Motivation- What are you doing?

[!CobsCan!]

I'm feeling very unmotivated with riding at the moment and I'm sure other people are too, so I've decided to start this thread. I hope if we all share what we are doing we can all hold each other accountable and get out of the winter slump.
My first thing to do is clean my tack. For some reason whenever I have clean tack I want to ride!
I hope this thread helps someone!
Stay safe everybody!

 

[RHM]

I am so glad you started this thread. Since the clocks changed I have been feeling so meh about riding. I need the motivation! Any tips to get my mojo back would be fabulous!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I have been feeling the same! I find I don't want to ride until I am on board, then I have a great time. I am using the lockdown schooling exercises thread as something to keep us occupied schooling.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Oh I have so lost my motivation! I think my horse has too. I decided to step down his work a bit and focus on more basics as I think the stressage was beginning to fry us both.

I also alternate where I ride. Indoors, outdoors, hacking, and so on.

I clean my tack religiously anyway, and don't find that it makes me any more motivated.

Sometimes looking up exercises online gets me motivated. Or mixing in some working equitation.

 

[Cortez]

I'm wallowing in a sea of non-motivation, and I must say rather enjoying it..........

 

[emilylou]

I never feel hugely motivated to ride day to day, but looking forward to the good days out always keeps me going. If I want a happy fit horse to compete and hunt then I need to be putting in enough hours in the mean time. Its always a discipline, and most of the time a pleasure.
Plus, I know its good for me and I always enjoy it once I'm on.
Yesterday when I was out riding a lady stopped and said 'Wow! What a beautiful horse, you must feel so lucky!' I didnt feel particularly lucky, but I should because I do have a fantastic horse that is fit and well

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I gave myself 10 days off. Couldn’t get boots on DP and B had just finished a course of Cartrophen so it seemed like an ideal time to rest him. I still had to do them twice a day but they weren’t groomed apart from having their feet picked out every morning. They had lots of ad-lib hay and chilled out as did I.

 

[J&S]

I used to be happy riding in the winter, a bit of a tail wind seemed like good fun! Now, however, I like a nice calm day like today to take the ponies out and I really don't like being wet and cold. The big old horse I ride is fantastic in any weather but neither he or I need to get soaked so
I try to take him out in the sunshine, can be as windy as you like as we have high hedges to hide behind. For motivation I am a member of an on line International Trec club and we have a winter league going on. I am doing in hand tasks with both ponies, just need the ground to hold up well enough to get through to next year as I do not have a school available. I don't want to take time out of riding as am worried I won't get going again!

 

[MuddyMonster]

I've always been fairly motivated to ride - I presume as I was always a desperate pony mad but ponyless child and my first horse spent more time put of work then in it, so to have my own fit and healthy pony I can now do (mostly) everything I'd want, well I appreciate how lucky I am.

I do have the occasional lack of motivation (usually early Autumn and sometimes late Winter) and I just give him some time off - I always say a week to a fortnight but usually back on board within 5 days

Or if that fails, I eye up a nice saddle pad and then I feel motivated once I've bought it to use it!

There are some great FB pages for motivation as well.

 

[teddypops]

I've always been fairly motivated to ride - I presume as I was always a desperate pony mad but ponyless child and my first horse spent more time put of work then in it, so to have my own fit and healthy pony I can now do (mostly) everything I'd want, well I appreciate how lucky I am.

I do have the occasional lack of motivation (usually early Autumn and sometimes late Winter) and I just give him some time off - I always say a week to a fortnight but usually back on board within 5 days

Or if that fails, I eye up a nice saddle pad and then I feel motivated once I've bought it to use it!

There are some great FB pages for motivation as well.

I do the saddlecloth thing too?

 

[scats]

I really hate November and December. I am staying motivated by taking the pressure off myself and remembering that it will soon be January (when I weirdly get re-motivated!). Currently keeping them ticking over and not giving myself a hard time if I don’t ride every day. They have great turnout all day every day and are more than happy to have an easy couple of months.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I really hate November and December. I am staying motivated by taking the pressure off myself and remembering that it will soon be January (when I weirdly get re-motivated!). Currently keeping them ticking over and not giving myself a hard time if I don’t ride every day. They have great turnout all day every day and are more than happy to have an easy couple of months.

I was just about to edit my post to say that if you are feeling unmotivated, there is so much to gain by taking all the pressure off and starting again whenever suits - be that next year, in the Spring or whenever!

 

[paddy555]

totally motivated to ride but I can find very little motivation for tack cleaning.

 

[milliepops]

I do the saddlecloth thing too?

Me three ?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Now that I think of it ...I'm also guilty of the saddle pad thing ?

 

[Cortez]

Now that I think of it ...I'm also guilty of the saddle pad thing ?

What is the saddle cloth thing? (sorry, too lazy/unmotivated to scroll back).

For the first 30 years of my life-with-horses I was all gung ho with learning the stuff and competing: after becoming a pro rider it was my job, riding up to 8 horses a day, and my passion. For the next 20 years of life-with-horses it was a large part of my business, although latterly not the major focus. For past year, after the death of my OH and closure of our business, I have ridden precisely 5 times. Now down to one elderly horse, frankly neither of us can be arsed.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

What is the saddle cloth thing? (sorry, too lazy/unmotivated to scroll back).

