2019 review and 2020 goal setting?

[Abi90]

Start of 2019 Rosie had been re backed for 3 months and had only just started schooling and jumping again.

We’ve steadily made progress and now jumping round 90cm courses. With scope for a lot more.

Plan for 2020 is to affiliate BS by the middle of the year I hope. As long as I don’t sprain my thumb again. Thankfully what I thought was an ulcer flare up is actually her saddle needing adjusting so we’re all sorted!

 

[Northern]

Well I did contribute in the thread for last year, mid year I missed because I was busy writing my thesis

When I contributed a year ago, I had just bought L the Haflinger. She's come along in leaps and bounds and can now hack out relatively relaxed, a big improvement from where we came from! I've had her out to a few outings, jump and dressage, which she did super well. I hope I can continue taking her out and about next year and show her the world.

I also wrote: "Here's hoping I have better horsey luck next year, I think I've had my fill of bad things happening! I hope everyone else achieves their goals for the coming year too!".

Unfortunately my bad luck continues, it's approaching four years of constant (almost monthly the whole time) vet bills for ailments that many horse owners here have never even heard of! It's culminated last week in E the TB being diagnosed with kissing spine. That's thrown every plan out the window again, I honestly don't know why I even bother anymore. I'm at a crossroads regarding what to do now, she's had injections and I have started her back walking over poles in preparation to try and ride her again. I am toying with having her evaluated for the bone reshaping op, but I'm not even sure if there are surgeons that do it here, and whether she would be a candidate. It really sucks, she's such a nice horse with decent movement for a TB and a great jump, but sometimes I watch her and she can't even move properly. I don't want to be a downer for this thread, but it's really affecting my motivation with regards to horses. Whatever happens, she will stay with me and I'll do right by her.

I would dearly love to acquire another young TB to work with, I just love teaching them about the world. However the drought is getting worse and it's not really financially viable to acquire another to feed at the moment.

Not a super update or goals for next year, perhaps my luck will turn and something will give in the mean time I'm trying to get out hacking as much as possible with the pony for some mind therapy.

 

[McFluff]

It’s interesting to look back.
My year didn’t work out at all as planned. Started well, with my mare stepping up to novice and doing well for our stage of training. Then she went catastrophically lame and was on box rest. At the time the prognosis was guarded with a best case of hacking, archery and light schooling.
I am not getting any younger, and I’ve got a taste for competition and training in dressage, so I took the plunge and found a second horse. He arrived in July.
Then sadly, I lost my mare in August. I was devastated as she was an amazing and very kind soul, who taught me so much.
My gelding is settling in well, he has loads of natural talent, and is learning fast. We’ve been out hacking and had our first clinic and first competition.
My aim for 2020 is to have a happy and healthy horse and to enjoy my time with him. I’d love to get out and do some BD, novice by the end of the year would be great.
I also want to do lots more hacking - my friend has just got a horse that will be a good hacking buddy.
I may introduce him to archery - he’s very hot and sensitive so I want our real to be rock solid first.

Good luck to everyone with your plans.

 

[DreamTime22]

Joining this thread for the first time as only got my mare in June this year. At this point I set a goal of doing a prelim dressage test and jumping a 70cm course. We did achieve this, however the prelim wasn't the smoothest with 54% but the jumping went well, if a little quick.
My plans are to go eventing this year and do at least 1 BE event, hopefully more than 1. I'm hoping to do some unaffiliated ones in the Spring, then aiming for Frickley Park for the first one (July if its going well or September if its a bit steadier progress).
To do this we need to be generally calmer and more relaxed so that she works over her back in the dressage and doesn't tank at the show-jumps and we actually need to try some proper cross country, not just the odd hunt jump made from a telegraphy pole out on a hack. Not too much to do...

