2015 Goals Recap

 Time to recap my goals from the beginning of the year!

Knowing what I know now I think that a lot of these were way out there for 2015. I've also switched my focus a little and thanks to regular lessons with a great instructor I've got better ideas for goals for 2016 which I will be sharing soon!

23 completed out of 48 so almost half accomplished :-)

Completed Goals

- cross train, add cavaletti
- stay still for mounting

- continue with clipper desensitization

- perfect trailer loading – On this last barn move she hopped right in despite the wind blowing and the trailer being completely different than she's ever ridden in so I'm pretty confident in her trailering skills.

- get used to riding around other horses and busy warm up areas

- listen to outside leg cues

- get a halt that regularly lasts at least 20 seconds by the end of February

- find someone to take regular lessons with by the end of February

- renew my subscription to Dressage Today and read every article

- update the name of this blog (I promise it will be the last time)
- make good turnout a habit (pretend I'm getting ready to ride for George Morris everyday lol)
- Order the saddle by the end of June
- save up and purchase a saddle that fits both of us better – Picked one out!!

- get a new job and move to a metro location (more on this in a future post)
- find transportation to shows
- take regular lessons - at least once per month

- learn to keep my lower leg back on a regular basis

- practice a more proper arm position
- gain miles in the saddle
- do a better job of journaling my riding in my blog
- learn to weight each seat bone as needed

Goals for Katai that didn't get completed:

 

- get chiropractic done at least three times in 2015 (33% completed)

- get at least three massages in 2015 (0% completed)

- start serious fitness training as soon as it's not slippery out to include canter sets (25% completed)

- add more structured lunging - at least 3-4 times per month (15% completed)

- practice with show environments by trailering off property at least five times this year (0% completed)

- show in three dressage schooling shows with at least one at training level (0% completed)

- ride in one two clinics - can be any discipline (0% completed)

- perfect standing tied to the trailer (0% completed)

- nicer canter transitions (no more ear pinning and less choppy trotting) by the end of March (became better now worse so we'll go with a 0% completed)

- better bend at all gaits to the left (20% completed)

- more understanding of whip cues by the middle of the year (45% completed)

- understand all three intro tests by the end of April (0% completed)

- begin trying our hoof at training level tests by the end of May (0% completed but we could ride them now)

- gain trail riding experience both by ourselves and with others - get outside and ride trails at least 3-4 times per month (60% completed)

Goals for me that didn't get completed:

 

- find a good yoga class and go at least twice per month (0% completed)

- get regular massages (0% completed)

- run in at least one 5K by the end of April (providing I can find one and the weather isn't too horrible), one 10K by the end of June, and Ragnar (total of about 13 miles) again in the late summer (0% completed)

- lose 15 - 20 more pounds (15% completed)

- regain jumping skills :-) (0% completed)

- ride different horses (0% completed)

- put together at least one set of show clothes (schooling show appropriate) (0% completed)

- determine which schooling shows to attend and get signed up (50% completed - found them just didn't sign up)

- memorize intro tests by the end of May (0% completed)

- take more and better pictures and videos (20ish% completed at least I was sharing a few more!)

- read and review a horse book every month – February Success! (18% completed)

 

2016 Goals

http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person/

 

I stumbled over this article while I was doing some research for work. It is amazing and, if you haven’t already, I would highly recommend that you read it. I started with this because during the second half of the year 2015 I had some big changes in my life. They were absolutely all for the better but did lead to me deciding to take a step back and work on self improvement. As the rest of the year went on I felt like I kept stumbling over puzzle pieces about how to make these changes and this article was one. I do, actually, happen to be one of the people that is told not to finish reading the article since it was fairly easy for me to name five things about my life that I’ve accomplished and that I’m very proud of but I’m always curious and a lifelong learner thanks to my mom so I read it anyway.

 

It’s sections #3 - #1 from this article that really made me think and made me reconsider how I structure my goals and what I find most important. Because of that I rewrote the goals that I was going to post for 2016 which is why this is especially relevant to this post.

 

Goals for Katai:

 

Master our canter transitions

            How to accomplish: Practice, practice, practice! I need to stop avoiding them because they are ugly and just do them many times so that we have a chance to figure them out together. I’m such a perfectionist that I tend to avoid what I can’t make perfect rather than just working to make it better. I need to stop that and just practice these as much as I can (with guidance from L of course J)

 

Perfect Leg Yield

            How to accomplish: Pretty much the same as above but with more guidance from L.

 

Practice riding through at least two Intro tests and at least two Training Level tests

            How to accomplish: Just do it! They may not be pretty but they will bring to light things that I need help with which I can then bring to L. I think, especially with how dressage is structured, that this would help me set some more specific goals about how to proceed.

 

Sign up for at least two clinics

            How to accomplish: Again, just do it! Stop talking about it and thinking about it and psyching myself out and just do it! L can be helpful in narrowing down who to clinic with but I need to ask sooner rather than later so that I can participate in the clinic(s) that would be most beneficial to us.

 

Go for a trail ride off farm property

            How to accomplish: Find someone that’s willing to trailer us out to a trail and then beg them to take us along ;-)

 

Attend at least two dressage shows

            How to accomplish: This one was tough for me. I’d like to do more shows but I also want to set a reasonable goal. I also want it (per the above article) not to be too out there but I think that attending the show is different than saying “win a blue ribbon at a dressage show” so I’m sticking with it.

 

Goals for Katlyn:

 

Continue with my own self improvement

            How to accomplish: Stay curious, ask questions, and keep searching for information and also continue with veganism.

 

Gain Strength

            How to accomplish: I’ve already started this process by participating in the 30 day Rider fitness Challenge. I didn’t get through all 30 days but I have been consistently doing the reps and sets in that program and can already tell a HUGE difference in my riding (side bridges are the worst and the best at the same time). I’d like to keep that up and add some cardio for 2016. Maybe start running again?

 

Blog more often

            How to accomplish: My goal is to average at least 15 blog posts per month. Mainly I just also need to sit down and do it. It’s not that I completely lack the time, just that I lack the motivation to do this in the small amount of time that I do have.

 

Better pictures and video both for blog posts and just for myself!

How to accomplish: I’ve always wanted better pictures but the other day when I was trying to find a picture for someone else who has horses I couldn’t even find one that wasn’t horribly blurry. I’d really, really like to get some professional or semiprofessional pictures of myself and Katai this year but may focus more on getting a better camera and taking more pictures myself first since, especially in the barn, my iPhone just isn’t cutting it!

 

Purchase a set of show clothes and tack

            How to accomplish: I think that I’ve narrowed down what I’m looking for and, thanks to Christmas, already have one big item (more on that in a different blog).

Finish building tack locker with my dad

            How to accomplish: This one shouldn’t be tough. I’m planning on going home the weekend following New Years and should be able to make some great progress then. I’ll try to get some in progress pictures of that and do a blog post soon!