The Long Way Home... and Back Again!

Well this is a first for me... sitting on the Eurostar writing my blog!

In my last post I was explaining how I was preparing Riva in order to film my Freestyle audition with her to meet the requirements of the externship.  Well plans have changed. Again.

As it was the Christmas period it was a while before Isabelle came to check Paris. All of his swelling was gone and she said she could tell that there was nothing wrong with his fetlock, it barely responded to a flexion test and she said his tendon was fine. I asked her if Paris should continue to rest or should move. She said that he could return to his herd and that I could work with him but nothing too crazy and mostly straight lines. She did say that if his leg swelled up again I should email photos to her.

That night I rode Paris around the block. I brought him in for the night because I did not want to reintroduce him to his herd in the dark. The next day I rode him for 10 minutes, we did isolations and a lap in each direction of trot to back up yoyos. I was very pleased that I had managed to control myself and not get carried away with doing too much with him. I then walked Paris back to Dino’s Place and put him with Casper in the small fenced of piece of hard standing Karen had sectioned off for our horses. 

You can imagine my disappointment the next day when I saw him in the morning and his fetlock was as hot and swollen as ever. Irina took some photographs for me and I spent the whole evening trying to attach the images to my email for Isabelle but the internet kept crashing. It was an extreme test of my emotional fitness. That night Casper’s legs were also swollen, but he was swelling on all four legs and all the way up the leg, not just at one place. Karen took photos and tried to email Isabelle too, with just as much difficulty. She hardly slept as she checked on Casper several times during the night. Casper has not been right for a long time, he has an abscess almost touching his coffin bone, locking knees and unexplained swellings. Poor Karen came home early from her holidays to try to help Casper. The next morning I had not heard back from Isabelle. Karen decided to take Casper to Isabelle for the 5 day anti-biotic treatment Isabelle had previously recommended. Moments after seeing Karen and Thomas head off with the trailer, Gabi told me that Isabelle had emailed her that she would like to scan Paris and proposed that we took him to the vet on the Wednesday when they went to pick up Casper.  As it was several youngsters developed swollen legs and Isabelle came to check them and so she scanned Paris and did an x-ray.  Isabelle could find nothing wrong and his swelling has completely gone away again so she told me to work him thoroughly the next day and to bring him to the clinic the day after, which was the Wednesday we would be collecting Casper.

In those few days I had continued to play with and ride Riva and Touria. In my last session with Riva we did the question box, clover leaf, jumping and opening and closing the gate all completely bridleless.  Her isolations are so cool. I was really starting to feel confident that we could do a good audition.

So on the Tuesday, when I had to play with Paris, I decided to take the opportunity to film an audition with him. I figured that it was no big deal if nothing came of it but maybe, just maybe, we could get something to send in. I brought him in from the field, having prepared the arena and his equipment. His tail was still plaited from his time in the stable and he was still clean from being groomed the evening before. I gave him a thorough brushing over to comfort him and untangled his tail which fell in beautiful waves from the plait. I lead him into the arena on the 12ft line and began some gentle stick to me online to warm him up. Well that was the idea! He was so happy to play that he was shaking his head and leaping in the air, so I decided to go with his exuberant and playful ideas and took his halter off. He bucked and reared as we played stick to me and when I ran backwards he came trotting exuberantly shaking his head from side to side in wide sweeping movements. I asked him to circle me and he took off around the arena and I saw his exaltation at being free to move and feel his own power as he took off at the speeds he was bred to reach! Finally he was ready to reconnect and I did a little calmer stick to me before putting him back online and doing circles with transitions, stretching and sideways. He was connected, responsive and finally calm (by comparison to how he started anyway!) so I stood on the block and asked him to side pass to me. His isolations were still as good as they were when I last rode him but I realised that Riva was beginning to overtake him in certain areas of her education. We trotted a follow the rail pattern with halt-backups and corners. I then trotted a clover leaf pattern. He was feeling nice and connected so I asked for a canter... wow! He took off like a bullet straight up the long side of the arena toward poor Joke who was sitting with the video camera ready to film my audition. I asked for a halt and he stopped, swinging his hindquarters as he did. The look on Joke’s face must have matched mine. I picked up the neck string and focused on cantering circles and used the neck string to lift his front up and put him back on his hindquarters when he started getting long and fast. I even needed to bring him right back into a back-up.  Finally I could canter a clover leaf pattern so I tested Paris having the ball on him whilst I was on him (we had never done that) and then asked him to jump the small jump. It wasn’t as big as in our original audition but it had been a very long time since we had done any jumping and he was surprised by it. He took off toward the jump at full speed and got in close to it and I just had to hang on as he rose up like a rollercoaster. He flew away from the jump and I brought him to a stop just to hear Joke laughing at us and telling me to do it again because the camera had not been rolling. I decided that I needed to get him back with me before firing him up more with the jump so we returned to our clover leaf pattern and finally jumped the jump. This time he was calmer although he left a leg dangling and knocked the pole. I check out our gate opening and closing and was satisfied that it had not deteriorated so I jumped off of Paris to tidy the tarp in the question box and repair the jump. I told Joke we would begin filming and as I put the pole back I heard her scream “NO!” I span around and saw Paris getting down to roll... with the saddle on! I ran toward him and he looked like he was intent on ignoring me because he was so intent on rolling. But my intention that he should get up was even stronger and as I reached him he leapt up and came to me. I brushed off as much of the sand as I could and couldn’t help a trace of irritation that now I had to film with a dirty horse because it would take ages for the wet sand to dry enough to brush him clean again.