 

[little_critter]

I can’t remember what my 2019 goals were but I’m not falling for this again. Every year I post on these goal setting posts and every year it all goes t*ts up!
So I plan to try my best and chalk up any successes as we make them.
I know what I’d like to achieve, but I’m not telling neddy!
Looking back over 2019 I lost lovely Mids, but then fell head over heels in love with Theo. I’m on a bit of a learning curve with him, I feel he will make me a much better and more effective rider.
In August I broke my wrist which put a pause on our progress but we are making tracks now.
Good luck to everyone and I wish you a fab 2020.

 

[Cob Life]

Not done a huge amount this year. Started sharing a cob and have started to build a partnership with him and started to bring an ISH back into work after time off due to no rider, a completely new venture to me which is helped by the fact that although she's a strop mare we work well together!

My aims for next year for the ISH:
1. Get a saddle and rider on her
2. Have her comfortable and happy working
3. Try some long reining

My aims for the cob:
1. Do some jumping
2. Try to go out and build our confidence hacking
3. Do a nice dressage test (either on line or out and about)
4. Try some long reining

Really looking forward to this next year with them both! If I can get them both going nicely then maybe look at going to a local show in the summer at my friends yard!

 

[Canterbury Cait]

I wasn’t on this forum last year, but in my head I had set myself the goal of getting back on a horse after 15 years of nothing at all.
That happened, and it turns out that the second time you’re bitten by the bug, you’re doomed ?. I’ve also managed to get my youngest child hooked.
Goals for this year:
Get myself and loan horse confident hacking out alone (once the weather improves!).
Do some cross country - haven’t done any since I was a teenager.
Find a way to spend more time at the yard (or any yard).
At least one mother-son hack.

Fairly low-key goals but important to me!

Happy New Year to you all, I look forward to reading your updates.

 

[Trinket12]

My 2019 goal was to ride more which I achieved, buying Sugar was a bonus!

2020 I just want to be more consistent in how I ride, and to get over myself a bit and get on with it! I bought a book about training your brain for riders, and hoping that gets me past some of my anxiety and stop me from thinking I’m a terrible rider!

Oh and pass my bloody Therapeutic teaching certificate!

Happy New Year everyone!

 

[Muddywellies]

Pretty disappointing 2019. Fell flat on my face time and time again dressaging whilst it seemed everyone else was flying. So this year, less results chasing and more enjoying my pony. I'm not even aiming for the area festivals this year as coming last becomes tedious. IF I manage to ride a medium test this year, awesome. If not, it doesn't matter. I have a stressful job to try to get to grips with so I guess that's priority, with enjoying my pony pretty high up on the priorities list too.

 

[Muddywellies]

Accidentally duplicated post

 

[j1ffy]

It’s great reading all the updates, and my sympathies with all of you who have had injuries, retirements and losses to deal with. Horses are ever the heartbreakers yet give us so much.

I had hoped to get established at Medium and try an AM or two on Indio this year. Our form was a bit up and down but we were getting 7s on all movements at Medium, just not in the same test! Had fun at the Inter-Regionals then it all fell apart at the Area Festival in May. Investigations settled on a mechanical neck issue. A friend happened to be looking for a hacking horse so he’s now retired to the perfect loan home, bumbling around my village and nannying my friend’s daughters on their ponies. Here he is finishing one of our last tests together:



My 2yo Chilli has been a joy, he’s now gelded and loves learning new things. 2020 will be all about learning to carry a human, then more eating and growing! A week ago he was going bum high again, he’s already taller than his Uncle Indio and will hopefully be 16.1ish.



Without a horse to ride I searched for a loan horse. Turned out the ideal one was at my yard! A 6yo SJ bred Selle Francaise, he’d not taken to jumping after a suspected tough time as a 4yo but is too sweet for his owner to sell. I’ve got him for a year or two to train for dressage and so far he’s taken to it like a duck to water. At 16.3 and with big warmblood movement he’s a bit different to my little Spaniards but I’m loving him!



2020 plans with him are some unaffiliated prelims to get the hang of competing, then Novice BD. If I still have him, hopefully an Ele or two by the end of the year.

