What was your aim for this year, and have you done it?

[benson21]

So, that time of year again, when I always look back at what I have achieved, and what I havent!!
This year, I wanted to have donovan do what he was bought for, to drive. So early on, he went to Sonny Hilliers for 8 weeks where he was broken to harness. I had lessons with one of his schoolmasters, as I had never driven before, this was all in Feb, March.
And where are we now? I have competed (not very successfully yet!) outdoors, and also indoors, where we are improving from one comp to the next!
I love it!! I have got through the nervousness of going out on the road, which took alot!! So now we go out for drives, joined TROT so can go through forestry commision places, Its so nice because its something I can do with my OH, and not just leave him on the sidelines!
So, come on, what was your ambitions for this past year, and have you done it???

 

[super ted]

What a nice idea for a thread... Lovely to hear positive stories.

My aim was to jump my horse. May seem insignificant but chronic nerves always stopped me. I finally managed to start jumping in june, competed for the first time a few weeks ago, and have worked my way up to 75 cm! Yesterday I jumped my first ever solid obstacle in 20 years of riding and survived. Aim for next year is hunter trials/ODE, even if its tiny and we come last!

 

[Feathered]

I had a lot of aims, having a 4yr old horse we had a lot of first times this year but my main aim was to pass my towing test which I did.

All in all it's been a brilliant horsey year.

 

[pennyturner]

Had a Welsh D and a NF I wanted to get well broken to drive. Did this over the summer.

Started the year with two youngest children on lead reins, and one of older ones still fairly under-confident. Both littles have been riding all year, and D4 has moved up a pony to our most fun, 'think it and I'll do it' little stallion. All happily cantering around the fields together now. Bliss.

 

[Bennions Field]

Having been made redundant this time last year my main aim was to find another job so i cokld keep the horses. Its been a tough 12 months but ive come out the otherside, finally, and managed to keep all the neddys thankfully they are a mix of v old retired / youngsters / field ornaments and my only rideable one, ive not managed to have shoes on him till the autumn so missed the summer of riding as he cant cope without, but hopefully now im back in a position to ride/ compete i want to make the most of 2014 looking to get back out there competeing either showing (ridden hunters) or dressage, roll on the better weather !

 

[Hippona]

Having got my Arab happily and bravely hacking out I decided it was time to do some "proper" schooling..however as I only have a field to ride in and he thinks everything should be done at full blast it has been my years work to get him doing anything other than wall of death.
Next year I'm building on that and introducing some jumping.
Need to buy a BP me thinks

 

[Madam Min]

My horsey aim was to get out jumping with my mare. She loves jumping, me not so much! Anyhow our jumping journey started in Jan 2013 with me breaking a bone and fracturing my right hand when she took off over a trotting pole! Things got better and we progressed from going out doing clear round courses to doing 50cm/60cm courses ( getting a double clear in our first ever proper jumping comp) to doing a few combined training comps. Also took her to the gallops for the first time, which was great fun! Next year looking to get out more starting with a couple of fun showing classes in Jan.

My non horsey aim was to pass my driving test which I finally did in October!

 

[Annagain]

Mine was to get out more with my share horse. We've done the British Riding Club Novice SJ team; Dressage team, 80 Horse Trials team - coming 4th individually and only just missing out on going to the championship by 1 place and about 4 seconds on the XC (and team would have won and qualified if two of us hadn't got eliminated due to a flag having been moved when we walked the course). That gave me the impetus to try a BE80, which we did with one very silly stop and then an unaffiliated 90 which I thought would be kind as it was unafilliated - how wrong could I be. We got round it though - again with one stop which was entirely my fault. So yes I've achieved what I wanted and am very pleased with myself.

Next year's plan is to go back and nail that 90! Won't do the 80 again as the course (Chepstow) was very hilly and that doesn't suit me or Monty. Maybe getting some help to conquer my fear of galloping downhill would be a better target - but we've got to keep it realistic!

 

[ridefast]

I didn't have any aims, but this year I have taught my horse to jump, taught myself to jump bareback, got my confidence back riding bareback (trying to get back to my fearless teenage days) had western lessons, got over my fear of riding strange horses, had fun with my horse and just enjoyed myself

 

[flurryjuno]

-Buy a horse
-Canter/jump bareback without feeling like I'm about to slip off and die
-Jump away from the yard
-Confidently canter on the beach (I'm working up to a gallop, I've had one too many bolters lol)
-Learn new hacking routes and go with confidence

Did them all! Well the beach thing yesterday but super happy. I did have a list at the start of the year but these are the ones I remembered apart from go the biggest XC place near me, of course I tore all the ligaments in my foot the day we were supposed to go Also getting lessons and they've helped LOADS. Love my mare, she's really helped me get my confidence back and we've both done new things together, roll on next year so I can start competing again

 

