Goal Setting 2019

This is a difficult thing for me this year. I think, in part, because we came so far last year, and made huge strides forward in so many areas, that I am humbled by my horse’s huge heart. So, they may be more generic and very similar to last year, but here goes.

1). Ride at least four days a week and continue to take lessons

Again and again, I have seen our consistent practice pay off in our developed ability to do more and more of the advanced dressage work. We still have five months before our next show and I am beginning to think that it might be possible to show at the next level sometime before the end of the show season. I do know that I am waiting for him to tell me if he is ready. Sometimes I think he is and sometimes he flips me the bird in the form of a errant hind leg. 

The single most important thing I can do besides ride is continue to take regular lessons with Amanda to develop my skills and improve my communication with Ashke. It goes hand in hand with the need to work on our lesson homework during our practice rides. This should be a no brainer for the next year.

That said, I also know that life happens and if there is a reason to take a lay off for a week or two during the year, that too advances Ashke’s development. Sometimes having some “alone time” to contemplate one’s focus and let things settle in is a good thing. I already have several hiatus’ planned for the upcoming year.

He definitely marches to his own drum.

2). Spend more time with my son

I am in a special window of time, where he is an adult but I also have proximity and access to his life, to the extent that I can still spend time with him. That won’t always be the case. My request for a holiday gift this year was to ask him to go to a movie of my choice with me, one time a month (he doesn’t even have to pay - just make the time). In addition to our planned movie night, I plan on setting aside time and attention to help him find some success at college algebra. This will be the second time he takes this class and this time he is going to have to really buckle down and make some changes in his approach to this specific math. I plan on holding him accountable and double checking his homework (plus assigning extra problems if necessary) in order to support and encourage him to make a sea-change in his approach. So, partly fun goals and partly parent goal. FTW

3) Actually spend some time trail riding

I miss this a lot. I think Ashke misses the mental release of riding out on trail. I also have a saddle designed to attach saddlebags to, although the jury is still out on whether or not I can ride long distances in it. I need to make the time and find someone who wants to do long riding with me, who is not going at endurance race speeds. I missed riding Indian Creek this year, the East-West Regional trail, Vedauwoo and expanding into new territory. It will be hard to find the time while also making my show goals, but I think it is important to do.

4) Go Camping with the dogs

This needs to happen more than the two times it happened last year. And for longer than just overnight. The dogs have gotten so much better at listening and we now have 30’ long biothane leashes, that I feel confident that we can handle the trips. I know we will be attending a family reunion in August, which will be in the wilds of Idaho, so hopefully they will do well there.

5) Continue to work on my anxiety over showing

We have eight scheduled B-Rated shows over four weekends in 2019. I am planning on showing in all of them. I am also hopeful that Amanda and her sister will also join me in the WE community, although I think that will depend on her progress in Grand Prix. I am hoping that the new attire will convey a new feeling of attractive acceptance within myself (or maybe I could just stop fucking worrying about what every one else thinks). At least I know how to properly dress when riding in a western saddle. 

So there they are . . . They may not be the best goals or the most lofty, but they are mine