 

[Mochi]

For me 2019 was both a great year and a horrible year. I'd been losing all motivation to ride in recent years, I was growing afraid of jumping any real height, I'd taken a couple of breaks and when I came back I seemed to have lost everything I learned and it was pretty rough. Plus I'm a naturally very unmotivated person so it became a chore quite quickly. For me the next step was either get my own horse or give it up completely.

Enter Penny. She came to us in March and she's everything I could have asked for. Big 16.2 warmblood jumping machine with the most forgiving and gentle nature around, loves her carrots and loves her job. I was so excited to start competing again and starting fresh with her. Then came summer, her previous owner lived a six hour lorry ride north of us, and we had an unusually hot summer, so she really suffered. It was a messy mixture of ringworm and fly allergies and my poor baby was absolutely tortured. She basically became a field horse and lost all of her condition. I got really discouraged and I'm not gonna to lie I kinda gave up on doing anything but a lunge once a week if that until it went away and that wasnt fair to her in the slightest. But after five months or so it completely cleared up and we got the okay from the vet. Then the rain came and its been mud city ever since, so again major set backs there as I don't have an arena at home, but we manage. We've started regular lessons now and we're starting to achieve that long overdue bond almost a year later. She's already taken me to personal bests and we've got so much left to do together so I'm excited again. Time to really kick myself up the backside, go out and spend time with her! She will be a field pony no longer.

2020 we'll be starting the competitive season with some low level jumping to get back into it before hopefully going 90/100 mid season. Then on to to a few dressage shows even though that's new territory for me. Any tips on getting over xc nerves? I'm absolutely terrified of the whole idea, so even though I'd like to do some eventing the idea of having to train xc worries me. Best pic I have of her, from an old ad when she sold to her previous owner, she's not a poser.



We also got a NF gelding as a companion and a hack pony for my sister, but we find he was severely underbilled so I hope to compete him as well, particularly in dressage as he's such a fancy mover and he loves to show off. He's not up to date on his vaccinations though so it'll be training for the better part of the year and then he'll go to shows with Penny.



this post is way too long, sorry

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Only goal so far is to be able to breath without it hurting...

I guess I'd quite like Skylla to event too, once I can breath again!

Not sure on the bumping of this thread but my post was quite relevant as it turned out ??.

goals have remained keep breathing and I’d quite like to event Skylla! We have managed some unaff eventing on a surface but that’s all in the circumstances.

6 month check on people, where did everyone else get to?

 

[teapot]

As a non horse owner (who's only ever competed at an actual comp once) and riding/training at two reasonable size centres only, getting my Stage 3 flat was one thing, the fact I'm now serioulsy training for my Stage 4 flat is blowing my mind a bit, in a good way! If I even book it, it'll be a massive achievement for me, especially considering the confidence battles I have, and I'm still feeling the effects from a fall I had in May. Would like my 3 jump too to get my certficate but that means going xc...

Going to Wellington was the best thing I ever did and I hope 2020 continues in that way. Also trying to get my 3 care under my belt so I can take the new Stage 4 management exam! Still considering loaning my own so I've got something to ride regularly outside of lessons too, but salary only goes so far...

Got my 3 Care earlier in the year, my 4 Management exam is booked and will be breaking new ground the way it's being examined! The 4 Care will follow with the aim of doing the new I/Stable Managers exams next year, something I never ever thought I'd consider, or be encouraged towards. Employment status has changed (my choice) and the direct impact that decision has had on my riding means my 4 flat exam seems a cm closer. Hoping to go down the coaching route too as want to give back and share the experiences I've had.

 

[Roxylola]

We've got a canter transition, trot to canter no longer includes a buck or bronc. Walk to canter on the left rein still needs a buck to give a little push off to start.
We also have not been eventing, and wont be doing BE now this year.
We are doing online dressage consistently at novice, and got a real novice test in a couple of weeks, we are solid on 70% of the novice work, I'll wing the rest. My joking goal of elementary by christmas might be achievable at this rate

 

[Northern]

Well I did contribute in the thread for last year, mid year I missed because I was busy writing my thesis

When I contributed a year ago, I had just bought L the Haflinger. She's come along in leaps and bounds and can now hack out relatively relaxed, a big improvement from where we came from! I've had her out to a few outings, jump and dressage, which she did super well. I hope I can continue taking her out and about next year and show her the world.