We started the camera and I mounted Paris, after adjusting the saddle pad, and I began with my isolations. This time they were not as good but still a lot better than they were during our audition in the summer. We then did our question box.  At first Paris was confused that I was asking him to change direction and then he got his feet tangled in the tarp which he began to get emotional about. I breathed out and put a hand on his neck and just thought “it’s ok” and he calmed immediately and sniffed the tarp. After that our question box went much smoother with some really nice transitions and simple changes. He was really thinking about the halt and having the tarp in the question box seemed to help us have a shared focus and purpose in stopping.  Paris’ canter cloverleaf was so good. He rode the corners and was very accurate and all I needed to do was use my focus. We then turned toward the jump. I felt him speed up a bit on the last stride and away from the jump but he listened when I asked him to come back to a halt and we side-passed to the gate for our grand finale. Opening and closing the gate was awesome, he really understood what we were doing and just followed my focus. The audition was over and I couldn’t resist punching my hands in the air in the “Yittah!!” victory gesture of Hiro Nakamura (a little tribute to Heroes, the TV series we were addicted to in the student house).

The next day was our trip to the vets.

I had to work in the morning and be ready with Paris loaded and me in clean clothes by 11.45, it was not easy. Paris loaded pretty well into this strange trailer with a high step up into a small partition. As soon as he was in and the doors closed he began banging with his front feet. He was quiet when the trailer was in motion but impatient as soon as it stopped moving and he was free to express himself rather than concentrate on keeping his balance. His fetlock was nicely swollen from the exertion of the previous evening. We arrived at the vet in good time and Thomas drove off with the trailer to re-fuel the car. Isabelle’s other half came and told me to put Paris in the paddock whilst they got prepared. Karen went and got Casper ad immediately they recognised each other. Paris was extroverted trotting around the paddock, rolling and leaping into the air. Finally I was asked to get him. I was so grateful to the relationship we had developed when I was sent to retrieve my excited extroverted thoroughbred from this strange new environment.  A few years ago that would have been like mission impossible. He came to me soon enough and put his head in the halter and I was then asked to walk and trot him up on the world’s smallest piece of smooth concrete.  I was then asked to walk him over the weighbridge. There was a tractor near it with a pile of concrete blocks and the bridge was already quite a squeeze game in itself. Of course Paris walked up the ramp and stood on the bridge, wall on one side of him, fence on the other and then politely off, past the tractor through a narrow gap without batting an eyelid.  Just another squeeze game for a veteran Parelli horse! Next I was gestured to follow the nurse into a room with breeze block walls and concrete floor. She got the clippers out and removed what little hair was left on Paris back legs. Both vets, Isabelle and Claudia, came in to begin the scan on Paris and Casper was also led in the have his foot soaked in disinfectant. We were sad to see that Casper was no better after his time in the clinic.

