Diving into horse and showing thoughts....Avoiding "reality"

[BunnyDog]

The "real" world here has become very surreal. So I'm trying to find ways to remind myself of the things that actually matter in my life, like showing and the things like that.

So overall what are you all looking forward to this year?

I know you are mostly in lockdown mode at the moment. Since I am a bit unfamiliar with how the UK is functioning during Covid, can you have shows again in a month or so or are they off the table at the moment?

What are your goals for 2021? Or do you dare make goals for this season? I know I didn't last year beyond riding some and taking the boys out for adventures that were within their fitness levels but by and large we worked on fitness, strengthening weaker skills and having fun together. I went through a record number of bags of treats!!! LOL

So save me from my country going down the tubes.....Tell me fun horsey things!!!!

Em

 

[milliepops]

I don't dare make plans for my bestest horse because at the moment I don't even know if she will come back into work. so instead... well, maybe enough people will get vaccinated and so on and stuff will ease up... because I'd like to take my will-be-a-yearling out to some little shows so she starts to see some of the world.

however.... lorry has been off the road since August so even that isn't looking too hopeful! urghhhhhhhhh
maybe I shoudl go back to the moaning thread!

 

[Roxylola]

Well, there was a brief period where we thought we could, and now we don't really know. Early fixtures are being cancelled again now and clinics, hires etc are off til at least mid Feb. For me at least I need hires to work on fitness to make it worth competing so I'm not planning yet

 

[BunnyDog]

Yea sounds like what we saw around here last spring.

Right now the big show series in Florida (Hits, Wellington, Venice and WEC) are all going on. Aiken and Ocala have the eventers headed there. We have Mask and social distance protocols and these are outdoor facilities in warmer climates. SO we're not stopped there.

UP here we're waiting to see how it all shakes out.

I have only been hoping on Max to do his 5 minute rehab bareback rides. Though those are really fun. Not fun that he was injured in someone else's hands, but fun to ride my Barbie Dream horse again. Even if it's only 5 minutes.

I was finally able to safely wear a helmet again a bit before xmas. My dental surgery in November was REALLY painful on my jaws. So much so that the harness on my helmets was too much. I could wear the hat but not buckle it. And honestly knowing that the jaw bone on the one side needed more calcification to solidify a bit was enough to put me off trying to ride Cudo the bouncy or Chad the chestnut kite. LOL. So they've been off since Nov 1. Maybe soon I will be able to get on and hack on the roads a bit. The ring is frozen so that's out.

Em

 

[Gloi]

I have a holiday with friends and horses booked for June in Cumbria. Rearranged from last summer do hope we get to go this time. All being well should have been vaccinated by then.

 

[RachelFerd]

I'm really excited to be going into this year with a horse who is ready to go to some of the bigger events I've always wanted to ride at. I just need some of those events to be on! I'm fairly sure they will be, after a few early season casualties. Aim number one would be Chatsworth - so in May that feels quite uncertain. Aim number two is Belsay in June and then Blair at the end of August. I'd also love to end the season by jumping an intermediate - possibly a far flung dream, but trainer doesn't think i'm too crazy!!

 

[scats]

I’m looking forward to getting out and about at weekends during the summer. I usually do a farm ride one weekend and a comp the next, with a lesson chucked in somewhere every 2-3 weeks.
Hoping to be able to do that this year. Millie loves the variety of doing different things.

 

[Hackback]

Not planning anything, every time we nearly do something the universe cuts us off at the last minute. NYD hunt - cancelled 2 days before because the county went into Tier 4. Gallops booked for a fitness workout cancelled when we went into total lockdown. Couldn't even take advantage of the unusually quiet Christmas break because everything was frozen solid and roads covered in ice. Just going to wait and see what happens.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Haven't been to many clinics at all, and didn't get to compete at all in 2020. Due to Corona there were fewer competitions and most local ones were jumping, unrecognized lower level, or upper level comps. I'm in the middle, of course, and only go to dressage competitions. So horse will finally get out this year...maybe.