I also wrote: "Here's hoping I have better horsey luck next year, I think I've had my fill of bad things happening! I hope everyone else achieves their goals for the coming year too!".

Unfortunately my bad luck continues, it's approaching four years of constant (almost monthly the whole time) vet bills for ailments that many horse owners here have never even heard of! It's culminated last week in E the TB being diagnosed with kissing spine. That's thrown every plan out the window again, I honestly don't know why I even bother anymore. I'm at a crossroads regarding what to do now, she's had injections and I have started her back walking over poles in preparation to try and ride her again. I am toying with having her evaluated for the bone reshaping op, but I'm not even sure if there are surgeons that do it here, and whether she would be a candidate. It really sucks, she's such a nice horse with decent movement for a TB and a great jump, but sometimes I watch her and she can't even move properly. I don't want to be a downer for this thread, but it's really affecting my motivation with regards to horses. Whatever happens, she will stay with me and I'll do right by her.

I would dearly love to acquire another young TB to work with, I just love teaching them about the world. However the drought is getting worse and it's not really financially viable to acquire another to feed at the moment.

Not a super update or goals for next year, perhaps my luck will turn and something will give in the mean time I'm trying to get out hacking as much as possible with the pony for some mind therapy.

Reading back, what a bad woe is me post I was successfully lunging E the TB until a few weeks ago when she stuck a leg through the fence again... And then kicked through 2 more times (that I know of!). So the decision has been made to send her off to spell and give me some thinking room. I am happy to keep her as a pet as long as she is comfortable, sadly I don't really think she is and I am trying to figure out whether to further investigate (specifically xray stifles/hocks) or just carry her until it gets too obvious. In the meantime she is going to go in a big paddock with lots of grass, friends, a dam and 2.5m high deer fencing...

L the Haflinger is coming along in leaps and bounds, having a few lessons now has helped keep me relatively on track with her. Once comps start up again, I would like to take her out dressaging. Jumping has to wait as we are banned from using poles/jumps due to covid.

I have now bought a 2.5 year old WB filly (B), who I am intending to break in over the summer after 6 months or so of prep work. This will be the first horse I have broken in, so going to take it slowly and thoroughly with plenty of help on the side. I am hoping B will enjoy some eventing when she is older. Shall see where this takes me!

 

[oldie48]

I'd only just got Rose at the start of 2019 and the only goal I achieved was to get her fit and muscled up but that's OK. She's a much better horse than I thought but she's also a bit more of a challenge to ride so we didn't do any BD except some Quest and also RC area both at novice level with some decent scores and very nearly qualified for Trailblazer finals (missed by one mark). I wasn't able to get out to compete for the second half of the year but I am now fit and ready to go again. Goals are pretty much the same as for 2019 but I'd like to be out at BD novice and getting some decent scores, schooling at elementary and hopefully doing RC area again. As you can see, Rose looks a different horse to the one I bought!View attachment 39538

Well 2020 so far has been a bit odd to say the least. Goodness knows why but I decided to do a bit of showing along with the dressage, partly because I saw some cheapish clinics that were indoors and I was totally sick of being wet and windblown also I'd been told that Rose was very "showable" which she is. Amazing really as she looked pretty poor when I bought her but she has blossomed into a really stunning horse with a lot more presence and attitude than I ever thought. After her first show we went into lockdown, I took her off work becauseI knew I couldn't keep her in the level f work that she needs to keep her in her box. She came home today frome bieing brought back into work and my goals are just the same but I'd really like to do a bit more adventurous hacking with her, partly for her but also for me. Watch this space!

 

[Sam_J]

Whereabouts in the country are you? I know a fab trainer for giving people confidence. Cheshire//Staffordshire based.

