The day started as any other with the alarm going off at 6am, sleepy eyes and yawning I scramble out of bed, have breakfast and then set off for the yard. Brian comes in his car to help me with the trailer and then joins me for a few hours at the venue. Arriving at the venue ( Moulton College ) with Spike around 8.30am I see a hive of activity, Jenny is there with Indy, Patricia Aldred comes over and says hello as does a few others. I see Jenny Williams and her lovely mule Malaga and Lucy with the cute Echo. Soon others arrive, and I see Evelyn, Catherine and Hoppy with Bruno. Soon everyone is here except Alison but just as I go to phone her in case she has got lost I turn around to see her among the horses. Spike is letting me know he wants out of the trailer, kicking and moving around I know he is anxious. So with Brian 's help we unload Spike who is sweated up but not too bad. Down with the ramp and Spike unloads.. Half way. stops on the ramp and looks around, now he is in no hurry to come out LOL Horse's eh!!

Then Alison showed how effective phases can be using the CS and 12ft line while someone pretended to be the horse holding the halter followed by showing how to tie the halter for putting it away and tying it ready to place on the horse. Alison also demonstrated a safe and simply way of putting the halter on the horse. All the while Alison is throwing good information our way and people are listening and hopefully taking it all in. All this info we need a video camera to recap it all. Lol

How to Tie The Halter	Did we do it right ?

At 12.30 we stopped for a 30min lunch break, that doesn't sound long and in fact I just managed to eat my sarnie and have a couple of cups of coffee but then I was chatting and to be honest people were keen to get back into things. This session was with our horses, First things first, the Friendly game with our hands, touching our horses all over, then the porcupine and driving game, yoyo, circling, sideways, squeeze, over a jump, picking up all four legs from one side done from either side. We also picked up our horses front and hind legs and supported them with the 12ft line. Played friendly with the 12ft line throwing it over the horses head standing in zone 2 then in zone 1.
Learning to use your body language rather than the CS "Don't make me pick up the stick" Not once did Alison let up, constant motivation, explanations, demonstrations and above all always on hand to help out if anyone got stuck or confused. Finishing at 4pm we headed off home full of inspiration and our brains buzzing with so much information.
No rest for Alison as she headed off to give a private lesson and later at 8.30pm 8 of us met up for a meal with Alison at "The World's End" in Ecton. Delicious food with flowing conversations but all too soon it was time to set off home. Mind it was 10.30pm and the clocks go forward so it was kinda late.

UH OH!! With the clocks going forwards an hour tonight, heading to bed it was now 12am and I had to be up at 5am. With having only 5 hrs sleep the previous night I wondered how I would stay awake on Sunday.

Sunday 30th

"Aghh"" what's that.?? It's the alarm clock. I hit the snooze twice but daren't again and drag myself bleary eyed out of bed. Brian again gets up to help me at the yard but this time as I set off with Kyle Brian heads back home to bed.
I arrive at Moulton with Kyle for my private lesson to find Alison already in the arena. Alison asks a few questions then tells me to go and play for a few minutes. Alison showed me some games to play with Kyle and once again Alison took me through the phases. I am just too soft with Kyle but then aren't we all with our own horses lol
We played "slip, grip and tap" and then "grip, slip and tap". "I think that's the right way round" anyway the change in Kyle was amazing, all I needed to do was lean back and Kyle ran to me. Sometimes he would run a half circle with attitude, arching and swinging his neck and I was told to keep on drawing him in until he came to me. Kyle was a fast learner and the lesson ended on a good positive note.

Jenny & Malaga	Going Sideways

9am and horses were coming into the arena to start day two, I loaded Kyle and headed off back to the yard where I settled Kyle into his stable and then loaded Spike and brought him to the venue. I arrive back at Moulton at 10.30am to see everyone playing with their horses. Oh wow, was I surprised, I joined in with the group and we were going through a few things from the day before, then Alison had us playing the Circling game with a difference. This time as we played the circling game we had to walk around the edge of the arena. It was the horse's responsibility not to change direction or gait while negotiating obstacles dotted around the arena. These were poles, jumps and cones. The circling game was played in both directions going first clockwise around the arena then anti-clockwise. It was a great game for both me and Spike. Spike loves to be doing something while I could just amble slowly around the arena. I saw Malaga was not quite playing ball but Jenny was doing great with him, keeping him moving and staying calm herself, emotional fitness comes to mind.
The big surprise for me was when Alison asked me to play falling leaf with Spike, Spike has only just learnt the seven games so I was unsure if he would grasp this new one. Then I realised its not the horse but me. and Spike was brilliant and picked up the game so quick I had to break the game down into slow stages to help keep Spike calm but he was so good that I got above myself and Spike was doing lovely changes of direction. However Alison told me to slow it right back down again as Spike was getting all excited. This is actually a game for a LB horse which was why I was to play it real slow for Spike.

The really big surprise came when Alison asked me to trot Spike sideways all the way around the arena.. EH!! But Spike has just learnt to go a few steps of sideways in walk. again its not about the horse... and Spike gave me some lovely sideways in trot. At this point I am unsure what everyone else was doing but they certainly looked busy and having fun. We were told to form a horseshoe while Alison demonstrated the saddling process and the pre flight checks for mounting. I was exhausted by this time and struggled to mount but I did it . eventually. Direct and Indirect Reins were practised before we started going through cones and directing our horses around the arena. There were horses being walked, trotted and cantered under control with only the halter and one line. The day was full of activity and information and by 3.30pm I was exhausted and dismounted. During the last half hour the others played Pushing Passenger and Follow the Rail. This was a great opportunity for me to watch the others.

Catherine was brilliant on 17.2hh Bruno and I had to laugh as I watched Lucy on Echo fleeing down the arena. Echo has a trot just like Kyle and boy could she shift. Jenny with Indi was having fun and Jenny with Malaga was doing great. Maddie was looking superb cantering on one rein. Ruth and Patricia likewise were going great with one rein riding. At 4pm the day ended I we were all given plenty of information to take home and practice. There were a big group of spectators and it was good to see some of the regular bunch as well as new faces. Sorry Lorraine couldn't make it on Sunday and hope your feeling better now.

Two Photo's to finish off

Peek-a-Boo	"Yawn....."

Just want to say thanks to everyone who came along whether with horses or spectating. Thanks Moira for your help and to those who poo picked the arena and thanks to everyone else who help in some way.

Do watch out for more courses with Alison in the future.