Claudia explained to me that Paris had a loose ligament, it may have occurred gradually over time or all of a sudden, but there was a weakness in the corresponding fetlock bone. The Medial Collateral Ligament was not attached strongly enough and so it was not doing its job to stop the fetlock bones from rubbing each other. The friction of the bones rubbing was causing irritation which was why when Paris was active the heat and swelling was returning. She prescribed at least 6 weeks of rest on flat ground. She said he could go for walks on nice roads but absolutely no crazy stuff and he was not to play with his friends.  I have put him out with access to the front area of Dino’s place which is the shelter, hard standing, hay rack and the world’s smallest patch of grass. He needs to have his fetlocks rubbed every day with Regitand.  I have also put him on a supplement called NatureBute which contains botswellia extracts for development of stronger healthier tendons and ligaments.

My goal is to have Paris’ fetlock strong enough for his journey back to the UK in April, then he can continue his rest until I am back from the externship and then I will see where we go from there.  The prognosis is that he will be able to return to playing and trail riding but I will need to accept that his legs and joints are not up for the physical demands that level 4 require.

I had a holiday home booked. Joke agreed to look after Paris for me and I know he is in good hands at the Plessis.

I must say that I have had a knot in my stomach all week about my journey home. Last time I went home the plane was cancelled because of the snow at Stansted and we have been having frozen conditions all week. I tried to book a train to take me to the airport on Sunday morning but the trains did not start until I needed to already be there so I asked if someone could take me. Thomas kindly offered but then he had to go to collect Marie-Claire’s horses so he said Laura would take me. When Piet heard about this he expressed that as the weather might turn for the worse I should take the train on the Saturday and spend a night in Tours. Laura took me to the train station after lunch, where I had to wait two hours for the train. Finally I arrived in Tours and checked in to the same little hotel that had been my refuge in December. This time my room was on the top floor and my bag seemed a million times heavier as I lugged it up.

I had a shower (managed to dent my knee and turn the shower on with my forehead....), did my belly dance practice (Joke, Jana and I had decided that belly dancing would be a fun way to develop our physical fitness) and skyped for a bit. Sleep did not come easy, it never does when I am travelling.

Finally it was morning and I opened the main door of the hotel and stepped out on the pavement... into a white winter wonderland! Normally I would have loved it but my heart stopped for enough beats that I think I have lost atleast an hour of my life. I sent a silent prayer and headed to the station to catch a taxi. As I got there the only taxi drove off and my panic began to mount as I realised that not so many cabs would be coming out in these conditions.  Several men arrived and were also waiting for a taxi and I found myself worrying that in France they don’t have the same regard for queuing and helping a lady in distress. When a taxi arrived the men began flagging it down in confident macho style. I flung myself, suitcase and all, into the road with the arm waving of a desperate woman. I saw the taxi driver indicate to the men that he was coming to me and the men began shouting and cursing at him. I tried to get in to the taxi but it was locked and the driver was not confident to unlock it with those men there. I explained to the men that I was going to miss my plane but they did not care. As the taxi drove off they cursed again and walked back into the station. I watched as my salvation shrank into the distance and then I saw the taxi stop on the other side of the plaza. I ran in the snow to the taxi, whose doors were now magically unlocked and gasped a million “merci”s to the driver. He smiled and explained (and I understood) that he had not wanted a drama with those men. He wished me a good day as I said aurevoir and headed into the airport. As soon as I walked in the doors I knew what was happening. It should have been almost time for the gate to close, but there was no one at the gate, no one at the departure lounge, just a small handful of people at the service desk. I looked at the monitor and saw the dreaded word... Cancelled.

An ironic laugh escaped me and I span around but the taxi driver had already gone. I headed to the service desk and asked the man there if there was anyway for me to get to London. In typical French “who gives a crap” style he just snorted “no. Not by air. Maybe by train.” I looked at him, unimpressed, and it seemed to occur to him that he was actually paid to be a customer service representative so he explained “ there are no other airports nearby flying to London. Our next flight is Wednesday.” I could have told him that. I decided to call my mum from the payphone but discovered I have nothing on my bank account and could not use the phone. As I returned to the service desk I heard an American voice telling someone on the phone to book his eurostar tickets to St Pancreas. When he got off of the phone I asked him if he would mind sharing his plan with me because I was also wanting to get to London. He offered to take me with him to the nearby train station of Saint-Pierre des Corps but said he would be first in line for the tickets incase it was the last one. The man at the service desk suddenly seemed happy that there was a possible solution to my dilemma and allowed me to use the desk phone to call my parents. I asked my mum to put money on my account ASAP so that I could buy train tickets.