Now that I'm actually back in the saddle I'll be looking for jumping lessons in the autumn - Ambers Echo, can you let me have the contact details for this trainer? PM if you prefer.

 

[milliepops]

My goals from last year's thread went totally out of the water. I've been around the block enough times to have even predicted that in my post last year
well we did achieve quite a few even before Kira picked up an injury. We did some more Inter1s, and we did some PSG musics and qualified for the summer music champs (unfortunately that was just before she went on sick leave).
We got our first ever rosette at regionals (AM Music) and also had loads of fun taking part in the masterclass evening at the Trailblazers champs.

Salty threw the biggest curve ball... she's now on mat leave and is due in May. Trying not to get too excited as it's still a long way to go but I'm really really thrilled that I will hopefully have my first homebred to coo over next year In the meantime she is living out with the field girls and very happy with her lot

So Darcy coming to stay was another unforeseen event. He's been a challenge but a nice one, and I'm starting to feel like we are getting a partnership together. He has done some outings as planned in the mid year catch up and they have been very positive, for the most part. I'm enjoying having another project and it's lovely to see him improving physically too.

Oh and I achieved the last goal from last year's thread and finally got round to doing my flaming lorry test! Phew!


Goals for 2020...
Get Kira back up to fitness. The vets were very happy with her recovery and said if we carried on without any hiccups she should be ready to go out and about by the spring. We've just started trotting and so far, so good. So we will hopefully pick up where we left off and I will roll over the Inter2 aim to next year

Salty... well that's kind of in the lap of the gods. I hope for a straightforward pregnancy and delivery and then lots of foal watching.

Darcy: he's done well with his baby horse tests, we need to get on with the training a bit so he is ready to come out at prelim and start doing something a bit more worthy He's taken to the lateral work well so I don't think it would be a terrible stretch to think he might do an easy ele by the end of next year.. got to aim high we will see. I might see about some music for him especially now I know he's not too sound sensitive!

Unusual thread bump but june is a good time to take stock ?

Hmmm. Bloody covid. Kira has had a weird year. Least said the better. Salty did her job brilliantly to deliver us a healthy filly. Darcy probably could still be on course for an easy ele if he can learn to extend a bit this summer ? we will see!

 

[shortstuff99]

With lockdown I've actually been able to train more (my trainer is at my yard!) Which means I've progressed a lot more then I thought I would!

Baby spanish horse has been growing.

That's about it really ?

 

[Alibear]

Daisy's non written plans changed due to her accident and she's very happily in foal now, so fingers crossed for an easy birth and happy healthy foal next summer. A scan around August time showed she was actually healing up incredibly well so will re-scan once foal is born. Then decide whether to put her back in foal or try to bring her back into work in 2021.
As 2021 is far away I have managed to reorganise life enough to enable the purchase of the very lovely Amber, as she is currently only 3 and on her holibobs post backing, next year is fairly fluid. But I would hope to be able to rider her at some point and if luck permits might take her to the breed show.
I have had lots of fun this year riding the awesome schoolmaster that is Blaze who has all the moves and all the ideas, so I hope to continue that too.

Well I'm surprised, but I did leave a lot of wiggle room in what I wrote Daisy has her filly foal and is waiting on a scan to see what we should do next. Amber is being ridden on and coming along very nicely. I haven't had a sit yet and admit that not being able to ride when I want to, since Autumn 2018, is seriously getting to me. On the upside now we can have lessons again I have managed a lesson on Blaze who is as awesome as ever and considering its been sporadic lessons over a year I'm actually quite please with my progress on him. I can manage a newbie run down and stop now, and I'm enjoying learning all about that and the requirements/technicalities. This years breed show was understandably cancelled.

I'm quietly starting to hope that 2021 could be fun and I hope to have a horse near to home again and I hope to make the breed show.

I've learned a bit more about goal settings this year and whilst smart goals have their place I've learned free thought goals are much more fun and give me more of a boost. This year has been proof of that!

 

[ihatework]

Well the Intermediate didn’t happen for obvious reasons but I did sell at around the time I planned to and the little 4yo is just ticking along. In someways Covid is good for him, no temptation to rush anything.

