Bleary eyed I wake up early on Sunday to find it is foggy outside and cold. Wrapping up well we set off and arrive at the stables. Kyle peeks over his stable door and gives a welcoming snort and is soon looking for a treat. Mucked out, rugged up and on our way to meet Silke..she's late..Her husband forgot his mobile phone..men eh! can't take em anywhere LOL. Arriving at the College we find once again everyone is here and Silke has two horse trailers in the arena this time. We are told to bring our horses into the arena with our saddles, hats etc. Hmm! Wonder what she has in store for us today?

Well what a fun packed day today was and so much so that it had my head in a whirl with so much information and challenging tasks to get through. I can't remember which order we done things so I have wrote them down as I remember each one rather than the order we done them on the day.

Oh dear! yeah it anyone had to fall off it had to be me, luckily Kyle is only small and I had a soft landing. Silke decided to use me as a guinea-pig because of my terrible sense of balance to demonstrate the pushing passenger lesson using a bareback pad. Going around on a small 10ft circle on a pony that can bounce for England (Susi can back that up) Silke took the 12ft line and set me off at walk on the circle. Going through the balance position first to ensure I had a good seat was nice and relaxing. BUT!! "Now we will trot" uh oh! Here we go.a got about once round and the next I knew I was looking up to the arena ceiling above with Kyle calmly standing next to me. I hear a few giggles and dust my bum down. Oh! I'm so embarrassed, back up on Kyle again Silke has me off in trot, bounce, bounce, bounce I go round and round and very wobbly. A few times I slipped and found myself hanging on and Julia Bye who came to spectate came to my rescue and hoisted me up onto Kyle's back. Thanks Julia.

Ever so slowly I started to get a feel for the right position but only for a few strides. I'm shattered and Kyle is dizzy so Silke gets everyone else to mount up and have a go. While we are practising Silke goes through canter lead changes using the "Bow Tie" game for those being assessed. Laura was practising trailer loading and I noticed Silke go over to help her. I was trotting around and getting nowhere.

Kyle was just getting faster and faster and I was getting more and more distraught. I stopped beside Brian and said "I've had enough I want to get off and put Kyle away" Brian knowing me well told me to speak to Silke to which at first I refused. Brian then really got stern with me so taking a deep breath I say to Silke "I'm fed up" she looked puzzled so the only word I could think of was "I am disappointed" Immediately Silke looked at me in awe and I realised what I had said "No! no! not disappointed with you, disappointed with me and Kyle". After a chat she asked someone to help me and Wendy Smith came forward. We found a small are in the middle of the arena and taking the 12ft attachment and Carrot Stick Wendy guided Kyle round in a circle so that I could concentrate on what I was meant to be doing.

Bounce, bounce, bounce I went again, but with Wendy telling me to "Sh*g" the saddle and not to push on my hands (I was pushing hard on my hands pushing and tensing my shoulders) I did start to flow and not bounce even if at first it was only a stride or two.

During this time I saw Lucy, Nathaly and Susi doing canter leads Susi made it look so simple though she did get told not to look down to check her lead. Pat was riding his pushing passenger well and Mags was doing some nice work on-line. Laura was again truing some trailer loading and Silke was there keeping us all active. Just when I was thinking Silke had forgotten about me I'd hear her words of encouragement which give me a boost.

Cones were placed down the centre line and it was or task to ride through the cones weaving in and out using our “Power of Focus” we were allowed to use our Carrot Sticks if needed but the idea was to use tour focus and body position. Kyle did great big loops,

But WOW! Pat…no Carrot Stick, no need to us the rope to direct, Pat just focused and his horse followed…showed us how it’s meant to be done. Then we could try it in trot. Pat and Moira make it look easy and again I do loops but they are getting smaller as Kyle realises what the game is. Now I have something more for me to practise at home.

What a day this was, I was shattered and soon Silke gathered us around for the last time. I was next to Susi and I asked her how her assessment went. Okay she says not sounding too convincing. I look up and see Silke has taken a red string and badge from her bag and calls Nathaly to come forward. A cheer erupts as we realise Nathaly has passed Level 1. Then another string comes out and its “Susi” Susi is astounded and get a bit flummoxed. I take the line for Cookie while Susi gets her string. She comes back and is too choked to say anything. All goes quiet and Silke looks around and again pulls out a third red string and this one is for “Lucy” for the third time we clap and congratulate the three of them.

All too soon the arena is emptied and the horses are loaded up, We wait for Silke and soon we too are on our way. We head back and Silke follows until it is her turn off, we carry on to the stables.

Every one is sad to see Silke leave after having a fabulous two days with her, so much so that I get 6 people that were spectating now wanting to come on a course with her should she decide to return.