I'm hoping to organize a working equitation clinic at some point, Corona permitting. Will continue to ride with my regular trainer.

I haven't been hauling out because we have a perfectly good school at the yard. So it would be unnecessary.

Ideally I would like to get to at least 2 or 3 competitions.

I was so envious (sort of) watching others in the US and UK out competing and going to clinics like it were almost normal times.

 

[BunnyDog]

I was so envious (sort of) watching others in the US and UK out competing and going to clinics like it were almost normal times.

Me too. I can't help but wonder if it they're going to end up paying for it. Floridians have been VERY bad about following Covid guidelines as a whole.

I soooooo want to go to World Equestrian in Ocala BEFORE they figure out how to be a USEF show again....but work has asked us not to travel even for personal reasons.

It actually is interesting..... We technically can travel BUT we have to quarantine for 10-14 days and get negative test upon our return, off site. Now I work 1 day a week from home so my remote abilities are at full functionality. BUT we have to ask for permission from our supervisor for the "exception" to be 'allowed' to work from home if we travel and need to quarantine off site.

Guess what answer the higher ups have landed on for these requests..... LOL.

So not going anywhere.

Em

 

[McFluff]

Given up doing planning, so just enjoying learning how to really ride my horse. Properly. Maybe 2022 for competition outings...
Scotland is/has been tough on lockdown, and I don’t see us coming out of this soon.
Really missing all the updates from people, so hope that some start to get out and about.
And keeping everything crossed for MP’s fab wee welshie.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

I suddenly realised today that although I’ll be off ridden stuff due to pregnancy there was no reason I couldn’t do in hand stuff (at least whilst I’m still able to jog!) so I’m hoping I can go do a chilled local M&M in hand class and maybe pop mum on a ridden class.

 

[KEK]

Hope you get to and enjoy your shows
Are horses in the US significantly higher prices than elsewhere? I clicked onto an ad for a farm that sells over there and was rather flabbergasted to see a price of $40,000 on a 5yo Connie that was doing pretty similar stuff to mine..!

 

[BunnyDog]

Hope you get to and enjoy your shows
Are horses in the US significantly higher prices than elsewhere? I clicked onto an ad for a farm that sells over there and was rather flabbergasted to see a price of $40,000 on a 5yo Connie that was doing pretty similar stuff to mine..!

Just like you are seeing there, the prices for most types of horses have gone up. OTTB's especially and they're selling like crazy.

Expensive horses are now more expensive and people are still buying. Since folks can't show as much, they're buying more to ride more.

I know many folks who have chosen now as the time to take on a second horse and try to train it up to resell.

Em

 

[KEK]

Just like you are seeing there, the prices for most types of horses have gone up. OTTB's especially and they're selling like crazy.

Expensive horses are now more expensive and people are still buying. Since folks can't show as much, they're buying more to ride more.

I know many folks who have chosen now as the time to take on a second horse and try to train it up to resell.

Em

Prices haven't really risen much over here in Australia, well not in Perth anyway. Malachys breeder is still selling for 5.5k . Puppies now, that's another story..

 

[j1ffy]

As for everyone else, it's pretty hard to plan at the moment. There are talks here of tightening lockdown further, which makes me concerned that my yard will eventually lockdown again and riding will stop...fingers crossed that doesn't happen as Danny is progressing well.

That aside, my loan of Danny was due to end in the Spring so I could focus on my 4yo. However his owner is relaxed about how long I have him for (she'll sell once I stop loaning him, and if he continues to improve his value will only increase), and my 4yo doesn't need to do much this year so I'm thinking of keeping Danny for longer and riding my 4yo from the field.