 

[McFluff]

It’s interesting to look back.
My year didn’t work out at all as planned. Started well, with my mare stepping up to novice and doing well for our stage of training. Then she went catastrophically lame and was on box rest. At the time the prognosis was guarded with a best case of hacking, archery and light schooling.
I am not getting any younger, and I’ve got a taste for competition and training in dressage, so I took the plunge and found a second horse. He arrived in July.
Then sadly, I lost my mare in August. I was devastated as she was an amazing and very kind soul, who taught me so much.
My gelding is settling in well, he has loads of natural talent, and is learning fast. We’ve been out hacking and had our first clinic and first competition.
My aim for 2020 is to have a happy and healthy horse and to enjoy my time with him. I’d love to get out and do some BD, novice by the end of the year would be great.
I also want to do lots more hacking - my friend has just got a horse that will be a good hacking buddy.
I may introduce him to archery - he’s very hot and sensitive so I want our real to be rock solid first.

Good luck to everyone with your plans.

It was a strange bump, but then again, it is a strange year!

I'm loving my 'new' horse (actually not that new now, nearly a year since he arrived). We'd done a couple of prelims before lockdown and he's great to take out and was scoring well (even though we had tension in the ring). We've been using lockdown to really progress his schooling, and we are having great fun playing with lateral work and changes within the pace. He's got loads of potential - I just need to keep up with him! If competitions do start up this year, a Novice is still possible... But actually I'm just loving owning and training him.

 

[JFTDWS]

So this year, my aims... Generic goals would be putting some schooling on Carrot and getting her over some of the minor training issues that circumstances have created this year (she's epic, this shouldn't be an issue). Get her doing some low level dressage / jumping, although realistically I won't compete, I don't want to. Do more jumping with Dae, generally keep him fit and happy.

On the archery side, I am still more vague about what I actually plan to achieve. The baseline is actually finding some way of continuing with it as I have no idea what's happening next year in terms of opportunities for being coached, and I have logistical issues at present. Anything in excess of that is a bonus. Competing is a massive logistical issue in and of itself, so I've no idea how to actually do that, but I guess it's a thing that might happen...

Well I've put some schooling on Carrot, and I have fixed a couple of issues (and created a couple more ). Work in progress. If dressage were a thing right now, I could probably wobble around a prelim without embarrassing myself now anyway.

Dae is fairly fit and hacking and happy. Haven't jumped much due to ground etc but he's fine.

Can't compete Fergs at archery as everything is cancelled (except postal matches which need witnesses anyway) and training is still a logistical issue. I do play at it by myself though!

The advantage of really vague goals is they're hard to outright fail on!

 

[nikkimariet]

Fig is starting rehab work, hurrah!

Rooni is training baby AM and when we’re allowed back out should smash his Ele debut. Can’t wait!

 

[j1ffy]

It’s great reading all the updates, and my sympathies with all of you who have had injuries, retirements and losses to deal with. Horses are ever the heartbreakers yet give us so much.

I had hoped to get established at Medium and try an AM or two on Indio this year. Our form was a bit up and down but we were getting 7s on all movements at Medium, just not in the same test! Had fun at the Inter-Regionals then it all fell apart at the Area Festival in May. Investigations settled on a mechanical neck issue. A friend happened to be looking for a hacking horse so he’s now retired to the perfect loan home, bumbling around my village and nannying my friend’s daughters on their ponies. Here he is finishing one of our last tests together:

View attachment 40037

My 2yo Chilli has been a joy, he’s now gelded and loves learning new things. 2020 will be all about learning to carry a human, then more eating and growing! A week ago he was going bum high again, he’s already taller than his Uncle Indio and will hopefully be 16.1ish.

View attachment 40038

Without a horse to ride I searched for a loan horse. Turned out the ideal one was at my yard! A 6yo SJ bred Selle Francaise, he’d not taken to jumping after a suspected tough time as a 4yo but is too sweet for his owner to sell. I’ve got him for a year or two to train for dressage and so far he’s taken to it like a duck to water. At 16.3 and with big warmblood movement he’s a bit different to my little Spaniards but I’m loving him!