The man’s name was Jeffry and it turns out that he lives 10 minutes from the Plessis and his wife has been on Marie-Claire’s courses! He booked a ticket for the first train to Paris but as it was 4 times the price of the one 2 hours later I opted for the cheaper one. As it turns out his train was cancelled and we were on the same one after all, but in different carriages. When I arrived in Paris my plan was to head to Gare du Nord to get the Eurostar. It was on the otherside of the river and I took a little walk around the area of the Paris Gare Montperasse before catching a taxi to the north. I figured that it would be nice to see a bit of Paris as I was there. I enjoyed looking at the architecture but recognised none of the famous land marks. Apparently the Arch de Triumphe, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower were not on the way to the Gare du Nord. Figures.  I was a little disappointed with Paris – it sounds so Romantic to say you walked around Paris in the snow but the reality was less glamorous as I trudged my way past commercial buildings, bin bags and discarded christmas trees, all half hidden in the white/grey slush. The taxi ride was pleasant though with the French equivalent of classic FM playing.

I wished the driver a good day and headed toward the main days of the massive Gare du Nord. I saw a middle-eastern woman looking at me and she asked if I spoke English. Of course I said yes and she thrust a piece of paper that looked like a sponsorship form in my hand. She pointed at the heading that was in badly printed font and read something about deaf and mute children. I asked “what is this for” and she enthusiastically said “petition, petition!” jabbing the paper. I looked at it again, sceptically and i said “petition? For what exactly?” she pointed at all the names and signatures already on the list, I saw a column with various amounts ranging from 5-20 euros and was sure we did not share an understanding here. She decided to coach me through it.

Name? ok, i put my name. City? Sure, London would do. Postcode? My old one rolled out of the pen. Signature? A scribble. Amount? Here I looked her again and said “for what??” she just pointed at what the others had put. I remembered a street survey i once did and that the people worked on commission, maybe she just needed the numbers. I copied the smallest figure, 5 euros and turned to go. “no, no!” she cried and pointed at the figure i had illegibly scrawn and put a hand out. I tilted my head in an “i don’t think so” then shook my head and said no. She got more persistant and indicated my signature. The deceitful little woman! I felt myself suddenly angry that someone was trying to trick me into giving money that i didn’t really have. All the money i had was what my mum had sent to rescue me. “No!” I said so firmly that she took one step back and I pushed forward and marched into the station. I stewed on that for a little bit. I had been played with the “poor language, poor communication card” and she had preyed on the common misunderstanding that if you sign for something it’s a deal. There was no deal. I was not being duped.

Skirmish over, I resumed my search for Eurostar. I looked up tickets on the automated booths and felt my panic return when every UK bound train said “transaction suspended”. I went upstairs to the service and ticket desk and asked if there were any trains to London. “Not from Paris” I was informed. “How about to anywhere in South England?” I asked, clinging desperately on to some home. “You could go the Ebbsfleet” the man said “but not from here, it’s from Marne-les-Valles, outside of Paris”. “How do I get there?” I replied. He gave me some barely legible directions to take the Metro one stop, change and then all the way to Disney Land. By this point I was ready to accept anything. You could have told me there was a shuttle going to the Bermuda Triangle and that you needed to change at Timbuktu to catch a purple polar bear to London Picadilly Circus and I would have responded “How much does it cost, what time is the shuttle?”

So I headed downstairs to the metro, armed with a ticket for the Eurostar, and tried to work out the machine. It simply asked me how many tickets I wanted. I had no idea what was necessary for the metro so I bought one and figured that it showed that I was trying and if I saw a human being I could ask for further help. The help desks were empty.

