2018 Goals

Since I really don't feel like I accomplished much in 2017, I am really hoping to accomplish much more in 2018. My goals for horses have changed, but I still want them to be the biggest part of my life.
So I will start with the goals for my own horses. Due to the craziness of the last year I have not been able to ride my own horses much at all. That needs to change.
Pepsi

• Get her back in shape for frequent riding. 
• Get her better at holding herself in frame without constant help. Since I got her she has had a problem with wanting to trot around with her head on the ground. 
• Get back to not leaping into the canter.
• Work on Flying Lead changes again. 

Java

• Get him back in shape also. He is as fat as can be!
• Work on more consistency at the trot and canter. 

Addie

• Get her back to work. She has not been under saddle regularly for 3 years now. 
• Really just keep her in shape and at a good weight.
• Possible show her a bit. I have a friend that wants to ride her at shows, and we will see if this is a possibility. 

Then there are the Horses I am working with, not in my regular job. 

V

• Her owner wants her to be an eventing horse, so my main goals for next year are to start her over fencese. 
• Get her more confident outside the arena. 
• Make it easier for her owner to be able to ride her. Her owner is a beginner, and I want her to be able to ride her easily enough. 
• Get her calmer on the ground. 

A

• Keep getting her used to having someone sitting on her. 
• Work on lunging and leading patiently. 

For those in my working job... I now have two new horses that have joined our program. 

• Get the new boys used to the craziness of being therapy horses. 
• Help J work on her confidence under saddle once again. 
• Work on B leading skills. 
• Keeping all fit and happy.

For my personal goals:

• Show in a dressage show again. I haven't shown dressage in over 5 years. 
• Of course show hunt seat, but I also want to add in a jumping show. 
• Work on my right shoulder. It wants to creep forward constantly. Stupid shoulder. 
• Take lessons regularly. 

A Crazy Year almost over

This year has been a crazy year, one that I hope I never have to go through again. Work, health, and just plain life, I am finally getting to the point I can breathe again.
But I have also had some good things happen!

In October we added another four legged friend to the family. Her name is Cygne (Syg-Nee) and is some sort of collie/hound mix. She has been super easy to train, and so far so good. She is about 6 months old now, and it was the best choice!

She has passed basic obediance, and we are moving on. I am hoping that we can get her therapy dog certified when she gets older!

I also moved. Just down the road from where I was before, but on much more land. I was just able to bring my horses this week and it is so nice to have them home. I also built a barn, something I have never had before. Of course, it is not finished yet, I am doing it as the budget allows. But I am so excited to see it finished!

I have also had the privilege to start working with some amazing horses. I will write them their own post one day, but they are so fun. One of them had never been worked before, barely knew how to work on the lead line at 5. The other had been ridden at 2 for 30 days, and is now 7. We are really getting somewhere though.

I really am looking forward to this year being over, so at least I can feel like I am starting over. But the good things have sure kept me going! I have so many goals for next year, so we will see where we will go from here!

What a week!

What a week it has been...
To start with the good things. I had another lesson on Java. I was super worried about this lesson due to the 30 mph wind. Java is a nut in the wind.
The day didn't start well, he kicked out at Pepsi and got me in the ankle. That didn't feel great, but he didn't mean it and knew that he was in trouble. I let him loose in the arena for about 10 minutes and he ran like a mad man. He walked in circles while I was saddling him and when I was getting on. Once I was on he went to work. It was one of the best rides I have ever had on him. He is still VERY green, so we are working on softening to the bit. He was finally figuring it out today, and I am looking forward to what the future holds for him.
Addie and Pepsi have been hanging out. Last week was cold and windy and this week is so windy you can barely go outside. Friday the temperature is dropping down another 30 degrees. Yuck!

Yesterday was a tough one. I work with 7 horses every day of the week. One of them has had DSLD for the last few years. This past year has been much worse for her. She was struggling while getting her feet done, and had just not been feeling her best. We made the tough decision to have her put to sleep before she was in more pain, or unable to get up. I am comforted by the fact that she went quickly and painlessly, and that she will no longer be in any pain. But I will sure miss her.

New Year 2017

I have never been one to make resolutions, but I definitely have plans that I would hope to complete this year.
1) Riding my own three horses. - I ride horses all the time at work, but this year I have different goals for each of the horses.

•  Java - I took my first lesson on him this week. He is so incredibly green that I always felt it wouldn't be worth it. We had a great lesson though! We did a ton of trot work, worked on his canter (which was my biggest concern, he has only cantered 5 times before with a rider.) He was a good boy, but I think he thought he was going to die, that was just to much work! So my goal for him this year is to get him going well W/T/C, Maybe even showing at the end of the year. We'll see!
• Pepsi - I want to get her going with a bit more english collection. She is a western pony through and through and will hold herself with loose reins, but hates contact. I want to really work on this, as I have just kind of rode her like a western pony in the past. 
• Addie - I will be happy if I can even keep her sound enough to ride this year! I have started her on Adequan and so far her attitude has improved, so I am hoping for the best. 
• Ride at least two of them twice a week!

2) Riding Dazzle at least twice a week. Shouldn't be to much of a challenge, but I get overwhelmed easily. 

3) Go on more trail rides, or fun shows where there is no pressure for the horse or me to get a blue ribbon. I just want to have fun and learn to enjoy taking my horse on the road again! I wouldn't mind signing up for the AQHA riding log thing. (I never remember what they call it.)

4) In general I would love to ride 3-4 days a week and just enjoy my horses again.

Of course I have some non-horse related things I would like to do, but I think we can stick with that here.