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New Years Resolutions - horse edition

3K views 50 replies 27 participants last post by  jenkat86 
#1 ·
With 2015 winding down and 2016 peeking over the horizon, I am curious if other folks have equine related New years resolutions?

Last year I resolved to ride 100 times, since I am having trouble getting motivated. I did not accomplish that goal, mainly because I did not have a good enough accountability system in place. Actually I may have gotten close, but I stopped counting after around 50.

This year I have the same resolution: ride 100 times. I have decided to get a jar of 100 marbles and 2 empty jars (one for Cruiser and one for Chief) and put them in the tack room. When I ride, I remove a marble from the original jar and place it in whichever jar corresponds to the horse I just rode. Hopefully having a visual will help me out. If I don't empty my jar, I may just be looking at selling my horses.


So, what are YOUR horse-related resolutions or goals for 2016? Are you wanting to move up a level in competition, or perfect some element of your horsemanship? Log a certain number of trail miles?
 
#4 ·
I really like the marble tracking idea. May try that myself.
I actually saw it while back on pintrest as a parenting aide, something along the lines of how many times they had good behavior. It just clicked last night that it may be the accountability ticket I need to get my butt in the friggin saddle!
 
#5 ·
I want to

Start trail riding more
Get my horse to be able to trail ride solo( because of 3rd item on list..lol)
Find some people to ride with whom are not total flake outs and will actually commit to riding
get my horse over his fear of puddles.. large water is fine.. puddles will eat him, same with bicycles..lol

Try to ride English once ( although been on my list for 5 years now and hasn't happened.. so it's last on the list)
 
#6 ·
I like the marble tracking idea to.

Goals for 2016,
~Get my horse Cinder on some cows and start her on the barrel pattern, shes turning 5 this year and has had a pretty cushy life up till now so she can start working for her food now lol
~Get my Older gelding Skipper back into shape, and a little more fit.
~Somehow magically find a good husband horse, that's stout enough to carry my 6'4 husband and doesn't break the bank. Do those even exist?
 
#7 ·
I usually don't make new years resolutions but this year I am. My resolution is to ride my Star mare at least four times a week for the next three months, get a lot of good training on her, and then decide what is next for her.
 

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#9 ·
I got pretty addicted to tracking trail miles with the trail riding thread here on Horse Forum, so I'm hoping to beat my 2015 mileage by riding more next year.

Not sure if this is really a resolution, but I'd like to make sure my mare is still enjoying her "work" in 2016. She'll be 22 this February, and the last couple of months she's been a little sour with riding. I don't think it's physical, but am not quite sure what she's objecting to. She's getting older, so I find myself second guessing how much to push her when she's giving attitude (ha, maybe that in itself is the problem- mixed messages!). Anyway, I guess a better way to state it is to keep her fit, healthy, and enjoying our rides.
 
#10 ·
Resolutions always start with the intention of doing them but end up not so much.

This year I'm going back into full time study so I have a feeling things might be a bit slack but these are my goals

~ Work Roy 5 days a week whether it be riding/inhand/jogging preferable 2 days riding/1 day inhand/ 2 days jogging

~ Build Roy up to what he used to be!

~ Be able to W/T/C more securely and confidently

~ Take Roy to the beach

~ Saty out of Agistment drama it's the worst kind and somehow I manage to always be in the middle

I know that this is horse resolution but I'm putting in some normal ones

~ Pass all my subjects
~ Save up more money lol
~ lose 10kg ( I gained weight after moving out of home :( )
 
#11 ·
I just realized, the title "New Years Resolutions - horse edition" could also be interpreted as horses' resolutions!

I think Chief's would be to tear holes in all his slow feeders so he can eat faster. Cruiser would resolve to one day be able to roll ALL the way over and not get stuck on his shark fin withers.
 
#12 ·
Learn how to back up my trailer! Maybe turn my 2 horse straight load into a one-horse box.

Develop some regular exercise program to improve core strength and straighten my crookednessess. Pilates for starters.

Get an easy canter transition and a steady canter from Brooke.

At least two and hopefully three or four long trail rides a week. Plus start Competitive Trail.
 
#15 ·
Mine are:
1) Get Gator going nicely under saddle.
2) Get Daisys finesse built up with things like side passes, half passes, transitions, extension and collection.
3) Get high point award in amature division in AHCA (and hopefully place in amature at Nationals)
4) Go on the week long Texas Independance trail ride
5) Haul to a couple of out of state shows
6) Compete in a breed show (APHC)
 
#47 ·
My goals are:

1) Get Coco back into tip top shape. This has been ongoing for awhile now...

2) Get over my "stage fright" at shows.

3) Show Coco in ARHA.

4) More trail riding!

5) Convince my husband to let me get another horse....for him of course :wink:



1) Coco finally has healthy feet and has been with the trainer for a month. She has moved up 1 hole on the front cinch and 2 holes on the back cinch. Goal #1 is right on track :D

2) No shows yet. I did find a "mentor" to work with me, in addition to my trainer, and help me through the showing process since I am new to it.

3) On track for this as well. Received my membership in the mail yesterday.

