Work Work Work and Then What?

Well, today I wanted to work on just trotting around in the arena in a good circle. Spirit again had a lot of energy at first so I decided to use that energy while it was still there instead of see if I could stretch it out like last time. So we walked around some then got into trotting. I found that Spirit can keep good gait and direction when he wants to. I think that is why I sometimes get frustrated with him because I have seen what he can do and when he just won't try it is hard to understand. So we went over trot polls and just tried to go on the outside of the arena. He kept stopping in the middle or whenever he came to another horse. I would kick and kick then try and use the end of the reins as a savvy string. It some what worked but when I used the end of the reins he seemed to get confused as to which direction he should go. We did this for a while and then went outside to cool down with Carlee and Cowboy. I noticed that Spirit gets a lot more energy when he is outside in the open and we can work so much better. So this makes me think that in the arena he get bored and see no point in trotting and trot polls. So what I have concluded is that Spirit is for sure a left brain horse but he switches from extrovert to introvert and back according to the situation. He is perfectly content to just stand and calmly walk around. He doesn't mind if I jump on his back bareback, stand in the saddle, jump off of his back to the ground, or be somewhat loud. That is if we are in the arena, but when we get outside he seems to feel a little more free and more fearful. When he gets scared he is very dominant and will have fits of jumping, little bucks, and pawing with his front feet. This is when he is extrovert but I know that he is not doing it to be mean he is just scared. The funny thing is that when he is scared in the green barn if I feed him some hay he gets a little calmer so that is how he can show some of his introvert left brain while being scared but it is mostly extrovert. So when I stay calm during the times that he is scared then allow him to move his feet in a positive way and feed him he does okay. From observing these things I think that is why doing these simple arena things get frustrating because I know he has energy and can do them but chooses not to. I am still learning so much about Spirit and his personality. Although, Sylvia had good advice for me today which was to stay consistent in how I ask him to trot so the kicking and reins is probably confusing him. Then she said think about him and when he has decided it is enough. That way even though I think he can go further I need to reward him for what he thinks he can do. Then slowly I can build up to what I know he can do. I will try that tomorrow. Maybe this will help him enjoy these simple things in the arena. Also when I do want him to go and he is just being stubborn or lazy I need to get bigger. Oh boy how I hate trying to figure out how to get bigger.