Not to mention, this is all our indoor space warrants.

Tracking right, I picked up our canter, Pal had a little fuss about getting off my inside leg, we fixed this with a tap and headed into the gym. Entering the gym we maybe have two strides before the first pole, so we have to be accurate. I made the mistake of not closing my outside hand or supporting enough with outside leg when Pal got a bit intimidated by the 'sea of poles', as I call it, and she attempted to run out. Normally, for a single fence, I would make her jump from a stop but because of the tight line. I made her turn on her haunches the direction she didn't want to go and circled back in making sure to apply strong outside aids. While I felt her try to test the 'box' she realized the wall was built and she had to go and she calmly cantered through like there was never a second thought.

After our little hiccup, Pal became comfortable with the line and didn't even blink. Like rider like horse?
I second guess and micro-manage, does she do the same thing?

It is amazing how you think you know everything about your horse, how to ride them, what they like, what they dont, how they will react, but they can still continue to surprise you.

Note to self; assuming makes an a** out of you, proper equitation saves your a**.