2026 goals and 2025 recap

SEL

SEL

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2025 goals here

I'm glad I wrote them down last year - I've been re-reading and feel a bit proud of our progress this year!

2026
More fun rides. We got brave but if hunting gets canned then so will a lot of rides so I'm glad I had a blast this year.

Trailblazers wasn't even on my radar last year and we totally boiled over so I'd like a return trip to Addington. My dressage aims last Jan were just to get him out to different venues doing Intro tests so he stopped thinking it was all Very Exciting. We absolutely achieved that but I need him consistently more in front of my leg. At least the canter is there now.

More jumping i think. He loves it but has a tendency to shut down in new places

In general though just keeping all 3 of them happy & healthy would be a real achievement!
 
I’d forgotten all about that thread! Well done on a fab year, SEL!

I am ending 2025 having done what I hoped I’d do. As in Felix was sold, Mylo is just being a baby horse and Myka is now under saddle. But those overall outcomes hide a very topsy turvy year with Myka which I wrote up on the 3/4 year old thread. (No idea how to link it). We are ending the year in a good place though, so I’m optimistic about our future together.

I have big goals for 2026. I’d like to back Mylo and compete Myka. Ideally eventing but, if not, then dressage and show jumping. And put Amber back in foal. She makes fabulous babies!
 
I had a rocky first year (2024) getting to know my new horse so 2025 has been much more successful in lots of ways and about actually enjoying each other now we’ve found our feet. Ticked off my bucket list getting him out 80cm SJ and got a few clears under our belt. Thoroughly enjoyed blasting round lots of farm rides and fun rides, and got out XC Schooling. We didn’t achieve getting out eventing, mostly due to the dry summer and hard ground meaning I just didn’t think we’d had enough XC practice.

2026 - Big goal is I’d really like to get him out eventing. It will depend if I can keep him contained enough to get him round a dressage test and we may just go unaffiliated as there’s a real lack of BE events within 3 hours of us anymore. But I’d just like to finally get there and complete all 3 phases! I’d also like to get him out to some Hunter Trials as I feel he will be in his element, just got to put my brave pants on!
 
Not going to look at my goals for this year as it all went Pete Tong and then I didn’t get my groove back so it will make me sad…

BUT I do hope my 2026…
- has lots of fun outings with the Spotty, riding club activities. id like to get him to one of the USJL shows and of course the Appy Nationals which are back at Hartpury again.
- Shows with the little one! Possibly Windsor and Bucks County if I can make that work.
- Big brown continuing to be sound and comfy. If I am being greedy then I’d love to get back on him but if that doesn’t happen I’ll be more than content just giving him snuggles.

A me goal:
- Stop worrying about what others are doing. Prioritise my mental health and work on finding myself again.
 
I don't think I did one last year as I started a new job and post grad diploma so didn't want to put to much pressure on myself.

2025 D is pretty unrecognisable from early 2024 D. 90% she is the easiest to do. We canter happily without rodeoing on hacks, I can't remember the last white knuckle ride. We've done a couple of online dressage tests with 60+% and got a little frilly. I've felt brave enough again to take her out by herself the last 3 weekends just in hand for now. D is now under investigation for asthma which may be some of what's limiting our fitness/progress.

2026 I would like to get on top of any medical issues. I will also be off riding for potentially 3 months from Jan as I'm getting surgery so I doubt I'll get onto much of this.
I would like to do some prelim tests and trot lateral work and maybe hack out solo. Small gains. I would like to crack the travel stress before we consider going to some parties but we do have access to a trailer for practise now. Mostly I just want to get her relaxed and content and carry on as she's been such a superstar this year.
 
Oh good post!
As much as plans with horses are laughable, it is nice to sit and think about what you've achieved and what you want to achieve.

So this year adult horse didn't do much at all. We haven't done any BD since February, I think I was putting too much pressure on us both and it wasn't so enjoyable.
From working on flying changes, I've actually barely schooled him this year.
We did some amazing fun rides in the summer and did 2 ODEs, both we would have been 2nd but both we got speeding points for going too fast 🙈
My 72yro mum has been hacking him out recently and I'm proud that he is a good enough horse to be competitive if I want or to drop back and be a complete schoolmaster for a non-rider.

Next year, not sure. Probably some more events for fun in the summer, definitely more fun rides and possibly some TREC.


Then the 2 x 4yros are now under saddle successfully.
No huge plans with either next year, except to continue expanding their education and ensure they are well rounded members of society.
Some arena hires, some competitions later in the year, maybe some light hunting next season.

And same as this year, I want to spend a bit more time away from the horses and continue tucking things off my bucket list, which gets longer by the day.
 
