Day trip to Paris

Went on a day trip to Paris for Tony's birthday was fabulous day but very long we were up at 03:00 and not into bed until 01:00 so 22 hours awake

Louvre saw the Jan van Eyke The Virgin of Chancellor Ronin which is just amazing , the longer you look the more detail  you see

Then onto the Musee D'Art Decoratifis which was fascinating until it got to the 1980s!

Lunch in our old haunt behind Rue d'Hyacinth with classic French surliness when asked for water which rather got thumped down

Stroll back through Tulleries to Orangerie then onto Musee D'Orsay which is my favourite the building is amazing and I love the collection

Whilst not the biggest Van Gough fan I adore his La nuit etoilee that they have

Coffe in the cafe as was starting to droop then back to Gard du Nord where we bought Champagne and Pringles for the journey home 

Fabulous day :-)

Timings for future reference

Thornhill X90 that left Oxford at 04:10 to Victoria

07:01 Eurostar

20:13 Eurostar back home around 00:30

You've got to want it

You've got to want it was  the phrase that stuck from last night's lesson

I wanted to work on half pass in walk particularly doing the zig zag as that is where I get most confused

Take homes are keep the poll up, especially in trot, straighten, change bend FINISH the movement, DO not flop keep riding as Tom said you can't ride a walk/trot like that. Didn't have the heart to tell him that was pretty much how I've ridden ALL my tests BT (Before Tom)

Then onto canter did four loop serpentines with simple change over centre line very pleased with boy and with me too

I had started thinking this was beyond my skill level so set off half assed, at which point Tom pointed out you have to WANT IT, so rode a circle and restarted with a bit of fcuking conviction and lo it happened

Really chuffed with the boy

He was really onwards bound after the walk half pass and felt up for it, the trot work was just lovely a little on the edge at times but he was just lovely and to think forwards used to be such a big issue 

Rehabilitation Exercises from the Ground

Rehabilitation Exercises from the Ground

Tom

My back was dire so Tom rode

Wow that pony can move was so good to see him powering around the arena enjoying himself.

Tom said he feels better than the last time he rode him :-)

Have finally bitten bullet and ordered Sprenger stirrups to see if will help back/knees

Amazeballs just amazeballs

So not written up my Tom lessons my bad!

Some gems " have submission before you add in power" " check who is holding who"

Last lesson  19th August Tom rode Chorrie because I was a stess head with work and full on IBS, got on afterwards and wow, my lovely VW Polo has morphed into a Ferrari he felt so unlocked through his body started work on the canter which I need to let roll onwards

So fast forward to today I need more commitment ride everything for a ten, each transition should be the best I can do no half assed attempts

More work on canter again I need to let it roll forwards and encourage him to open up his stride 

Simple changes should come from my body not my hands and do the change on a straight line

Trot post canter was cracking but again I must ride the transition and each stride not sit and wait for three strides

Homework is to work on simple transitions can also add in bits of Novice tests