It's not about the arena....and no point being an avoidaholic!

I have been 'avoiding' riding Rafiki in the arena for the longest time - infact since I started riding her - think shes about ride 31/32 now. The reason is she gets very stroppy, snarly, tail swishy and extreme - either extreme extrovert or extreme introvert, no happy medium. I had forgotten she used to be like this online too, but now she is her happy self online probably 95 per cent of the time.
But I can't avoid it forever andas she is my levels horse (at least until Merlot is started) then we need to begin properly at the beginning. i.e. can we do lateral flexion comfortably - no. What she used to do is snap her head round very quickly but her brain wasn't there. It has improved and online is not too bad but she struggles to keep her feet still. 'Things' really showed up in the lesson with Tori as Rafiki was extreme RBI for indirect rein....interesting.

After a lot of thought and playing with her today I think it is a lack of acceptance of me (or any rider) on Z3 and lack of confidence generally when 'ridden'. She thinks everything means go - even touching a rein means go, let alone touch her with a leg. So, after a good online session where she was super sweet and willing, I got on. All ok - we sat and sat and sat (she used to immediately walk off). I asked for the tiniest bend and immediately she got snarly/back up and tail swishy and walked off, so I softly bent her to a stop. We did this for probably 20 minutes with a lot of dwell, during which she wasn't relaxed but was tense and ready to move. Eventually I was able to push down hard on her neck and very softly touch the rein and get a positive response. Back to dwell time. I played friendly moving my legs backwards and forwards and again it took a while before she relaxed. She almost flinched initially. We playd again just with standing still and bending, and eventually there was a positive response most times, and a bit of a yawn. This is when I worked out that I think it is a lack of acceptance and a lack of understanding. The riding I have done with her has been out and about in straight lines and with not much bending - because....she gets bracey and hard to bend - not a good reason to avoid it!! So, I just used to get off a lot, which became less and less getting off, but I know I wouldn't be able to comfortable bend her and get a positive result. So, we have to fix it, which is retreating and retreating until she trusts enough to understand. I'm happy to play with this for as long as it takes, because it is such a basic step. I think she has a LOT of holes in her foundation. I believe that because she appeared 'quiet' she was pushed and pushed more and I know there was at least one battle in the arena to 'make' her go forward. I was told about that one...

hmm, bigger learning curve than I expected for me but when I think how much she has changed online from that angry girl that showed up a couple of weeks after I got her to her pleasant self now, I know the ridden snarliness is there for a reason. I also know she isn't in pain and can bend because she is happy enough to do it for a carrot! She is a fast learner and we will just take the time until she learns not everything means go and I'm not going to 'make' her.

Today after 35 minutes of sitting she suddenly popped her ears forward and politely walked forward out of the corner she had put herself into - her idea, and then when I slowly bent her to a stop she stopped immediately with her ears forward and positive expression, so a tiny bit of progress. of course I leapt off, gave her a carrot and just stood there while she heaved a big sigh....