4) The weather is too wacky for this one.

5) I decided I don't want another horse. This is the first time ever that I have a well trained, sound horse that I can simply enjoy and give all my energy to. I'm going to do just that.

The dreary days of January were getting to me and I was feeling like I haven't accomplished anything, but sorting it out shows that I have made a lot of progress!
 
#17 ·
Yay! So glad I found this thread. I was about to start one and then thought "Maybe I should search for one first." :lol:

Anyway. My goals...

1) Start taking lessons
2) Show at least once this year at my barn
3) Make it out the barn at least three or four days per week
4) Get my husband started in lessons, too
5) Start teaching my son to ride (he saw a video of camp drafting on FB and now really wants to learn how to ride :lol: He'll be 12 in February)
6) Get a nice saddle finally
 
#48 ·
So...I basically suck. :lol: Haven't gotten any of these accomplished. Doesn't help that my husband lost his job two days before Christmas and hasn't been able to find one yet, so the lessons and saddle are on hold. Hoping to get a decent tax return so I can at least get #6 checked off...still not sure if that one is going to happen.
 
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#19 ·
Last year my goal was to ride 350 miles this summer and take a true horse riding trip.

I rode over 550 miles between Apirl and October. And had the BEST riding vacation. We ride 20-25 miles a day and drove cattle from winter pasture to summer pasture.

This year, train for some 50's and start the beast on cattle, which will prepare us for 2017!
 
#20 ·
My resolutions:
- finally get around to purchasing my harness and actually USING it.
-be able to haul small logs with Trouble
-have a solid foundation on Trouble (30 rides) were at 2 right now.
I'm totally stealing the marble idea. I'm someone who can't do anything unless I have motivation- and that may just be the visual cue I need to get it done.
 
#21 ·
Yes, yes on the marble idea....how long will I remember to move the marbles??? .

This is Lucy's year! She is so talented, and has always gotten put on the back burner, bless her heart! We had a good start last summer, then I fizzled....I am starting early this year, since I found the fun open shows pretty close by. They will give her some good travel away from home time, and she SHALL go to Mammoth Cave on a trail ride, and maybe an LD mid year....
 
#22 ·
Oh yay!!!! I am totally down!

1. Get in better shape, so I can be a better rider and hoof rasper!
2. Get Sky in consistent work so we can better our gaits
3. Figure out a different boarding situation so we have options
4. Get into lessons once we're ready
5. Do our first horse show late summer or so
6. Go to the dang Haunted Pace that we missed this year
7. Sell/donate all the tack we don't use, to stay organized
8. Get better at rasping and hoof mapping
 
#26 ·
Oh yay!!!! I am totally down!


7. Sell/donate all the tack we don't use, to stay organized
Great idea! I used to do this with toys when I was little, then clothing more recently. Why not tack!? Though I am still kicking myself for selling a few things I swore I would never use again and now want back (dressage saddle, eventing vest and tall boots)!
 
#24 ·
my goals for 2016:
- buy a horse
- ride more assertively
- try to have a little more confidence at times and with the things im more hesitant to do (mainly when it comes to riding& showing)
- continue riding more and gaining more muscle
- horse show more
- move up a division for horse shows and do well in those classes
 
#25 ·
1. Lose weight. I still don't feel comfortable tucking my shirt into my breeches.
2. Do at least 2 dressage shows.
3. Get my girl to be consistently round and on the bit.
4. Go on a trail ride
5. Get better balanced and consistent at the canter
 
#31 ·
I will be continuing the basic, boring training that I started a month ago with my two geldings. I asked for a got a really nice, albeit inexpensive Leather lunging cavesson. When my DD's asked for my Christmas lists it was dirt cheap on a pre Christmas Daily Deal. I am about to put some saddle soap on it. My other lunging cavesson was nylon, and when I was gonna use it, I found that it had rusty metal. YUCK!! THAT's gonna get thrown away this weekend!
I plan to teach my boys to ignore english stirrups banging on their sides and to thoroughly train Buster Brown on his Whoa. He does it very well when I lead and ask, but he's still not where I want him when astride. He also needs retraining at standing at the mounting block. Maybe I'll do some ground driving, too, just a LOT of work at the walk!
That's the beauty of winter training! All of the boring stuff that you don't have time to fix, or just don't Want to fix when you want to tack up and ride during the Spring, Summer and Fall are sometimes ALL the training possible to do, as in my situation, with no indoor arena and mud, ice and snow to contend with until probably the end of April.
 
#33 ·
1. Ride more. I like the marble jar idea, may have to borrow it.
2. Find a saddle that fits both of us and sell the other.
3. Do a strong refresher on training: i.e. Standing still for mounting, whoa means whoa not go, start her on cows, etc.
4. Get a permanent pasture set up with a hose for the trough. Right now I have to haul water every few days.
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#34 ·
I am so glad so many folks are going to use the marble idea! My other idea was to put $1 in a box every time rode and then use that money at the end of the year to buy a nice new piece of tack...but I like the visual of the marbles. Evidently a lot of folks use it to help lose weight:
 
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