Your horse-related dreams and goals

We ALL have them. I'm always curious about what other people aspire to do with their horses, be it in showing, breeding, training etc. So what are your dreams and goals that you're striving for? We can all ohh and ahh together

I have some goals, both short and long term.

Short term:
- Have my first proper jumping lesson by my 20th birthday (I think it's quite possible!)
- Have my very own horse. My parents said it will happen one day.
- Do at least ONE official horse show...if my ailing eyes and knee permits it I'd love to do a ODE because I'm a masochist and want to be good at everything.

Long term:
- Be able to financially support my own horse on my own property.
- Be with a horse from day one. Buy a young horse and have it trained (either by myself or under the guidance of another) and be it's one and only owner. I think the connection and relationship would be amazing.

What yours?

(sigh) well I'd eventually like to jump, but I'm still working on perfecting my flat work, so constant jumping might not come until... a year? I jump very occasionally, when the jumps are there and I'm controlling the horse well, (and when my trainer thinks of it) she let's me pop over a few cross rails.

My big dream is to do eventing one day, or at least cross country. I love teh idea of galloping in a big open space. Or just cantering in a big field with no fences would be fine by me, but that's not possible. :(
My other would be to become a calm and experienced rider with lots of understanding and knowledge, and be able to control without fear an excited/ very hot horse.

Last, I would like to finally ride a school horse I feel a big connection with. I love the horse I ride now, X factor, but that's because he's an amazingly talented and beautiful horse, and due to me being a little green, when I ride at the canter I give him mixed signals and it annoys him greatly. I sometimes have a feeling I'll never have a bond with a horse until I'm a very good rider, because horses seem to love me when I groom them ( I have secrets lol) but when I ride it lowers their esteem in me or something.

Great thread idea. You'll need some background to understand my dreams and goals. I am 53 years old, and struggling with lots of orthopedic issues (multiple knee and ankle surgeries) and also my weight and fitness. I work full time and have a family. I spent 20 years as a professional horseperson, but pushed horses to part time then hobby status for marriage, childbirth and corporate career.

So, my dreams and goals are:
- to be well and truly riding fit again, and to have fit horses
- ride on a daily basis
- be able to jump around a friend's xc cross for fun and giggles
- finish my barn (run electric, own water source, generally fix it up)
- reliable truck to haul my trailer

And if I manage 1, 2 and 5, to take horses up to our cabin in SW Virgina for the weekend or the week and ride in the National Forests up there.

I have quite a few.

My more serious goals:
-I'd like to take one I've raised & trained myself to a world title. I've won a futurity, a handful of all-arounds, now I'd like to see a world bronze in my case. My intent is to do so with my weanling colt.
-Compete in open freestyle reining at Congress, make top 10.
-take the farm my grandfather started in the 50s to a level of success it hasn't seen since I was younger and showing heavily. Like Maura, college, marriage, career, starting a family put a halt to that. I'm now back to horses full time and working hard at it.
-The ultimate goal is to have the farm be successful enough to hand it over to my daughter as a future if horses is the career path she chooses and continue my grandfather's legacy for generations to come.

My fun goals
-Compete in cross country with my new to me warmblood. I grew up on reiners & working cow horses but did ride hunt seat & jump. Growing up in a family that raised QH's, cross country wasn't something that was an opportunity for me when I was younger. Now that I'm in charge of my horse life, it's something I'd really like to do for fun.
-When I retire, I want to RV retire and travel wherever the road leads me.

It's easy to have goals when you're brand new to riding:
- short term - to go all the way around the arena the way that I want us to go without detours for visiting horse friends, the instructor or the door
- to do the above posting and sitting trot
- to canter
- to be allowed to practice on my own
- to get to January and be able to practice 2-3 times per week instead of once
- to trail ride with my lesson horse (not the boring non-horse person trail-ride)

Long term:
- ride lots of different types of horses
- learn as much as possible about general horse maintenance and health
- find some way to make some money with horses to help my dream of living in the country
- keep in shape as I get older by doing fun exercises involving riding and horse care

Short term ? Finish my first LD ride the 26th,,,,

Long term, a few more adventures and a few less misadventures that begin with, "well there was this girl"

MHFQ, I'm quite...erm...taken back by knowing there are some pretty top-notch riders on this forum. I feel so humbled in a way. At least there's obviously a wealth of knowledge around here.

Kestra, I totally feel your pain on the sitting trot thing. I can manage to look decent and not like a sack of spuds for maybe...five strides? :P I can do it perfectly without stirrups but put my feet in those irons and it all goes downhill.

My ultimate dream is to build a horse sanctuary. It would be state of the art, specifically designed to accommodate special needs horses and money would be no object. I would just allow the horses to live out the rest of their lives and never be ridden again.

A slightly more realistic goal is to move to the east coast so I can take my horses to the beach and go swimming with them all the time. Either that or live within riding distance to miles of wooded trails.

Gilly,

That's what's so great about this thread. EVERYONE, from someone in their first ten lessons, to old professionals, can relate to this topic.

As for me, I have absolutely no desire to compete ever again. BUT, I would like to feel a good horse really crack their back over a big fence again, or the sheer joy and feeling of partnership of riding a cross country course. But first I have to get me and my horses fit again.

Ditto what Maura said. That's the best part about horses, we never stop learning and evolving as riders. It doesn't matter if you've been at it for 6 months or 30 years, there is always room for improvement.
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