View attachment 40040

2020 plans with him are some unaffiliated prelims to get the hang of competing, then Novice BD. If I still have him, hopefully an Ele or two by the end of the year.

Definitely an odd promotional bump - I guess some people have got a bit creative with marketing during lockdown!!

Looking at my goals - Chilli is learning to be a good human carrier. Sadly I haven’t been able to check on his progress other than by video ? but he looks like a lovely ride.

I made it out to three Prelims on Danny without embarrassing ourselves, and had planned to affiliate him in April. Instead he had 7 weeks turned away and, other than looking like a 10-month pregnant mare, it seems to have done him good. He’s getting fitter (and slimmer) so hopefully we can get out again in July / August.

It’s been lovely catching up on everyone’s progress - maybe we should ask random motivation woman to do the same every June!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

My plans from last year are kind of the same for next year! Get out to some shows and find a rider for the Wee Coloured Job!

This year I went to 5 shows in total with a range of beasties!

The first show of the year I took 2 black Shetlands. The big mare was way down the line and she didn't look her best but she only went because I didn't have another black suitable to keep my 2yo company that day! No point in taking something other than black that day ? the 2yo filly excelled herself and stood 2nd in her first ever showing class and her first ever trip away from home! She LOVED it so I will hopefully get her out toa few more shows next year.

She has the most divinely small head!

Next time out saw the Welsh Cob win his M&M class and the chestnut mare stand 6th to him in what turned into a bit of a joke of a class! It was supposed to be split into large breeds and small breeds but they didn't bother so I ended up running 2 out and by the time they had decided what they were actually doing with the class the shetland had walked for miles round the indoor and was thoroughly fed up!

The Wee Coloured Job then took over and won his classes at all 3 shows he attended. The small breeds class at the Scottish Horse Show, the Shetland class and then Reserve Scottish Breeds champion at a local show before finishing the season winning his stallion class, open coloured championship and then reserve overall coloured champion at the shetland show.

My wild, unruly stallion ... ?

My favourite pic of him this year

I did manage to get Gray out this year ... if I had known it was in the indoor school I wouldn't have bothered! For some reason I thought it was outdoors! Somehow he managed to come 2nd in the inhand riding horse class and then 4th (and last ...) in the racehorse class being an absolute pillock!

The pictureof innocence ...

I also have a foal due in the very early days of the new year! So that will be interesting! Bloody Shetlands...

Next year I will hopefully have my trailer test so I can get out and about more by myself and take whoever I fancy! Judge dependent of course! If I can find some riders for some ponies - fantastic!

How could I forget that I ran a show specifically for Retired Racehorses and it went down an absolute storm! Hopefully next year will be bigger and better! Along with the shetland pony show I am planning!

So I found a rider for the Wee Coloured Job but he only found them because I sold him!

The racehorse show and probably the Shetland show are off.

The mare aborted the foal at 9 months in February (I realised she had also been covered in May) the other mare foaled a dummy midget foal.

I have started to ride the Welsh cob so I can hopefuly get him out ridden at some point later this year. Might need to take up running to try and lose some of the weight that seems to have stuck to my calves so my long boots stand half a chance of fitting again!

Obviously I haven't been to a single show this year! Yet...

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Well all change for me
2020 has been the injury year. I broke my tibia, Izzy's previously broken arm grew in the wrong direction and needs an op, Deedee was sold as Izzy will be out of action throughout 2020. Then Amber got and stayed injured in September and is having extended rest. And now I have Toby!

Goals with him - get him going nicely. Do some low level dressage and SJ on him. Then sell him and hopefully bring Amber back into work. She seems very happy living a life of leisured ease. I'll have to break the news to her that she's not actually retired!

 

[J&S]

Would Toby not do for Izzy when she is back in action?

 

[Ample Prosecco]

Possibly......