More Practice, but is it perfect practice?

We've been playing with the trailer a lot. Also playing with the pattern "follow the rail" a lot. I've spent quite a few sessions on both of these areas including today. Which leads me to the question am I following the "practice is only practice, only perfect practice makes progress" idea.  I've been playing with the trailer as often as I have time for (which I guess hasn't been super consistent) and Duck is still not confident with it. And our follow the rail too. We are doing better but it is certainly far from perfect. We still have issues just trotting, let alone cantering.

After my fun trail ride on my birthday Duck obviously had some issues with it. Many thresholds were crossed for both of us. Both times I went out after that to play with her I had major issues. I tried to ride and she wouldn't do anything! She was extremely dominant and was trying to leave the arena to eat grass! I tried to get off and fix it on the ground, thought it was better and then tried again. No dice. She was still really acting up. So I quit on a good note on the ground and left it. The same thing happened again the next time I went out to ride but not as bad. Then we had a major cold snap and I had a major lack of time. So I didn't even bother to try and ride. So I've just been grazing her a little at a time when I have time which of course she enjoys.

So today finally I had time to play and ride and it feels like we're making some progress but is it good enough quality? Yeah, that I am not sure of. 

Here is the other couple things. There are horses in the paddock that shares a fence with the arena. Duck has issues with other horses. Today she lunged at the one while I was riding. The other horses were acting totally friendly but Duck just has her hers flat back going at them for what looks like no apparent reason. This also happened at the first and only clinic I took Duck to in Illinois. She was very defensive of her space. I am still not sure if it is dominance or she is scared of them. 

We had fun today. I was riding bareback and in the halter and we got a really nice sideways a few times. There was a triple jump combination up and and took her to the jump then side passed to the left, then got in between the next two jumps and side passed to the right, and then once more to the left. That was one of the best sideways we've had, it felt so light! 

It was a good horsey day even if it was raining on us!