I made my way down to the platform indicated by the Eurostar guy. It stank. Seriously, I have heard that the Paris metro system stinks but it was as if everyone in Paris came down to the metro just to part wind and then leave again. I’m pretty sure one guy who sat next to me did just that. Anyway, standing on the crowded, smelly platform, I saw that the trains were delayed. Apparently there was an accident earlier in the day, separate from the trouble the snow was causing, which meant that just this line was having problems. I only needed to go one stop to change lines so you can imagine what I was thinking when the train finally arrived only to be cancelled once I was already on it! Gut churning worry continued to bubble introvertedly but I found myself remarkably calm on the outside. I wasn’t angry or frustration, just concerned with reaching the Eurostar on time.

A train on the platform behind me arrived and everyone that had been trying to go on the cancelled train turned and jumped on that train so I followed suit and saw that at least the first few stops were the same which suited me perfectly. At least I was one stop closer to my destination.

I had to wait 20 long minutes for the connecting train but at least it was only 45 minutes more of the smelly, clanky, rustic French metro experience.

When I got off of the metro I saw people carrying Disney shopping bags. It seemed weird that on this freezing cold, slippery wet day of almost impossible travel people were enjoying the magic of Disney. But there they were sporting Minnie Mouse ears and bows. I saw a payphone and called my mum to update her on my plans before heading upstairs to check in. There I found out that the arriving train was missing and at least a two hour delay was predicted.

The train was meant to leave at 5.02 and arrive at Ebbsfleet at 6.28 but check in did not even open until 5.30pm. My only reassurance was that there were so many families with small children that the station was under great pressure to get these people home and would not cancel the train. Finally, at 7pm I was on the train and it was leaving the station. It is now 10.20 French time. The Eurostar crew have announced that we should reach Ebbsfleet at 10.45 but I am not sure if they mean English time, which means I still have another hour and a half to endure. All day I had no appetite but now the two apples and bag of jelly crocodiles I bought at the supermarket near St-Pierre des Corpes has long ago been digested. The train is out of food and I will just have to wait. The story of my day. I have finished a book, written a blog and waited. Never again will I attempt to cross international territories in the middle of winter. Well, until next week!  

......................................

I am now back at the Plessis and will fill you all in on my eventful trip home.

The Eurostar pulled into Ebbsfleet at 11.30pm, where I found a freezing cold Will, who had been waiting for me for 6 hours! We headed to my Mum’s car where I ate a reheated roast dinner, I was starving!

The next day we woke up and found that Will’s car was stuck in our street, snowed in.  My mum had woken up early in the morning with a headache and had pulled a cold muscle in her back trying to lift the medicine box from the top shelf. The irony! So for a while I rubbed Deep Heat and arnica gel into my Mum’s back whilst Will attempted to shift his car. It was clear Mum was in no state to look after the horses. She said that the other livery had not been able to get out in the snow and so we had all 6 horses to care for. I asked Will if he could come with me and we took the dog, Faith, and walked to the stables.  As I did not know which rugs were usually used, what feeds each horse got and had no routine for doing the yard it took me a lot longer than I would have expected.  Finally we left the stables and returned to the winter wonderland that was my parents’ house.  We finally freed Will’s car from the snow. Many of our neighbours were also out in the street armed with snow shovels and determination. By the end of the day paths had been cleared so that most cars could get in and out of the cul-de-sac safely.  I went with Will back to the stables to bring the horses back in and feed them and we went to his house so he could shower, change clothes, check in with his Mum and get clean clothes for the next day.  Lizzie and Marco met us at my mum’s house and we all had an enjoyable evening together.

Tuesday morning Will could get his car out easily so he went to work and I went with my Mum and my Aunt Lou to the stables to do the horses. The day of rest had helped my Mum massively but I was very keen to make sure she didn’t do anything silly and told her to prepare feed buckets and not lift the heavy sacks of manure. The road to the stable was still completely snowbound and so the farmer had not been able to remove our muck trailer, which was now too full to hold anymore manure. We were bagging up as much as possible ready to throw into the empty trailer when it finally arrived. Hay was also running low and we had to be careful not to waste any.  When Will turned up that evening he asked me if I wanted us to go up to London to see War Horse. I really do want to see that show but at that moment the bigger part of me wanted to snuggle in doors with a good movie and a cuddle. So we went back to Will’s house and watched Unstoppable together. 

