I know, I know, it’s not quite winter yet. But it my mind, when the temperature dips below freezing and the fleece jods come out, it’s winter. So sue me! Here’s what I hope to achieve and have planned around the homestead and in the saddle this season:
The Horse: At Home
- Help Foster understand that transitions happen in the bum and not in the neck
- Incorporate conditioning day into weekly routine (Jimmy Wofford reference here)
- Master Trakehner fences
- School coffin combinations
- Work on lengthenings (trot and canter)
- Possibly introduce flying changes advice here would be welcome!!!
Trakehner, you are mine!
The Horse: Competitions & Schoolings
- The Fork (11/17)
- Running Start Schooling
- Why Not an American Ark Novice CT (12/14 or 1/11)
- Why Not an American Ark Novice Horse Trials (2/22)
Running Start schooling over the summer
The House
- Take out mini forest and big-mama-jama pine tree in back yard
- Hang curtains and
for goodness sakepaint feet of dresser in Carolina Room - Paint over wallpaper in half bath
- Install new light fixtures in master bath
- Fix fireplace
I will finally finish those feet, I swear!
The Rest
- Read books 6 & 7 of Outlander Series
- Cook best Thanksgiving dinner ever
- Watch Saving Mr. Banks movie
- Find opportunity to play Harry Potter trivia
- Design final Invitation Suite for BFF
Get excited!
As you can see, that’s a lot of goals! I am hoping that most of them are small enough so as to be realistic, but it will be interesting to see where we stand next March. Similarly, at the end of the year I intend to go through my previous goals and see what we have accomplished. Most of the time we are so focused on where we can improve, I want to make sure there is time to celebrate what we have done! That’s all for now!
Red on the Right 
Lots of goals, love it! With changes, my best advice is a) work on straightness and not dropping the shoulder in the corners, b) school the counter canter, c) introduce the concept over a pole. I should set some winter reading goals too, there are several books I want to read.
Thanks for the tips! I will definitely keep them in mind!
Flying changes are apparently one of the hardest things to learn… my trainer hates teaching them. I have no advice there because wiz was magically born with them apparently hah! Also, I’m amazed at all of the show opportunities for you Dec-Feb! There’s pretty much nothing around here… good luck with your winter goals!! 🙂 My goal for winter is usually just sleep… hah
Sleeping sounds pretty amazing! If I hadn’t lost the chance to compete this spring I probably would be taking it easy. We are really lucky to have so many schooling opportunities in this area, especially with Southern Pines being 1.5 hrs away. Sleeping does sound pretty awesome though!
What are are you in again? I’m based in Knoxville, tn. And I’m sure I won’t sleep so much with a real job but right now I have two jobs and law school soi really need the short winter break to recoup ha! I’ll have to do what you did and consider some winter goals after new years 🙂
We’re in North Carolina. And watching my husband go through law school, I understand that a break is necessary every once in a while!