2014 Goals

It's that time of year! New years resolutions! I don't typically make new years resolutions, but I do like to sit down and evaluate my goals for the new year. I also feel the need to clear some things up about what I don't want to accomplish this year.

My number one goal for this 2014 year is to make sure that my mare enjoys her job. I want to make sure that she is as happy working as I am riding her. There is nothing I hate more than riding a horse that I know is miserable underneath me. Making sure my horse maintains her good positive and confident attitude is my number one priority throughout this year. I don't follow the "they'll have to get over it" train of thought that a number of riders have while attempting to force their horses to perform tasks that they don't understand or enjoy. I think that there are certain occasions that this applies. Every horse occasionally needs a bit of an attitude adjustment when they refuse to perform their jobs, but as I've said before my horse's happiness and health is my number one priority.

As far as performance goals go for this new year my only goals are to continue to improve my dressage scores. My first show of the new year is January 11th, it's a schooling dressage show. My goal is to improve on Roanie's consistency in the bridle and her ability to yield to my aids. Following the German training scale, my goal for the next year is to be able to achieve true "relaxation" in my dressage tests.

"We can therefore perhaps characterize correct equestrian Losgelassenheit as a type of behavior in which the horse yields completely to the rider's aids and applies all of his strength and all of his muscles towards the energetic and impulsive execution of the present demands without feeling constricted."Lieutenant Colonel Gustav von Dreyhausen

Another goal I have for this year is to get Roanie fit enough to do a long format three day event. To compete at beginner novice three day I have to qualify at three beginner novice horse trials. Southern Eighths long format is in April and I originally thought that maybe I should try to qualify for it and compete. However, it wouldn't be fair to Roanie to rush her through the qualifying trials and then throw her into her first long format a few weeks later. I don't want to kill her confidence and I don't want to ruin her enjoyment of the job.

I feel the need to clear the air about what some of my more long term goals are with my riding. Some people seem to be confused with what I'd like to accomplish in my career and I'd like to set this straight. I have no desire to become part of the upper echelon of riders that compete at an international level. Every girl has her dreams, but I'm realistic and recognize my physical, mental, and financial limitations. I have no desire to make a career out of competing... I don't even enjoy competing that much. I feel so much more rewarded from knowing that I'm progressing logically and correctly with my horse and her training. Occasionally showing to test and make sure my training is progressing in the aforementioned manner is all I'm interested in doing. Showing every weekend is a waste of my money, no horse makes enough progress in one week (or even three weeks) to justify sinking hundreds of dollars every weekend to read the same comments from the judges.

That being said, I do enjoy the barn management side of competitive riding. Working in a barn full of horses that competes on a regular basis, managing each individual horses needs, and experiencing first hand how good management (and good ownership) makes a difference in performance fascinates me and is definitely the direction I want my horse career to take.

And if you have managed to keep reading all the way down here, there is just one more thing I have to say....

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

From me and Roanie