Wednesday morning I went with Will to his work and then took his car and drove it up to my Mum’s house. I love driving that car! Again I helped Mum at the stables but the arena was too full of snow, slush, ice and a pony for us to play with the horses. Instead we met up with my sister Lizzie and went shopping around Bluewater. Mum bought me a pack of unicorn wound plasters with “added unicorn tears for extra healing powers”.  After putting the horses away I had a short nap and woke up a little late to go pick up Will from work. When I got there he was acting like one of the school kids whose mum had forgotten to pick him up. We went back to his place for a bit but went back to my Mum’s for lasagne and we stayed the night as I had to leave with Mum and Dave early to go to Tammy’s college in the New Forest where I was giving a demonstration.

When we arrived at the college I was introduced to my demo horse, a very sweet 16.2hh cob and then sorted out the obstacles and sound system ready for the 11am start. The students arrived and took their seats in the gallery and I took my place in the arena with Corrie and the microphone. I began my introduction and was just beginning an explanation of the friendly game when my mum put her head into the arena and said that they could not hear me. Despite our testing and preparation the sound system was not up loud enough. I had to just keep talking until I got the signal that the sound was fixed. I apologised and reintroduced myself and proceeded with the friendly game. Not surprisingly the well trained horse thought that we were lounging and began trotting circles around me, he didn’t understand being disengaged so it took me a moment or two to bring him in and calm him down. He was already confused and my stomach knotted a little. I brought my energy down, focused on being in the moment and soon my friendly game was working and the horse was beginning to accept the stick and string rubbing him and being thrown over his neck.

The porcupine game was pretty terrible, the horse was very light in the halter but heavy on the shoulder, the nose, the hind quarters. The driving game was non-existent. I realised that I had not come adequately prepared for such a left brain introvert. I had no carrots or treats on me and my plan to demonstrate the seven games was rapidly falling apart. I taught the horse to back up from his nose and to yoyo on the 12 ft line. I asked him to do touch it with a cone but Corrie just stood there looking at me. I walked him over the tarpaulin and showed him the ball. Corrie would just follow nicely where ever I led him with the halter. He was a very nice dope on a rope. I noticed that Corrie was increasingly in my space and it was hard to get him back out. As I walked about I through in some halt and back up but Corrie would stand there and I would crash into him. I began doing the level one “chicken wings” and the students began laughing. At least I could be entertaining. I was explaining everything as I went and Corrie actually gave me a nice opportunity to demonstrate how we use phases in Parelli in order to teach the horse to respond on a light request. Soon Corrie was able to back up from his nose nicely, cross his front legs as he yielded his fore quarters and yo yo by simply wriggling my wrist. It was a massive improvement. Corrie seemed to enjoy all the attention and cuddles he got as I continued to explain what I was reading from him and why I was doing what I was doing. His curiosity began to come up and when I offered him to touch a ball on a block saying to the students “I wonder if Corrie will knock the ball off the block” he touched it with his nose knocking it off its precarious perch.  The students laughed and clapped, impressed by my ability to “mind read” or magically control Corrie. I showed them his “button” for lifting his tail and was really beginning to enjoy entertaining as I educated my audience (my parents sat among the students and said that when they were not laughing they were completely captivated and you could hear a pin drop in the room). I decided to end the demonstration early rather than risk running out of imagination and ending poorly. I opened up the floor for questions and got many questions about which breeds of horses can do Parelli.

After Tammy’s annual review we headed home, and I was satisfied to have survived and learned from my first educational demonstration, and was pleased that I had been able to keep the attention and enthusiasm of so many young adults with autism and other learning difficulties. We played “I Spy” all the way home and then went for dinner to celebrate my Mum’s birthday. After a delicious carvery with both my sisters, Mum, Dave, Marco Steve and Maxine, Dave dropped me off at Will’s rehearsals. I watched him finish and we headed back to his place together afterwards. It had been a long day and it was nice to cuddle up and show him the little bit of footage my mum had managed to film from the demo.

