Goals for 2012

A lot has happened in 2011. Some of it good, some of it bad. Its been a year full of self discovery, worry and hope all wrapped up into one year. So looking back on 2011:


Goals for 2011:

1) If we get to shows this summer I want to enter the ring as confident and as happy as I entered the show ring at the last show! None of this worrying about what everyone is thinking about, no one else's opinions matter EXCEPT the judge!

I'm not sure how well I did on this one! The first couple of shows I did ok (except for almost worrying myself sick at the first one and even that turned out ok) I kind of fell apart a bit in the middle and ended up having a great final show except for the fact that I cried my eyes out at the thought that it may be my last show with Lucas.


2) To win a showmanship class at an open show. Lucas is broke enough and talented enough, its just me holding him back! There is lots of local competition so it should be tough enough to keep me working all year.

We did this! In fact we managed to only get second twice, both times to very competent show women (that took lessons from me at one point or another!). If I could get the same commitment to my riding that I give to showmanship we would be unbeatable.

3) Hope that the RA stops progressing and that the new drugs continue to improve my symptoms.

So far so good. I haven't felt this good in years.

4) Go for a ride 'outside' of the ring this summer. Maybe just a walk on the lawn with the kids, but we both (me and Lucas that is) need to get more comfortable without fences all around us.

I did do this at a show, there were no warm up arenas so we warmed up without a fence. Not really the same thing but with some confidence issues this summer that was all that we did.

5) To put Lucas back into a 'normal' snaffle at some point this year. No twisted wires, no curbs, no ports. This will be a challenge but its time for us to try it, if we ever want to try dressage it is the one thing that we NEED to do.

Fail. But something that I am working on this week. See below for the follow up goal!

6) Either teach Lucas to ground drive, or refresh his memory. Its possible that he was ground driven before, but I think that's something that were going to start working on soon.

Done, but something that we will continue to work on this winter when it is too cold to ride. It was good for both of us to work on something outside of our comfort zone.

Considering that I gave up on goals sometime back in August we didn't do too badly. I had a very good ride on Lucas today, a confidence building ride for sure. I rode him in a bit very similar to the bit I show him in and managed to stay out of his mouth. It's different and good all at the same time. I mostly worked on keeping us both busy and not so much on what either one of us was doing.

So goals for 2012

1) To loose the weight that has been holding back my riding. Now that my joints are better, becoming a fitter rider will only help my balance and skill on a horse.

2) To stop listening to the voice in my head telling me that I'm not good enough, that Lucas is going to spook, that I'm going to fall off... any and all of it must stop!

3) To give up my crutch of a bit, the twisted wire. I'm a good enough rider, and Lucas is broke enough that we really don't need it.

4) To ride in a pattern class at every show (as long as it doesn't require dropping your irons, and if the English one does than I have to show horsemanship)

5) To trust in Lucas so that he can trust in me. I can do it at a show, its time to do it at home.

6) To do a trail class with Lucas (with me in the saddle) although I will be ok if we do not complete every obstacle.

7) To apply for my AQHA Amateur card. Its been more than 5 years since I last accepted money to show/train a horse or judge a show. I need to accept that an Amateur is what I am now and it is ok to compete at that level!

And as you can tell, the plan is for 2012 to include Lucas. My friend and I have been talking a bunch since he's come home and what my ambitions used to be, before I got sick. If you had given me Lucas 7 years ago I would have been over the moon. He was what I wanted, an English horse to show HUS, showmanship and halter with.