Dare I even try to plan? Things never seem to go as planned, but I'll give it a very preliminary shot. This week, the barn owners are out of town, so I've been doing stalls...of course, it's the week that has a high of 14 degrees...yuck. So sick of winter!
Let's see...I'm thinking riding is not going to be happening much until February or March. Until then, I'm going to try to ride other horses as much as I can. Anyway...
I'd love to be able to keep Luke barefoot when we pick up our training schedule...I don't know if that will happen or not...whatever is best for him is what he'll get.
My only goal for March is to get Luke going solidly again, picking up where we left off, and getting him back in shape. I'd love to try to get to the dressage schooling show at Chagrin, but it probably won't happen, and I'm okay with that. It's more important to me to get him back in shape and progressing in his training.
In April, I'd love to put him in at least part training. I'm setting money aside, but whenever I try to budget, things tend to come up. Again, I'd love to get him to a schooling show, but no set goal.
May...I want to have him solid on both canter leads, and I want to go to a hunter pace with him. I also want to ride him at least 4x a week...that's going to be my goal.
In June, I'd like to do the Grand River Hunt mini trial. Only if he's ready for BBN though...I can't do intro again, I'd rather save my money. So mini trial-ing might get pushed to July.
July - I think it'd be super fun to do South Farm's mini camp...I was going to go last year, but things came up. If not that, I'd like to do a couple days of lessons back to back. I'd also love to go to the South Farm and Bath Pony Club mini trials.
August - I'd like to do Grand River Hunt and Bath Pony Club. It would be AMAZING to move up to BN, but I don't know that we'll be ready...it's a wait and see thing I guess.
September - South Farm mini trial, and hunter pacing...my favorite part of fall.
October - I'd like to do the rest of the hunter pace series, it'll just depend I guess. Hopefully I'll have a truck and trailer, and this will be possible.
Then, winter starts to come again. Hopefully Luke will be at a barn with an indoor and our training will continue to progress. I hope so!
Really though...I'm happy with however 2010 turns out. I have a great trainer who understands Luke and I and our limitations, and I feel good about this year. Any time I get to spend with Luke and Jodi is good time. If something happens and we don't go to a single show, I'll still be proud to own him!
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Lesson!
The rain held off, and I got to have my lesson, so I was a very happy girl!
I got a call on Monday from the new barn owner, telling me that my horse was very smart. Never a good thing to hear. He figured out how to escape from the one pasture. There's a 4 foot "gate" that's just one strand of un-electrified tape - the only part of the pasture that's not electric. I was worried about him figuring it out. So until they figure out what to do to make it more secure, he and Jodi moved to another pasture. I actually like this one better. It has a couple of big trees for shade, not that my horses will use them, and it's connected to the paddock where the other horses go at night, so there's 2 run in sheds.
So I went to the barn yesterday around 7, my lesson was at 7:30. It was just about dinner time, so I put Jodi in his stall to eat, and stuck Luke in the cross ties to tack up. He definitely had ants in his pants. He did NOT want to stand still at all. He only let me pick his front two hooves, and then when I went to pick up one back leg, I think he kicked out, or stomped, and his knee caught my thumb. I heard a pop and had to literally go sit down because I almost passed out. I saw stars...that was the worst pain I've had in a long time. It's still really sore today too. So I didn't pick out his back feet. I threw his saddle on, and waited for my new trainer. When she got there, Luke decided he'd never seen a bridle in his life...throwing his head up, backing up, etc. I figured it was gonna be a horrific lesson.
Once we got out to the arena though, Luke was all business. He's such a good horse. He screamed for Jodi a few times while we were warming up, but once he realized that no one was answering him, he was fine.
We did a long walk warm up with lots of serpentines, circles, figure 8's and changes of direction thrown in. I'm really guilty of just walking aimlessly on the rail to warm up, so it was a good change. I'm really going to work on that. Then we moved to the trot, focusing on pushing him from behind instead of letting him flop around on the forehand. When he was working correctly from behind, he found the bit and was reaching for contact. I could definitely feel him improving from the beginning of the lesson to the end. It was really hot, and I hadn't had dinner, and forgot to bring a water bottle, so true to form, I almost passed out two or three times. I'll be better prepared next time. So we just did a little bit of canter so she could see him go. His left lead felt really nice...he was actually slowing down instead of running around with his head in the air. She told me to pretend my left arm was broken so I wasn't hanging on the inside rein, and voila: less tense rider, less tense horse. The right lead took a few tries to get, but she just had me bring him back to a trot quietly. She said there's no point in teaching him bad transitions, which is all jerking him to a trot will do. She said when I ask him to slow down, not to pull on him with both hands, but to just use my outside rein. Lo and behold, he started slowing down enough that I could sit his trot and ask for the correct lead. He gave it to me that time. We did a few circles on each lead, and then called it a day. I'm really proud of Luke.
