Last week, Rodney was proud of himself for mastering an exercise [By George]. That’s the goal for all of his work. Remember the high school science demo that used air pressure to cavitate a can, UW-M Wonders of Physics: Collapsing Can? That’s how Rodney’s mind works.
Overwhelming External Pressure
When the world is too much, Rodney collapses mentally. Since he’s 1400 pounds and has feet, he runs off. Inside, he’s a heap of crumpled aluminum. [Aftermath of an Explosion, walking up hill 2011; Weekend Report, trotting in-hand 2013; Walking Along, leather halter 2016; and so on and so on]
No Pressure
No threat. No collapse. Nothing to prevent the above from repeating. This is where he is with dressage. Good but not great.
Internal Support
Not just doing, but doing with volume and projection. Throwing energy outward. I want Rodney to know he can, to feel sassy. He needs to be ready when the inevitable happens: an exciting environment, or a spooky jump, or an amateur moment on the part of his rider. I want him to have sufficient internal conviction to handle external pressure. I want him to be able to say …
Life
… ‘I got this.’
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
Excellent analogy. Not just for horses. Thank you.
Now to implement …