So, what’s on the docket for April? (per my 2014 outline)

April 

Start hacking regularly, whenever possible. Plan on minimum of 60 minutes out for each hack, 2x per week. 

Pull shoes, if all goes well, and get back to barefoot. 

Continue schooling under saddle, fine-tuning dressage. IF jumping is a go, jump 1x every two weeks minimum. 

Possible events for riding or volunteering: GMHA Mud Ride (April 26-27), VT Everything Equine (April 26-27)

This should be do-able! Good job planning, me from the past.

Jumping will be attempted as soon as my jump saddle is fit: right now, it’s looking like April 21 for that.

Hacking will commence in earnest this Thursday, 4/3.

Dressage is already being fine-tuned.

Probably I’ll be headed to Everything Equine instead of the Mud Ride: Tris is going to be a school horse for the local university’s IHSA mock show (just the riders on the team, which is new, getting used to the style of an IHSA show) on 4/26 and he’s not quite fit enough for 15 miles anyway.

Talked to the farrier last night about pulling shoes and going barefoot, so we are on track for that.

It’s a very low bar of goals, but I’m happy that it should go well anyway!

March  

Spring shots & teeth. Get the trailer registered and potentially taken out to get inspected/repaired. Re-up my US Rider  

Continue topline & fitness, but we should be well on our way by now: capable of a full 60 minute lesson without too much exhaustion on either part.

Pretty darn good, actually!

Spring shots and teeth, done.

Trailer registered! Alas, it is going approximately nowhere until the snow melts. Perhaps mid-April. As soon as I can, I’ll get it to the mechanic. I won’t re-up the US Rider until it looks like I’ll be hauling Tristan somewhere: probably May.

We’re both very capable of a 60 minute lesson. In March, I noticed a marked improvement in his fitness and recovery. My own fitness is proceeding slowly but I am trying to add some things to the mix to help that. It’s going to hit 40 today, and sunny, and I can already feel my energy improving.

For reference: 2014 Outline & 2014 Goals

March 

Spring shots & teeth. Get the trailer registered and potentially taken out to get inspected/repaired. Re-up my US Rider 

Continue topline & fitness, but we should be well on our way by now: capable of a full 60 minute lesson without too much exhaustion on either part.

We’re just about capable of that 60 minute lesson already, but we have some more fitness work to do. I’ll also add to this: get my saddles fit at the end of the month. Which means I am in for some expenses – sigh.

February 

Ditto January: Stick to a consistent schedule; build topline & fitness; take a few lessons.  

If all goes well, try a few jumps under saddle at the end of the month.

How did we do?

So-so. First week was great; second week was wiped out due to work, weather, and illness; third and fourth weeks were free-longeing due to injuring my hand.

I took two lessons, both of which were hugely helpful. He definitely has gained both topline and fitness.

Jumping did not happen, but I suspected it might not. The saddle-fitter came out at the beginning of last week and that was too early for me.

Overall: I’m actually ok with where we are. He’s in a good place mentally, and he’s building strength. My fitness could be better, but I’m gaining skills as a rider and feel generally on track.

For reference: 2014 Outline & 2014 Goals

So per the outline, here’s February:

February

Ditto January: Stick to a consistent schedule; build topline & fitness; take a few lessons. 

If all goes well, try a few jumps under saddle at the end of the month.

Last day of subzero temps, according to the weather app! I am ready to get in more riding and less whining. (And less baking, and eating of things I bake. Yikes.)

I already wrote about my 2014 goals, but this is a more general outline with some potential dates for things – and other stuff I need to keep in the budget.

January

Stick to a consistent schedule; build topline & fitness; take a few lessons.

February

Ditto January: Stick to a consistent schedule; build topline & fitness; take a few lessons.

If all goes well, try a few jumps under saddle at the end of the month.

March

Spring shots & teeth. Get the trailer registered and potentially taken out to get inspected/repaired. Re-up my US Rider

Continue topline & fitness, but we should be well on our way by now: capable of a full 60 minute lesson without too much exhaustion on either part.

April

Start hacking regularly, whenever possible. Plan on minimum of 60 minutes out for each hack, 2x per week.

Pull shoes, if all goes well, and get back to barefoot.

Continue schooling under saddle, fine-tuning dressage. IF jumping is a go, jump 1x every two weeks minimum.

