GOAL Time!

Galloping full speed ahead into 2016

2016 is here. Will it be a good year? Will Bacon and I kick ass? Will we get more awesome photos jumping and dressaging? I hope the answers to those questions are yes. But, we shall see! I am not as motivated or excited to write down our goals for this year and I am not quite sure why. I think it may be our slight money troubles and my horse's feet that are making me doubt the year, but I really don't want to start it that way. So let's pick out some fun things to shoot for.

1. Compete at a USEA sanctioned event
       I would so love for this to happen this year. It didn't happen last year and it put a dent into my excited little heart. If this were to happen, it would become un-dented, I just know it. I feel like Bacon and I could show up and compete and finish and have a blast.

Please please please please please

2. Become a better dressage rider
       I need to be a better rider if we are going to get better scores and for Bacon to understand what I want from her. I confuse myself up there, and if I can't figure it out, how can she? This means trying to get some lessons and I know my great friends will try to help me out to get this done. If we want to get to our musical freestyle, we need to do this. And read and watch dressage, even if it kills me a little bit.

No more t-rex arms! Effective leg aids! Sit back! Penis!

3. Get Bacon's feet in good order
       Too bad there isn't a magical potion I can pour onto her frogs to make them come back from contracting RIGHT NOW and grow and be the cushiony supportive insoles she needs them to be. I need to find the right tools to help her correct her feet and make her comfortable at the same time. Currently she is wearing frog support pads with Magic Cushion to fill the gap between her foot and the pad, and our farrier thinks we are the right direction. Her heels are already looking better as well.

No hoof no horse. I'm keeping this one damnit.

4. Be less of a passenger while jumping and more of a constructive rider
      This may be a bit detailed, but it needs to be done. If we want to jump bigger jumps and handle tougher questions, I need to again better myself as a rider. I know Bacon will take me there and jump it, but it would be nice if I could help us both out.

I know she will still have to save me, but hopefully less.

5. Play around with more reining stuff on Pandora and Vegas
      If I am feeling well enough, ride these two western girls and strengthen their skills. They both have the basics but could use a lot more refinement and work. Ride Lucy in a dressage saddle if husband allows, and also get his ass out there on some horses too!

Ready to spin and slide.

6.  Jump and answer some training level questions
        I hope this happens because I bet it would be a crap ton of fun.

And look good doing it.

7. Try to fight through the sickness
       Feeling sick and weak holds me back a lot. This is always a constant battle but I need to remind myself that I can push through and get a lot of things done if I don't dwell. Sometimes I push too hard and make myself worse, so I need to find that line between pushing too hard.

Whiners are weeners. Winners get ribbons.

8. Go hiking!
       We did three hikes last year, with Goat Lake being the biggest and best. Hubs is very excited to keep doing this as long as I can and we have a couple different trips planned out. Including overnight stays so I get to rest before heading back down. Most of my Christmas presents from him were hiking and camping related (though he knows better and still bought me a couple of horsey things) and he got a backpacking tent and other supplies from other people. My brother and my dad want to join us as well and I will really enjoy the family trips.

I am still exhausted thinking about that hike, but it is hard to beat that view and not feel somewhat accomplished.

A new year always brings so much excitement with it. Will it beat last year? Possibly. I know for sure that more memories will be made and that I will get to share them with all of you.