[pippixox]

i didn't technically set any aims in January, but as the year went on...
passed my trailer test and took dotty out on my own about 5 times (varied success on the riding front, but still got out!) and got involved with the local riding club for the first time (as i was stupid and too nervous to join ages ago, but despite dotty's mixed behavior at events they are all so supportive )
sadly haven't achieved much with my boy, as he has been lame, hocks now treated for arthritis, and got seedy toe in 2 hooves. but hoping next year i will be able to go out to some sponsored rides with him.
but trailer is definitely a big achievement of the year,
and on a non horse note, i passed my psychology exams

 

[noblesteed]

having moved to a new yard at the end of 2012, had a baby, bought a 4x4 and horse coming sound after a bout of lami, my list was:
- buy a trailer
- get horse schooling and jumping nicely again
- get out to lots of RC events
- do the local summer shows
- get out hunting this winter

however instead I ended up with another gorgeous baby boy!

I shall try again in 2014 though we start the year with the vet coming out to look at what is probably a spavin

 

[SuperCoblet]

Mine was to get Coblet around a mini one day event and do a children's meet.
We exceeded both of those, he's been flying around pony club 80 courses and going to proper hunt meets! Also finally cracked his hacking out alone issue, started schooling properly and has just all round improved!
This year has been our best year yet and the fastest improvement year since I got him 5 years ago almost.
Roll on 2014!

 

[TwyfordM]

Get Mysti out to our first show - did it and she was a star!
Get her used to the hose, done
Trust her a bit more, realise she's not the youngster i took on anymore and she's grown into an amazing little pony. Yep she still has her moments and she always will but know that she can get herself out of trouble now
Teach her some more tricks - Spanish walk is getting there so id call it halfway there.
All in all she's been a star this year, and its scary to think the 5year old i took on turns 10 this year

 

[HorsesHavingFun]

Goals were:
- Get my confidence back

What I ended up doing:
- Going XC schooling at Boomerang
- Riding in a river
-Hacking out in groups
- Cantering/galloping a mile long stretch
-Jumping our biggest ever - 3ft course at home
-Competing in a 30cm Show Jumping competition and getting a double clear and winning our first rosette!
- Dealing with falling off better
- Jumping water trays, ditches and fillers
-Being able to handle horse happily on the ground (these aren't in order!!)

2013 has been the best year EVER!!!!!

 

[AmieeT]

In short, no I didn't- but I'm damn proud of what I have done and think my expectations were a little too large lol!
Apologies for the super long post lol!

At 23, and after 3 years of grooming a friends horses and a little in-hand showing, I got Red last November on full loan, an unfit, bucking fattie of a Welsh who used to be a jumping machine at XC but who's previous loaner had an accident on him and he became a field ornament bar the odd hack every couple of months.
I had my FIRST EVER riding lesson on him 2 days after getting him (Never even ridden a donkey) TBH he's not a novice ride, but we've learnt to trust each other and I've managed to school him out of bucking (as well as learning to sit a buck) with the help of the internet!
I had about 5 riding lessons on him, last one in Feb time, and since then have done everything myself. Taught myself to canter, gallop (total accident on my first ever hack) and with the help of his owners, I jumped him for the first time last month! Mainly I'm proud because I'd been told when I took him on that I'd get all the help I needed, but that soon stopped.
My (somewhat enthusiastic) aims were-
Learn to ride! (a long process I now know will take years lol)

Learn to trot- Done

Learn to canter- Done

Gallop- Done

Gallop on the beach- not done

Learn to jump- Not done (I don't count a couple of jumps one evening as 'learning to jump' lol- I'm not THAT daft)

Hack out- done

Hack out along- done- very proud of this, we've been hacking out alone for the last 3 months

Clip Red- done (will include photos- not what I'd call a pro's work, but I did it myself, having never wielded clippers before, so I'm happy with it)

Take him to a show- not done. Big fight getting on to trailer, took an hour by which point I didn't want to go and have the same argument in a place where it wasn't as safe for him to turn and bolt away from the ramp! (Plus he was super stressed, love him!)

Get him to a healthy weight- Done (again all by myself )
Before

Now!

 

[Lexi_]

Had a Welsh D and a NF I wanted to get well broken to drive. Did this over the summer.

Started the year with two youngest children on lead reins, and one of older ones still fairly under-confident. Both littles have been riding all year, and D4 has moved up a pony to our most fun, 'think it and I'll do it' little stallion. All happily cantering around the fields together now. Bliss.

I always love the descriptions of your family out riding together Would be fab to see photos.

