The holiday “busies” are in full swing! The holiday season is challenging enough just trying to fit in with all of the festivities alongside regular daily life. As such I am taking a slightly different approach for the months of December and January. I am turning over the steering wheel to you readers! But that doesn’t mean you are completely off the hook. This month just ride as you can between festivities and snowflakes AND seek out your own challenge for the month of January. You can of course go back through all of the SaddleUpSavvy riding activity articles or to do something else that inspires you!
Now here’s the catch; before you choose a challenge, you need to decide what your general goals are for the coming year. You just won’t actually need to start your challenge until January. For this month you are to organize your thoughts and choose the challenge. You may call this a New Years resolution if you will. For next year’s goals consider these questions: What are you inspired to do with your horse time in the next year? What do you need to do to get yourself ready to accomplish those goals? What do you need to do to help your horse accomplish those goals?
What are you inspired to do with your horse time this next year?
Pretty self-explanatory question really. What makes you say “oooo-ahhhh” when you see someone “horsing” on TV or in a demonstration or show? Don’t be intimidated by the idea that you or your horse could never be good enough. It’s an old saying, “You don’t know what you can do until you try!”
What do you need to do to get yourself ready to accomplish those goals?
Of course, not all of the exciting things you see others do will be immediately in reach for you and your horse. But there are surely steps you can take in that direction that are more reasonable. Check that you have the equipment you need. Evaluate your own skills related to your goal and determine where you can improve. You may have some success researching on your own or you may need to seek out an instructor who can critique you in the direction you want to go.
What do you need to do to help your horse accomplish those goals?
Horses that excel in any given discipline do not get that way by accident. It has taken lots of purposeful training to get “that” horse so good at his job. However, don’t discredit your own horses either. Just be realistic and try to build yourself and your horse into the best team you can be in your goals. Think about what things you can do to help him get ready to try your goal activity. Does he need exceptional physical fitness? Or does he need to learn how to place his feet carefully over obstacles? Figure out what your goals really mean for your horse.
Example
Goal: You want to learn how to jump this next year
Problems: 1) You ride western and 2) your horse has navicular disease so jumping isn’t going to work for him.
Solution: Get yourselves comfortable riding in English style tack and practice riding all of your normal flatwork with a two-point or “jumping” position.
Result: The horse you currently have may not get you all the way to jumping but you have become a better rider, and your horse has gained a better partner for your efforts to learn something new. When the opportunity arises in your future you will be ready to “jump” right in!
As you consider these questions there are any number of challenges you may come up with for yourself in pursuing your horsey goals. Just pick one and roll with it in January. What better way to spend some chilly evenings than daydreaming about warmer weather and planning all the fun you will have with your horse?!
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Love this!!!