2009 Goals

I posted about New Year resolutions, but realized I didn't say too much horsey stuff. Everyone else is posting on what they want to accomplish in the coming year in their life and with their horses. I only posted two minor resolutions that were really behavior modifications, so here are the goals that I hope to accomplish this year with my mare.

1. After putting a year in on my mare, which will be up this spring/beginning of summer, I want get a consult with the reining/cutting trainer to see what she thinks about my mare. She is only a few houses down from our boarding barn and she's supposed to be top notch. I might look her up and do some research about first and then call, but I'd like for her to look at my mare and see what she thinks and what she might be capable of.

2. Ride my mare bareback for the first time (this will probably be this summer when it's 90+ degrees and she's too tired to do anything goofy, lol)

3. Definitely take more pictures. I hardly have any of the girls and I know I regret not having more of our two geldings of the past. Plus I scrapbook and I can't scrap without pictures ;)

4. I kind of said this one in my other post, but I need to learn more about myself and my riding and how it's affecting my mare. This should really be #1 as it is and should be higher priority than the others. lol I need to learn how my movements and riding affects her movements and balance and correct it. My lessons in the past were about the horse and how to just ride her. My lessons in the future will have to be about me and correcting myself.

5. Going with #4, I'd like to learn to ride her more with body language and my seat than everything being with the reins. Ride more subtle and use the less is more notion. That way I can stay off her mouth and I'm sure that's better for her too. She is steadily progressing with moving off my legs, but I definitely have lots further to go.

6. A trail ride. A real, bonifide trail ride. I've rode out in the hay fields with her, three times, but I would definitely love to be able to ride in the back woods with her. She freaked out the last time we were in the hay field, but I didn't let her just run back to the barn and she didn't really lose control. So I think that was a huge plus. I was nervous as all heck the first time we rode out there, so I'll have to definitely make both of us both more comfortable out there before we tackle the woods.

But taking all of these into consideration, at this time last year, I never would have dreamed that I'd be as far as I am today. My mare is ridable. That was all I ever wanted after owning her for 4 years. I'm ecstatic.

Happy New Year all.