I took Will’s car to my Mum’s the next day. After muck9ing out the horses I took Mum’s car to pick up Summer from her Mum’s house. Summer was already watching for me from the window and came bounding outside. She was as good as gold chatting to me and asking me questions as I drove her back to my Mum’s house where I made her noodles before we headed to the train station. Lizzy had made plans for us to go to London for the day for cakes. It was a fun train journey to Victoria and Summer was very good about holding my hand at all times. At the cake shop, she played with her phantom of the opera dolls. When we finally got home I got a call from an irritated Will. I had suggested taking Tammy with me to his house so she could spend some time with her boyfriend, Will’s brother Ben. Will had been expecting to come home and find me waiting for him with his daughter but I pointed out to him that he knew we were going to London for the afternoon so it should not be a surprise that we were only just back. I headed to Will’s with Summer and Tammy and when we got there Summer’s cousins were there too. It was a full and busy house. I agreed to drop Will off at the theatre, where he was doing Panto, and we left Summer playing with Becca. Tammy and Ben came with me too as I had promised them a McDonalds. At 9pm I took Tammy home and Summer came with me. She fell asleep in the car and as I headed back to the theatre to pick up Will I got stuck in a complete traffic jam, caused by a car crash on the dual carriage way.

Finally Will, Summer and I were all together and we crashed in an exhausted heap together.

Saturday morning Summer woke up early. I felt like my body had been waiting for that moment because I was immediately wide awake and I took her down to the toilet and then down stairs for breakfast. We left Will to get a bit more sleep. He had been working full time, studying for his course and doing Panto all month and really needed the rest. When Will finally got up we gave Summer a bath and then I got her dressed. We hang out together watching (you guessed it) Phantom of the Opera until Will had to go to the theatre for the matinee performance. I took Summer to my Mum’s and found Mum at the stables. Summer’s boots were hurting her feet so I ended up helping Mum and Gemma with their rein positions whilst balancing Summer on my shoulders. She had a little ride on Belle and I got on Havewe to demonstrate how to yield the forequarters. After getting changed quickly we all headed to the theatre to watch the last panto performance of the season. Will was brilliant, and I enjoyed seeing his friends perform too. We dropped Summer back to her Nan and returned for the after show party.

It had been a very long time since I had been in a social situation where I only really knew one person but Will’s friends were all so nice to me and easy to get on with. We had a laugh together and managed to stay awake enough to be among the last to leave as the Pub kicked out at 1am. Just as we were leaving Will got a call that Summer had woken up and was upset and wanted him. Will had to drop his friend home and I could see him worrying so I told him to drop me home first and I would comfort Summer until her got back. It worked great. When I got there Summer was hiding under her Nan’s bed. I went in and asked her if she wanted to come watch a movie in her dad’s bed with me. She came with me and was almost asleep by the time Will got back.

Sunday I decided to let Summer and Will do what they wanted in the morning. It was nice to not rush to be anywhere or do anything. I made us all cheese on toast and managed to set off the smoke alarms by burning the toast. Just before midday we headed off to Bluewater where we got Summer a Monsters Inc toy and Will bought some CDs from the HMV closing down sale. We went to my Mum’s and had lunch together watching Cats and then we took Summer to her Mum’s. First we had to pick up her suitcase but as she fell asleep in the car we didn’t wake her. She woke up as we turned up at her Mum’s house.  Chantelle was not there and we had to wait a while. It was sad seeing Summer go back, for me it felt like the beginning of the end of my holiday in England.

Will and I stopped off at a KFC for dinner and went back to his to watch some of the DVDs he had just bought. We were all settled and cosy, happy not to have to go up and down the dual carriageway anymore. Quiet together time had been very hard to find.

On the Monday Will went back to work. I took his car back to Mum’s and we did the stables together again. The full muck trailer had been taken away but not yet returned and Mum was waiting for a hay delivery. We visited Speedgate because I had promised Laura I would look for some field boots for her. I found one pair which had been reduced. As we were hoping that the muck trailer would arrive and the snow had all finally melted, Mum and I took our time getting the yard to look straight and organised again. Finally I decided that I should have a bath before picking Will up from work. We were having dinner at my Mum’s and staying the night. Hayley came over and it was nice to catch up.

I promised Dave that I would spend some alone time with him on Tuesday but he ended up with an urgent meeting to attend in London. I sorted out my suitcase and spent the evening at my Mum’s. When the time came to leave for Will’s place it was terribly hard to say goodbye. I think it caught Mum by surprise that in the morning I was flying back to France and so this was the last time she would see me for some time. At least we thought so. It turns out I forgot my phone charger, boots and hair brush and had to go back 10 minutes later!