Possible events for riding or volunteering: GMHA Mud Ride (April 26-27), VT Everything Equine (April 26-27)

May

Get off property for trail rides 2-3x. Continue dressage. If jumping is a go, haul out for jumping lessons w/ instructor in Vergennes.

Possible events for riding or volunteering: VERDA Bare Bones Endurance Ride (May 11), Hitching Post Horse Trials (May 17-18), GMHA Spring Horse Trials (May 31-June 1)

June

Unfortunately I already know that most of June will be a wasteland due to a massive work event at the end of the month. The goal for this month is to keep my head above water: stick to a schedule and keep him fit.

Possible events for riding or volunteering: East Hill Farm Schooling Dressage (no dates yet), Vermont Morgan Heritage Days (June 14-15)

July

Work commitments ease considerably, and we should be able to pick up the pace here. If all is going really well we can turn the screws and think about the GMHA show at the end of the month, OR think about getting out and foxhunting.

Possible events for riding or volunteering: Huntington Horse Trials (July 11-12), GMHA Dressage Days (July 25-27),

August

Keep turning those screws, keep hauling out to jump with Vergennes trainer, keep fine-tuning the dressage. Foxhunting if possible.

Possible events for riding or volunteering: Vermont Dressage Days (August 9-10), GMHA Combined Driving Event (August 23-24), GMHA Distance Days (August 29-31)

September

Lots of options for getting out and about this month, depending on how we want to structure it. Do we want to do more low key stuff, or do we want to show off a bit? Some really good schooling show options if we choose to go that route.

Possible events for riding or volunteering: Eddy Farm Schooling Three Phase (no dates yet), Equestry Schooling Dressage (no dates yet), East Hill Farm Schooling Dressage (no dates yet), GMHA Fall Hunter Pace (September 7), GMHA Horse Trials (September 13-14), GMHA Fall Foliage Ride (September 26-28)

October

My brother is getting married early in the month, and that may basically suck all the horse joy out of the first two weeks of the month. We’ll see.

Possible events for riding or volunteering: GMHA Dressage Show (October 4-5), Lucinda Green Clinic @ GMHA (October 8-9), GMHA Fall Foliage Ride (October 10-12), GMHA 50 Mile Ride (October 18)

November

Trainer heads back to Florida. Things start winding down here. My goal will be to head into next winter with Tristan in good weight and fitness, and to have a specific series of goals to tackle through the winter.

December

Winter is coming.

Okay. Here we go. May this year be better than the one that came before it.

Tristan’s Goals

1. Get fit and rebuild muscle
His #1 goal for the year is to get back in shape. Ideal would be BN fit again, but we’ll see.

2. Strengthen dressage, particularly the canter
I would love to come out of 2014 with a real canter. We’ll see. I’ll take anything other than giraffe motorcycling, at this point.

3. Work on jumping again
He is jumping in hand, but I’d like to try some jumping lessons under saddle and see how his foot holds up.

4. Do a few tests at dressage show
Tons of options here for places to go. Ideally I’d travel, but we have two shows at home each year that we could do if we want. The whole barn goes down to GHMA and up to the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds for big registered show each year, so I could dip a toe in there if I chose.

5. Complete a group trail ride
GMHA, maybe? They have some good CTR options on their schedule. This could potentially also be a hunter pace, or a more informal community trail ride.

My Goals

1. Get fit!
I need to be a stronger, more effective rider.

2. Find a schedule and stick to it
Year 1 in Vermont was about working like crazy in my new position. Year 2 will be, if anything, even more busy, with some major events coming up, but now that I have the basic routine down I need to be more disciplined about keeping Tristan in a program.

3. Take more lessons
Much as I wanted to, my lessons in 2013 were sporadic. I need to commit to working more barn hours and taking more lessons.

4. Rebuild emergency savings
2013 was the year of neverending vet bills. 2014 needs to involve more buckling down and replenishing the money that went away. I’ll be shopping for a new daily driver in the fall, and looking toward replacing truck and trailer in another 3-5 years, and those things can’t happen without better fiscal management.

5. Be better organized with barn stuff
My stuff is freaking everywhere right now – the car trunk, the truck back seat, the trailer, the mud room, the tack room…you name it. I need to go through, re-organize everything, and take stock of what I have – and keep it in better shape going forward.