Should have more self-preservation ;)

What knackers me out the most is a day that seems to want to squeeze all week into itself! I find it very tiring to quickly tune in into very different kind of lessons. Private lesson with novice adult, hack with adults, group lesson with teenagers (gave them a session on speed and let them gallop in the field, they were rather happy;), hack with a teenager, private lesson with an intermediate adult and two little kids' lessons at the end. It's like jumping from one very absorbing book to another and trying to get the best out of each. You end up with a headache. I always try to give the best as think everybody deserves to have the best experience possible but it eats me up and I end up worn out at the end of the day.

It is just as well that my station on the way back is also the last stop for the train as I was semi conscious and half asleep on my seat today.

My self-preservation must be non-existent and my body gives me no pre warning. I just seem to work, work, work as if running on some magic petrol and then once I stop the engine gives up. No red light saying 'I'm running on empty'.

That little nap on the train was good though, followed by some good old leisure on bed munching on delicious rice pudding delivered by Ricky and chatting to my dear friend I am just about feeling like a human being again.

Booked my train tickets and hotel for the exam day and will now try not to fall asleep over the BHS Equitation Manual someone kindly lend me. Some things in the Manual are so different to how I teach and what I think is correct (as I definitely believe in more classical approach to rider's education things like teaching riders to sit to the canter by moving backwards and forwards in the saddle as if "polishing" it with your bottom sound like heresy to me!!!) that I will just have to risk it and go with the system I believe it anyway.

However, the book has some good stuff in it too so shall make my way through it.