The most recent example would be the last time I rode Royal. This winter, he's developed a habit of being tense in the arena. I could work on other stuff, but he wouldn't really be with me. So I decided to work on relaxation through Partial Disengagement. It took a long time for him to relax and he tried to do everything but relax. I just waited it out with his bracing, spinning, changing speeds, and trying to yank the reins out of my hands.
I won't deny I was kind of frustrated and exasperated with him, but I just let him figure out what the right answer was. As soon as he sighed, I dropped the reins like they were hot. And the next time, it only took 30 seconds for a nice deep sigh. Haven't done any riding since then due to the Eternal Cold Snap, but hopefully next ride will be better.
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