I was in a very quiet sombre mood in the car and at Will’s house. I just didn’t want my time at home to be over yet but I could not stop time from marching on.

I arrived at the airport just in time to get through security and reach my gate before it was meant to close. It seems that they were a bit late with letting us through the gate anyway. As I had got out of his car Will had pointed out that he had snuck a copy of the book of the Phantom of the Opera in my suitcase. I took it out at the gate so that I could read it on the plane.

The flight was relatively uneventful. I ordered a hot Panini which finally arrived just before we were landing and I had to hold my drink between my legs because the tray tables had to be in the upright position. I was irritated, because if I had known they would make me starve so long I would have just got breakfast when I landed. At the airport I was one of the last off of the plane and at the end of the queue to show our passports. I looked behind me and saw all the departure passengers dragging their cases across the runway boarding the plane back to London. I had the sudden urge to duck under the wire and join them. Was it possible? I considered how long would it take to purchase a new ticket at the desk but I reasoned that if they were boarding then the gate must already be closed. I was back in France and I had to accept that.

I got the shuttle bus to Tours and booked my train ticket to Saint Aignan. It wasn’t too long a wait and I was reading the Phantom of the Opera. Laura was having her morning French lessons and so I texted her once I was sitting in a little cafe drinking hot chocolate and waited for her there. It was good to see her face again and we ordered another round of drinks and stayed a while as she filled me in on all the happenings whilst I had been away.  All the little dramas of Plessis life had continued as normal without me.

I visited Paris who almost didn’t notice I had arrived, but after a few treats he was happy to have his mum home again. I took a little walk around the Plessis and slowly found each of my team mates and had a happy reunion. It was so good to be back with my friends that some of the sadness of leaving home was softened.

Oh, whilst I had been at home I got an email from the Parelli Auditions team. They had asked me to resubmit a video with flying changes. I looked at my score sheet and it was almost straight level four! I emailed them that Paris was not well enough for flying changes and I got a reassuring email from Ann Kiser that my scores were good enough for the externship and that I could send in the resubmit when Paris was ready.

So since I have been back I have been playing with Riva online and freestyle to learn as much as I can about flying changes freestyle. I figure that if I already know how to do it then it will be easier to teach Paris once he’s well enough. I also decided that I would focus on more level four online tasks with Touria. She has some crusts on her back again and I think the improved groundwork will only benefit her riding. We have begun some zone 5 driving and she is jumping single barrels of various sizes and even a cone. Her flying changes and changes of direction online have really made a dramatic improvement and she is really starting to understand how good it feels to stretch.

I took Paris for a couple of little walks on good ground, just to give him a change of scenery really. He enjoyed his walks, with a lot of playful head tossing. He really wanted to run and play but of course he can’t yet. The other day I tied him to a rail whilst I got a couple of youngsters ready to return to the field and when I returned he was gone! He had untied himself and cantered off to Joke who was leading Bijoux to the saddle horse field and I found poor Joke with two very excited horses. I told him he was a bugger and determined to make his leg worse! He seemed very happy with himself.

It doesn’t seem to have had an adverse effect on him, but I have not risked taking him out for another walk since. He still has two more weeks of full rest before I will start to systematically introduce more exercise.

Riva had the osteopath this week so I have had a couple of days of not riding her. I get to do a little online tomorrow with her.

I am feeling pretty good at the moment, I have a lot to look forward to and my relationships with my horses are going well. I had fun with Peppy and Helaba whilst Laura and Joke were away, and in March Elvira and Mirjam are coming for two weeks! I really can’t wait to see Elvira again, it’s been almost a year since we were together! To be playing with horses and working together will be just awesome! And that’s not all I have to look forward to! Will is coming for 3 days from this Sunday, we have the Plessis open day on the 17^th March and Berni 5* PP will be here at the end of March. I only have just over 9 weeks left at the Plessis but those weeks look set to be full of fun and learning!

The relief of being formerly accepted for the externship is really allowing me to enjoy being in the moment here again and I do not have the fear that I am subconsciously putting too much pressure on my horses. I still have goals, but the horses well and truly have the time lines!