I feel like we got a ton out of the lesson, and my only regret is that I won't be able to take them more frequently. I'm gonna shoot for every other week, since I probably will have to stop for the winter.
I can't wait to go ride Luke and keep practicing this stuff!! I'm loving the new barn. Kind of lonely sometimes since I'm the only one riding, and the oldest and only one my age, but it's nice at the same time. My barn time is always relaxing, which I need. And the short drive rocks!
This post is already long, but here are my August goals:
1) Have one more lesson this month.
2) Have a consistent right lead at the end of the month.
3) Ride 4 times a week
4) Work on pushing him from behind
5) Be less tense
6) Have FUN with him!
I got a call on Monday from the new barn owner, telling me that my horse was very smart. Never a good thing to hear. He figured out how to escape from the one pasture. There's a 4 foot "gate" that's just one strand of un-electrified tape - the only part of the pasture that's not electric. I was worried about him figuring it out. So until they figure out what to do to make it more secure, he and Jodi moved to another pasture. I actually like this one better. It has a couple of big trees for shade, not that my horses will use them, and it's connected to the paddock where the other horses go at night, so there's 2 run in sheds.
So I went to the barn yesterday around 7, my lesson was at 7:30. It was just about dinner time, so I put Jodi in his stall to eat, and stuck Luke in the cross ties to tack up. He definitely had ants in his pants. He did NOT want to stand still at all. He only let me pick his front two hooves, and then when I went to pick up one back leg, I think he kicked out, or stomped, and his knee caught my thumb. I heard a pop and had to literally go sit down because I almost passed out. I saw stars...that was the worst pain I've had in a long time. It's still really sore today too. So I didn't pick out his back feet. I threw his saddle on, and waited for my new trainer. When she got there, Luke decided he'd never seen a bridle in his life...throwing his head up, backing up, etc. I figured it was gonna be a horrific lesson.
Once we got out to the arena though, Luke was all business. He's such a good horse. He screamed for Jodi a few times while we were warming up, but once he realized that no one was answering him, he was fine.
We did a long walk warm up with lots of serpentines, circles, figure 8's and changes of direction thrown in. I'm really guilty of just walking aimlessly on the rail to warm up, so it was a good change. I'm really going to work on that. Then we moved to the trot, focusing on pushing him from behind instead of letting him flop around on the forehand. When he was working correctly from behind, he found the bit and was reaching for contact. I could definitely feel him improving from the beginning of the lesson to the end. It was really hot, and I hadn't had dinner, and forgot to bring a water bottle, so true to form, I almost passed out two or three times. I'll be better prepared next time. So we just did a little bit of canter so she could see him go. His left lead felt really nice...he was actually slowing down instead of running around with his head in the air. She told me to pretend my left arm was broken so I wasn't hanging on the inside rein, and voila: less tense rider, less tense horse. The right lead took a few tries to get, but she just had me bring him back to a trot quietly. She said there's no point in teaching him bad transitions, which is all jerking him to a trot will do. She said when I ask him to slow down, not to pull on him with both hands, but to just use my outside rein. Lo and behold, he started slowing down enough that I could sit his trot and ask for the correct lead. He gave it to me that time. We did a few circles on each lead, and then called it a day. I'm really proud of Luke.
I feel like we got a ton out of the lesson, and my only regret is that I won't be able to take them more frequently. I'm gonna shoot for every other week, since I probably will have to stop for the winter.
I can't wait to go ride Luke and keep practicing this stuff!! I'm loving the new barn. Kind of lonely sometimes since I'm the only one riding, and the oldest and only one my age, but it's nice at the same time. My barn time is always relaxing, which I need. And the short drive rocks!
This post is already long, but here are my August goals:
1) Have one more lesson this month.
2) Have a consistent right lead at the end of the month.
3) Ride 4 times a week
4) Work on pushing him from behind
5) Be less tense
6) Have FUN with him!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Goals!
Okay...I need to stop messing around and get serious about my riding. Luke was doing so well for a while, but he needs to be ridden more than twice a week. It's not that I haven't wanted to ride, I've just been unmotivated. Now that Melissa can ride again, and now that I'll have a new saddle next week, it's time to get motivated!
So I figured I'd write out my goals and my summer schedule, and update along the way! :) Good plan?
