It's only November 8th but here in Manitoba we have already had a good deal of snow, as well as some pretty cold and blustery days. Everyone in this goofy province seems to be suspicious that we are experiencing 'one of those winter'. If you are not from here, that's code for a long, cold, snowy winter. Or, a regular winter. Last year we were blessed with a lovely mild winter that made riding particularly easy to maintain. This year.....well, its why I am writing this post! I want to put down my goal, my hopes and aspirations for the coming year. Its something to dream about and long for when the cold January wind howls outside my arena.
I thought I would go through each horse and list my hopes and goals for the coming year. Of course, they may not happen, of this I am well aware. Horses are heartbreakers, and its easy to set your sites on a goal only to have them injure themselves or colic, or as I have experienced in the past, die. But I feel the need to organize my thoughts for each, so indulge me, please.
My one big goal: possibly showing, and showing a fair bit, next summer. I have had to put any showing on hold the last number of years due to finances and time. It was hard to teach/train/board enough to cover the expenses of showing, and also find someone to cover my work at my barn. The last two summers have been spent building my new facility, as well as driving back and forth. I didn't feel it was fair or financially responsible to show on top of everything. My poor husband was already stretched to his limit! So, next summer might be the time to actually get back into the ring!
Josh
My sweet big guy will be 13 next year, which means I will have owned him for 6 years. He's made lovely progress, as he had been off work for a year when I got him and only started back in walk-trot when I began training him. This last summer his progress has been fantastic, thanks in part to being able to ride him 4-6 days a week versus maybe 3 times when I was driving back and forth. I am also no longer using him in lessons, which has also helped greatly! My goals for him are to continue improving the things I have already been working on with him. I would like to improve his canter half pass, more specifically his right half pass. He struggled with it the last year, only to make a huge leap the last number of months. He now feels smooth, and connected in it. I want to be able to make it more adjustable and maybe a little steeper. I would also like to improve his canter pirouette, again his right one more so. He does a very solid working pirouette left, but right is still a bit big, a bit lacking bend, and a not quite rhythmic enough. Still I am very thrilled with the improvements he has made in them over the last few months. His flying change is finally there, calm and much more collected. This was a difficult exercise for him, with him panicking and bolting the first couple times I tried it. I'm not sure if this was due to a previous training experience or not, but its taken time and really breaking it down step by step. I'm still very careful to not overdue the changes and I won't even attempt them on a day he doesn't feel very loose and relaxed. I am also wanting to get his half step trot more stationary, and uphill to get him more into an actual piaffe. I would love to be able to show him at least 3rd level next summer with the goal of moving him up later in the year.
Winston
My sweet little ottb will be 6 next summer and I would love to be able to show him as well. He does lovely lateral work and my only goal for it would be to increase his flexibility and relaxation in it so he keeps improving. He already does a solid shoulder in and his haunches in is very steady. He's begun half pass and understands it well, only losing his balance and flexion occasionally. I would love to have it keep improving and getting more expressive. My bigger goal is to get him more steady and consistent in the canter. He's gone from being stiff and slow, and barely able to pick up his left lead, to being much straighter, reaching more and actually flowing forward. But he finds it hard to maintain, and right now we only get a couple large circles with a bit of a straight away before we trot and regroup. All this will come, but thats the goal- to use the lateral work to help balance and strengthen him to improve the canter! I would love to show him as well, with the goal to do first level.
Greyson
My little goofball will be 5!! Its hard to believe! He's had a long slow road, thanks to a tooth that grew in very weirdly, took forever to finish growing in and then broke! He had several months off, and only got cleared for regular riding a couple weeks after getting here. He also grew a LOT the last 6 months, so when I finally got back to regular riding with him we were both feeling like we were starting from scratch. But after only a couple weeks, he's feeling back on form and I am hoping to keep him progressing all winter...man I hope! He's so lovely and sensitive to ride, and I would really like to continue uninterrupted for a while! Goals are to continue improving his trot and lateral work. We currently leg yield at walk and trot quite well and are solid in the shoulder in at walk, working at the trot. Other goals are to keep him improving in those, to add haunches in, and get the canter really going. I would love to show him training level next year, and also trail ride him on my property, something we missed out on this summer thanks to his rowdy tooth!
Ricco
My little Spanish stallion is only just 3 in September so although my goal is to break him this winter, I am in no hurry. He's been growing like a weed, so I am taking my time. He lunges well and has had a saddle on his back already, all with no hassle. He has an amazing temperament and am I so excited to see what the year will bring us! I would like to get him out and about, both on the property and off, for experience. His first year under saddle will hopefully be uneventful and steady, and thats the goal!
Anja
My big girl will hopefully be pregnant! We tried breeding to Sir Gregory but unfortunately she didn't stay pregnant. Dang it. But it was our first try, and we also learned her one ovary is enlarged and painful. This really solved a couple mysteries for me. The past couple years Anjas heat cycles have gotten very intense. She has always been silly and reactive when in heat, but it just seemed beyond anything normal for her. They lasted longer and she seemed to be uncomfortable even after they ended. As well, her flying change right to left was especially sticky, while her left to right where so effortless. It all made me wonder if something else was going on. I had wanted to breed her for years, but with only her and Josh as my riding horses and a worry about cost, I kept putting it off. This summer it all seemed to come together. I had a number of young horses to work with, and she was 12- so the timing seemed perfect. And when she began to mother a young mare who was at my farm for training, I thought this is the summer. But maybe next summer?? Also before I can get back riding her, I need to get her ovary looked at.
So thats the scoop with my own horses. The year has brought so many changes, most of them positive. Who knows what the next year will bring? Maybe I will finally get the chance to show again. But even if I don't right now I am content. I have learned that things happen that are out of our control, and sometimes we just can't do what we dreamed of. But we can take what happens and bring something positive out of it.
My next posts I hope to branch out into training concepts, and the philosphy behind classical training. Heres hoping the winter is short and mild! I'm already excited for next spring!