If that's the case, I'd hope to be competing Danny at Medium by the end of this year and teaching him changes. My trainer thinks both are achievable, and that I need to learn how to teach changes so I'm ready when my youngster gets to that stage. She assures me that a parachute won't be required but I'm yet to be convinced

I'll then take things slowly with my 4yo, mostly hacking and aim to get him to a few arena hires and low key Prelim / Novice dressage before the end of the year. He's still quite 'toe-out' and narrow in the chest, but with big movement, so I want to work on strengthening him up before asking for too many circles. He has an active mind so it will be tricky to strike a good balance and tempting to do too much, so keeping the loan going will probably be good for both of us.

 

[Wheels]

Well what a bizarre 10 months / year it has been.

This time last year I was chasing points to qualify for the nationals in the wind, rain and hail and we qualified comfortably in the end. Nationals were however cancelled due to COVID.

My decision then was to concentrate on training to move up 2 levels when we could get back out again. However, not competing over the last 10 months has allowed me to re-evaluate what I want. I haven't missed competing one little bit but I have loved my time training away, hacking more and trips to the beach. I really thought I would miss my lessons but I haven't missed them as much as I thought I would. I will re-start lessons over the summer though as progression comes quicker when I'm having regular lessons.

So, I really dont think I will go back to regular competing after all of this. I wont rule out the odd show here and there but no more chasing qualifications for me! You'll find me at the beach more often though

 

[ihatework]

My rising 5yo hadn’t actually even been to a show yet so it’s pretty difficult to make any Eventing plans without being able to do the foundations.

Word is we should have BE starting up again early April but I doubt we will aim for that. Might jump a few BS classes first and possibly a 5yo BYEH or two before going Eventing. Who knows, time will tell.

 

[TheMule]

I am going to keep preparing for BE mid-April in the hope that it will happen, however mine will need to go a few places first so opening up 'just in time' won’t suit her and we may end up delaying our start.
My goal is to move her up to BE Novice level this year. She has been consistently training at this level quite happily for a while but she is not as established in the ring/ on course and it a bit too sensitive to just cope if it isn’t all perfect so needs mileage.
My little 4year olds will hopefully just have a lovely time hacking, starting to go in the school a little bit and the ultimate goal is the lofty heights of a walk and trot dressage test by the end of the summer.....

 

[Sprat]

I haven't massively missed competing this year, but have been loving getting stuck into training. We qualified for the Novice AF's which have been postponed. Whether they will actually go ahead or they will end up cancelling I don't know. We are now dipping our toes into the elementary work and doing a lot of online dressage which has helped hugely with pinpointing what needs to be worked on. When normality resumes I'd like to go out and try some BD elementary but unsure of when that will happen.

In terms of longer term aims... *whispers* maybe start looking at mediums later in the year when more established. Though I do feel like I am setting myself up for failure by putting plans on paper though!

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

We moved into a new house with land in the summer. We kept talking about getting somewhere so we could have the horses at home and after the first lockdown decided it was time to make it happen as you never know what is around the corner. We are renting a lovely house with 10 acres and 4 stables. The year has been crazy and moving to a new area but not being able to properly explore or make new friends has been odd. I managed to get out to a few shows which I really enjoyed. Socially distancing with horses is not a problem. I was even starting to get some momentum going ready for the upcoming season but now everything has been shut down again. I don't have an arena and was able to hire one but that has ended too. I was doing online dressage but the wet weather has ended that. Hard to make any future plans and today the eventing season was pushed back at least a few more weeks. As the government have not given us any criteria on when this latest lockdown will end or relax even, we are all in a state of limbo. Not being able to compete our horses does seem a bit trivial compared to what other people are going through but lockdown has enabled us to evaluate what is important to us.

 

[Lyle]

I have two this year that will be first time competitors, so looking forward to hitting up some dressage days in the late autumn/winter (May/June) and then even some eventing in the spring season towards the end of the year! australia has been incredibly fortunate with Covid, although we are in the wonderful position (particularly in my state, Victoria) due to the hard enforced lockdowns for pretty much the entirety of last year. Nothing operated at all last year, so it's wonderful to have the opportunity this year.