 

[Lamb-Ski]

I lost my beautiful Marmite in August 2012 and immediately went out and purchased a random young Tri Coloured Cob X. Despite wishing to have a horse to continue with my Endurance riding I bought him simply because he had amazingly kind eyes. I took his shoes off, started very sedate Western lessons, which we have had every month and kicked off our Pleasure season in March 2013. In total we completed 245 kilometers (in a Dually headcollar). We did 3 of these rides on our own and the rest with a companion. He has corralled overnight and been vetted twice, although we do need to practice our trot-up's!!! We also rode two charity rides, partook in a Western Clinic and came last in our Western Dressage Test. We have been to Redcar Beach a number of times and once to the Gallops at Middleham. He self loads, leads everyone across rivers, motorway bridges, is bomb proof in the heaviest of traffic and to be perfectly honest, for a rising 6 year old, he has not let me down once. I have however fallen off him 3 times, but each time this was due to rider error. His 6 week holiday is about to end as we start our training in readiness for our EGB Novice season in 2014. Good luck to everybody in achieving their goals for the year ahead. Let's hope the weather is as good as 2013 has been.

 

[applecart14]

My ultimate aim was to take my horse around a 1.20m track at Solihull before I retired him. Then I decided this was maybe a bit ambitious and I reckoned a 1.10m track was do able. Eventually this year we managed a 1.05 track at Weston Lawns. But nevertheless something that I was immensley proud of, having worked very hard with my confidence to get there.

I think the 1.10m will only ever be a dream.... but it doesn't hurt to dream and have ambition. Solihull has always been a tough place for me as its a place my horse has always been particuarly spooky at.

 

[nic85]

Compete my 4 year old in our first ever Dressage comp. Done. We came 9th ( out of 12) and although we went round star gazing I was SUPER proud of her.

To be fair we did a lot of things but hadn't really planned to do them.

For 2014 I have more aims, To be placed in an Intro class, to complete a Prelim class and possibly be placed later on in the year and teach my Baby horse to Jump and possibly do a few clear rounds/ Minimus comps

 

[asommerville]

I wanted to canter in a field, get him loading and get out and have a bit of fun he is 6 now and we did nothing last year so hoped this year would be better - and it was

We hacked loads, we went to lots of dressage (albeit not very successfully) we went jumping and came third, we went to working hunter training and to Trec comps, cantered in fields and I passed my trailer test. We had a good year and ginger pony has grew up a lot (think he's a slow maturer - very slow lol)

Next year I want to do things a bit more successfully, do abut of showing and just have loads if fun with my gorgeous boy

 

[Lexi_]

Can't say I started out the year with any specific aims but I achieved quite a lot by my own standards!

- Started riding again after a 10 year break
- Found a fab horse to share (honestly, I've been so lucky. He's brilliant, his owner is brilliant, everything is brilliant )
- Went on my first ever solo hack. Probably seems a really minor thing to those of you who've been doing it forever but it was such a big thing and Monty was so good. All roadwork and he didn't bat an eyelid about being overtaken by a massive tractor and trailer followed by two huge HGVs whilst going past a flappy plastic bag in the hedge.

On a non-riding but still horsey note, given that I only started fence judging at BE competitions at the start of 2012, it was a bit special to be FJing at Blenheim this year! Got to do a water jump and everything

 

[spotty_pony]

My aim for this year was to just have fun and enjoy my horses - have definitely done that!

 

[ew0855]

When I bought Box at the end of 2012 I said to the lady I bought him off that I wanted something to -
Do a basic unaffiliated dressage test
Do some short pleasure rides
Definitely didn't have to jump

In 2013 we have -
Done a few walk/trots and prelim tests - definitely prelim / novice next year after he put in a stonking 80% in the last walk/trot test despite being dressed up as a donkey (I was shrek!)
Did a few short pleasure rides ... then some Graded Endurance Rides then had a fab weekend at Cirencester (1st time traveling and staying away by ourselves) where we completed our open qualification
Discovered he definitely does jump... and even had the confidence to try a few cross poles with me on top
Loved being on a yard with encouraging, friendly staff and liverys who have made (the majority) of my first year of horse ownership a lot of fun


Good thread ...

 

[Equi]

My aim was to do a dressage test with my ridden loan, but that didn't happen due to unsoundness. I did complete my "do a show of any sort" though

 

[Cinnamontoast]

To walk and to be back at the yard: tick!

 

[RainbowDash]

My 2013 horsey plans were to jump, ride bareback and eventually take boyo to a local show. Well did the jumps despite me being nervous nelly, rode him bareback and found he was nervous loading and travelling. Worked on that, never got to a show but he travelled beautifully to his new loan home. Bittersweet year but next year I plan to do the things I couldnt do with boyo - whilst he's spoilt by his lovely loaner .

 

[windand rain]

I had an idea to back ride away and sell my baby highland after oh was made redundant She has achieved great things and is a super star but I failed to sell her. Have achieved most of my aims in general the horses are fit well and happy. The land has stood up well to the weather and had a lovely summer of competition and fun with the ponies and the kids

 

[be positive]

To get my ISH well and back to work again, he is getting there very slowly 12 months later, my other aim is still a work in progress more about that another time.