This is the first year that plans have actually worked out! Which comms me for 2026 I fear 🤦‍♀️

This is what I said last year:

'2025 would be considered a success if they all survive AND manage to not cost me a small fortune at the vets. If Nova can break his own record and get to 4 events that would be amazing, and I'm holding out a tiny slither of hope that we may get a GR regionals qualification and then actually go Novice. And he has started winning a bit of money BS so it would be nice if that could carry on. We'll see…..'

They have all survived (so far, still a few days of 2025 left!) but Enya has cost me a large fortune at the vets and ended up with just one eye. Nova smashed his own record and went to 7 events, went really bloody well and not only got his GR regionals qualification but has qualified for Badminton Grassroots Champs in 2026. We didn’t go Novice, but we did do a 105 and hopefully set ourselves up for thinking about Novice later next season. And he has won a good chunk of money BS, including winning at his last show of the year yesterday ⭐️

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Odd year for me!

Coco the 2yo continues to rock.

Older homebred eventer - I did something I really didn’t think I’d do: I put him up for sale/lease. He’s now in a good home in a lease with potential to buy, got his MER for their 2026 aims so now just need to keep 🤞🤞

Younger eventer has been pretty good on the whole. Seems happy and a real worker. Dressage slowly chipping away at, xc she is a natural and finished season looking ready to step up. SJ she is inspiring no one at the moment 🫣 Took the gut wrenching decision to move riders next season and am going to give her a go with a small lady rather than a tall bloke. Next season will be a crunch season and I might need to consider how much to keep investing.
 
I knew I shouldn't have acknowledged that I'd like to win an AQHA point with Amber, I really don't think it will happen as it's just so out of my control.
2025 was not a great year family health wise and that meant I quickly realised we wouldn't be competing in 2025 apart from one small show at the end of summer camp where we did well.
But we did have fun at some camps and clinics, and we had a really good time in the New Forest again and Amber is now a really good hack at all speeds and terrains, solo and in company which is fantastic.
I also got her a new saddle which is so comfy and has given me a confidence boost as we're both much happier in it, just have to hope her health niggles stay well managed so we can make the most of it.
She had two months away for improving her lope and changes, but I still can't get the quality needed so I think we might be hitting our limits which is all fine as we're both a bit compromised.
Aspen has been introduced to tack and had a rider sit up and is now out for the winter but hopefully I might get to sit on him at some time in 2026. I think he'll probably stay at the stud/trainers until 2027 as my yards facilities mean it would make sense to bring him home at the start of the good weather so I could keep up a routine whilst he settles so I think that will be a 2027 plan.
There's still a fair amount of health uncertainty around for family and animals, so I think I'll go steady on 2026 plans but, if possible, I'd like to make the May AQHA show at the stud/trainers, and we're booked in to return to the New Forest in the summer.
 
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Two particular sentences I like from above - not worry about what others are doing, and also having a horse who is a well rounded member of society. Lots of good things and achievements. Horse and I are both older now so I just picked a few shows I wanted to do including a couple we hadn't done before and he was champion at one, and reserve at the other which was lovely. Other than that, we have just mooched around.
 
I am disappointed I didn't post in the 2024 thread but thinking back I was about a month out from having been put so solidly on my bum in the dirt that I wouldn't feel my right buttcheek for 6 months. So perhaps I wasn't in the mood for setting goals 😂

It was a big year tho! The aforementioned high velocity tumble, with one more for seasoning, started off vet investigations that have paid incredible dividends. Started on cartrophen in March, did the stifle rehab, did a summer of mostly hacking and Sadie has never felt better or stronger. Had our longest ever stint without injury or lameness! Got a new osteopath on board that has her feeling even better.

Training wise my confidence has been on a lovely upwards trend. We started with our instructor in November 2024 and I've nailed down some R+ principles I was missing, so I am much more confident in using R+ for ridden work. Everything is more relaxed, which is the most important part and we know how to communicate through stress so much better. We've got through the messy bog of beginnings and into the fun bit of "what shall we learn together next".

Highlights
First arena hire in... 2 years? Did a couple where we hacked down and had a pootle round the dressage arena. One day we did some in hand XC and both of us jumped our first ditch 😂
First in hand show! Came last, didn't care. She got so many compliments from other competitors on how sweet and good she was that the judge being like "this isn't an Irish cob" didn't bother me 😂
First clinic! She was a demo horse for in an hand workshop and was a complete superstar. Our instructor was showing her off, like "oh show everybody how well she can do this" and I have never been so proud of anything

Lowlights would be the respiratory infection we are still getting over. Our canter is still not solid as we did have one lameness bout just as we were getting to that point of rehab/ fitness. But overall? Not bad!

Goals for 2026 are just keeping going on this trajectory. The main goals are for just me and that's to finally get my towing license (we still need those in NI!!) I'd like to get out to XC again and pop a few logs, take her to a gallops, go to the water treadmill. Get to the woods!!! She can do all those things, I just need to pull my finger out and get her some wheels!!
 
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