Goals
- Get out and go places without it being a huge deal.
- Go out of my way to make new places a positive experience for him - don't just throw him on the trailer and go...make sure he gets to run around at home first, and then sit and observe for a half hour or so before I tack him up and ride.
- Break 60% on a dressage test...I shouldn't even be happy with THAT for a score, but it would be progress - we've been getting mid to high 50's.
- Slow down a little on cross country - Luke loves being outside, and will trot or canter happily up to jumps, but loves to take off for a few strides on the backside. The waterford is helping a little.
- Learn to BEND - enough said!
- Accept contact a little more.
- HAVE FUN!
Summer Schedule:
June
June 6th - Dressage Clinic - it was awesome, we learned a ton!
June 27th - Dressage Schooling show - Intro Tests A & B - possibly have someone else ride him in Training 1 or 2.
June 28th - Stone Gate? (Probably not...but I am looking into the possibility)
July
July 11 - XC Schooling at Hackamore Farm - maybe
July 12 - Hackamore Farm - maybe
July 17-18 - South Farm Mini Camp!
July 19 - South Farm Mini Trial (Either Very Green or BBN!)
And hopefully XC schooling a few times
August
August 2 - Grand River Hunt
August 9 - Buckeye Horse Park/WRPC
August 23 - Bath Pony Club
August 30 - Buckeye Horse Park Hunter Pace
September
September 6 - Bath Pony Club Hunter Pace
September 13 - South Farm
September 20 - Grand River Hunter Pace OR
September 20-21 - Stone Gate Farm H.T in the Starter Div. - hey, a girl can hope!
September 27 - Stone Gate Hunter Pace (And my 21st birthday! :) )
October
October 4 - South Farm Hunter Pace
October 11 - Magnolia Waynesburg Hunter Pace
October 18 - Chagrin Valley Hunt Hunter Pace
Whew! That was exhausting to type out, let alone think about competing in all of those! I probably won't make it to all of that because it would be $$$, but those are the ones I'll be choosing from. I really hope I can do all the fall hunter paces, and am looking SO forward to mini camp!
Now...I just have to stay motivated towards these goals. I can do it!
Tomorrow - lunge work, a little flatwork and "XC Schooling" in the back pasture.
So I figured I'd write out my goals and my summer schedule, and update along the way! :) Good plan?
Goals
- Get out and go places without it being a huge deal.
- Go out of my way to make new places a positive experience for him - don't just throw him on the trailer and go...make sure he gets to run around at home first, and then sit and observe for a half hour or so before I tack him up and ride.
- Break 60% on a dressage test...I shouldn't even be happy with THAT for a score, but it would be progress - we've been getting mid to high 50's.
- Slow down a little on cross country - Luke loves being outside, and will trot or canter happily up to jumps, but loves to take off for a few strides on the backside. The waterford is helping a little.
- Learn to BEND - enough said!
- Accept contact a little more.
- HAVE FUN!
Summer Schedule:
June
June 6th - Dressage Clinic - it was awesome, we learned a ton!
June 27th - Dressage Schooling show - Intro Tests A & B - possibly have someone else ride him in Training 1 or 2.
June 28th - Stone Gate? (Probably not...but I am looking into the possibility)
July
July 11 - XC Schooling at Hackamore Farm - maybe
July 12 - Hackamore Farm - maybe
July 17-18 - South Farm Mini Camp!
July 19 - South Farm Mini Trial (Either Very Green or BBN!)
And hopefully XC schooling a few times
August
August 2 - Grand River Hunt
August 9 - Buckeye Horse Park/WRPC
August 23 - Bath Pony Club
August 30 - Buckeye Horse Park Hunter Pace
September
September 6 - Bath Pony Club Hunter Pace
September 13 - South Farm
September 20 - Grand River Hunter Pace OR
September 20-21 - Stone Gate Farm H.T in the Starter Div. - hey, a girl can hope!
September 27 - Stone Gate Hunter Pace (And my 21st birthday! :) )
October
October 4 - South Farm Hunter Pace
October 11 - Magnolia Waynesburg Hunter Pace
October 18 - Chagrin Valley Hunt Hunter Pace
Whew! That was exhausting to type out, let alone think about competing in all of those! I probably won't make it to all of that because it would be $$$, but those are the ones I'll be choosing from. I really hope I can do all the fall hunter paces, and am looking SO forward to mini camp!
Now...I just have to stay motivated towards these goals. I can do it!
Tomorrow - lunge work, a little flatwork and "XC Schooling" in the back pasture.
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