For the first 30 years of my life-with-horses I was all gung ho with learning the stuff and competing: after becoming a pro rider it was my job, riding up to 8 horses a day, and my passion. For the next 20 years of life-with-horses it was a large part of my business, although latterly not the major focus. For past year, after the death of my OH and closure of our business, I have ridden precisely 5 times. Now down to one elderly horse, frankly neither of us can be arsed.

When there is a nice saddle pad (or matchy set if you take it that far) that you've been eyeing and decide to buy it. Then you want to see it on your horse/use it, and then your motivation to ride magically returns (albeit temporarily ?).

Recent example: Equestrian Stockholm released their Emerald color. This caught my eye, and I bought it. When it arrives I'll surely have to put it on my noble steed and show it off. To who? I don't know ?

I sort of hoard saddle pads, so I'm not sure that this is rational thinking at all!

 

[Ceriann]

I was advised to give my mare a couple of weeks off riddem work when the osteo vet came to see her. Focus on stretches and in hand, then light hacking - no schooling for a couple of months. Took the pressure off somehow - she injured a suspensory branch a coupke of years ago and I was starting to build the schooling again and just not feeling as motivated. Winter of in hand games and a bit of hacking for us.

 

[Lintel]

The sideways rain and freezing fog is rather unmotivating at present.

If anyone would care to throw some dry weather and sun up this way I'd be more motivated ?

 

[!CobsCan!]

Wow so many great ideas! I think taking some of the pressure of is agood idea for me. Definitely going to step back the schooling on the older boy. I live the saddle pad thing!!! I've altered it slightly and have ordered myself a riding skirt for christmas ? at least I can be warm when I'm being lazy!

 

[spotty_pony]

Must admit my motivation is lacking somewhat at the moment. I have three oldies though (17, 21 and 28) and the youngest of the three isn't very sound any more so I have nothing to work towards with them really. My 28 year old is completely retired and my 21 year old just hacks nowadays - I was contemplating doing a bit of light hunting with him if the ground was good after retiring him due to an injury aged 19... but he has been feeling fantastic lately and definitely still wants to do it. But my plans have been scuppered due to the lockdown!

 

[Cortez]

Nah: immune to the saddle pad thing - I normally ride with the blingiest one you can imagine (gold, dangly bits, velvet brocade - you can't even imagine....).

 

[Vodkagirly]

I'm in my first winter with no facilities. Horses are at home with only grass paddock no school and hacking which is accessed via a road so needs to be in safe conditions. Previously I had a 60x30 school and off road hacking which was safe to ride at night.
Plan was to hire local schools and group lessons both of which aren't options now
Last week was surprisingly good. Got up in the mornings and rode one before work every day, it was lovely weather and quite pleasant. I bought some flood lights from screwfix and managed a couple of schooling sessions. How long conditions will last, I don't know so i need make the most of it.

 

[Sprat]

I don't tend to get unmotivated really, but I do get a bit stuck with what to do to keep things interesting. Especially in lockdown, we can't go out to arena hires, competitions etc.

There are threads in C&T detailing some schooling exercises that a few people are getting involved with, that has helped with something to work on / aim for.

 

[Hannahgb]

Mine was turned away for a year but has come back home and *touchwood* currently sound. Am doing 10 mins work a few days a week and loving every second of it. Having had it taken away, I am making the most of every ride incase its the last again!

 

[HollyWoozle]

Just posted a thread as I recently got on my Mum's horse who hadn't been ridden in 4 years. Mad time of year for it but I usually travel abroad and ride for work a few times a year but COVID-19 has stopped that and missing riding gave me the kick up the bum I needed to get on Noah! I am putting no pressure on myself and am very limited in terms of options/facilities, but just planning to do something with him very low key 2 or 3 times a week over winter with a view to getting out hacking again.

It is hard to be motivated for many reasons... we have no facilities at home and have to hack straight onto busy roads, plus I have to go alone, so it was easy to let the horse sit in the field and do nothing. Gloomy autumn days and all the mud doesn't help, but for me a real key is to take small steps and have few expectations then build it up, rather than aim too high and be disappointed and let it peter out!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

I enter Skylla for her medium debut, it has certainly had a galvanizing effect on our schooling

. I always need a goal to focus on or I get really unmotivated by riding in the wet and wind.

 

[Tarragon]

With field kept ponies, any riding I can do in the winter months is a bonus. I sort of assume that I cannot ride because of wind/rain/fog/ice so if I get up and the weather is ok then I am pleasantly surprised, brush off the worst and take my hairy pony out for a ride.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

I have very little motivation in the winter when the weather is rubbish (most days) so live for the sunny crisp dry days when I then try to cram everything in. The darkness, cold and relentless mud of winter just seems to go on forever though. The horses seem to cope better than me.

 

[cauda equina]

Nah: immune to the saddle pad thing - I normally ride with the blingiest one you can imagine (gold, dangly bits, velvet brocade - you can't even imagine....).View attachment 58587

The manufacturers are missing a trick here
I can see a range called The Cavalier selling brilliantly