This week has been, as expected, manic!
I had an emotional mini breakdown mid week - I had gone into the bank to let them know I was travelling to France and check whether I had to do anything specific. I was told to phone up, which I did and they told me to go into the bank! I was not impressed. The horse transporter is still not formally booked and I don't think I will be relaxed until I have the booking paid for and confirmed!
I realised I was going very RBE and decided to try to be more left brained and make a list of all the things I needed to do. I still keep adding to the list but at least things are also being crossed off and I feel a lot calmer because of it. Simple and obvious I know but planning things and strategising are definately not my strong points... spending hours designing logos for T-shirts, now that's exactly like me!
So on Thursday I went into the bank and explained the situation and got it sorted, then I called my mobile phone network provider to sort out coverage abroad.
Friday was all about the work party! The solicitors that I have been working at were celebrating their 10 year anniversary on my last day of work! Very cool as it was as if they were throwing me a massive leaving party! They had booked an entire night club and provided us with free drinks vouchers and a buffet! Needless to say I really let my hair down and had a few too many....
Saturday I was dying! I couldn't leave the house until near 11 am despite my Mum's best attempts to urge me up. She gave me a glass of Resolve which I struggled to drink and keep down. I managed to crawl into her car (definately no state to drive myself) and cursed as she went over speed bumps and my already aching head smacked the window. After emptying my stomach completely I was like a half starved zombie. I perked up enough to muck my stable out but was quickly overcome with the urge just to lay on the concrete yard in the sun and sleep. Fortunately my Mum got me to snap out of it, or at least pull my self out of it, enough to get to the Saddlery and have a fry up in the cafe. I felt loads better after I had lined my stomache with fried egg and bacon and had just enough energy to help load hay bales into the horse box.
My non-horsey sister, Lizzy, had come to spend the day with me and so I said I would attempt a little demo kind of session for her to see what we get up to. I warned her that as I was hungover there was a good possibility Paris would not want to do anything for me. Paris didn't actually seem to mind my semi-zombie state but he was rather agitated by the fact that the horsebox was parked in the arena. I attempted to play a little at liberty but he kept running behind the box, where I couldn't see him and break gait or change sirection. I realised (maybe not as quickly as normal) that I was not going to be able to improve things at liberty and I needed to help him because he was forgetting his responsibilities more and more. I popped him on line and the change was immediate. We had some nice circle game and I turned him back out.
On Thursday night I had taken my 17 year old autistic sister up to the yard. As Georgia, her friend, has started doing Parllei, Tammy wanted to learn more. She had previously played with Paris and wanted to be better than Georgia. I explained that Georgia will be better at Parlli because she practices and pays attention. Tammy very rarely comes to the yard and has only had a couple of Parelli sessions. I set Tammy up practicing a few friendly game simutlations with the barrel and then showed her the seven games with Paris. When I got to the YoYo game he just planted his feet. He would not move back and I suddenly realised he was being LBI with me! This so-called RBE keeps me on my toes. So On Saturday I explained to my friend Hayley, who is very experienced with LBI's about my YoYo disaster - two days before the Fast Track and our seven games is broken!! Hayley was planning to give me a "lesson" today, to help me find the effective phase four without me feeling guilty about it. Paris was in a much more LBE mood today and was having a great time bossing me about whilst I was bathing him - he even drank water out of the hose which he has never done before! I do love this smart brave athletic horse! Hayley turned up and said - "You probably won't have a problem with your yoYo now!" I asked Paris to back up and he just cocked a leg and fell asleep! I upped my phases and he stepped back, I quit and he came straight back forward. "He's being dominant" I said.
Why am I ststing the obvious? Second guessing myself? Knowing what the answer is but not doing it?
As soon as I upped my phases and became firm and consistent about him backing up his attitude started to change. He wasn't impressed about it but he became a little more respectful. then I invited him in and he said no. It was as if he said "you wouldn't let me in when I wanted too and now I don't want to" I guess that's part and parcel with the game really. He soon changed his mind and came in, happy to get a treat and a scratch. Georgia wanted to put him away so I told her to back him into his stable, which she did beautifully. She has developed so much confidence and had great "drive" energy. A couple of weeks ago she would not go near extroverted horses, today she was "catching", leeading, handling, backing, haltering extroverts! I'm very impressed!
The lorry is loaded up, my car cleaned and loaded also, Paris bathed and groomed ready for the big day tomorrow. It's going to be an early start, up at 4am to be at the yard by 5am to be on the road by 5.30am. We're aiming to arrive at Stoneleigh at 9am when the doors arrive so that we have as much time as possible to check in and get Paris settled and the tent pitched.
I am exhausted but know sleep won't come easy! I always wake up every hour before big events and for me, this is one of the biggest! Up there with starting a new job and heading off to France for the trial period!
I can't wait to see what this week has in store for us!
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