Winter aims

[Cob Life]

With the dark days and riding in the dark 5/6 days a week I find I need to give myself a goal to complete by the end of winter or I loose all motivation.

This year with Blue I’d like to be able to lunge him well (he’s not a fan and generally likes to dick about) and get him working more long and low on the lunge and hopefully transfer it to his ridden work.

With the mare I’m just aiming for quite a chilled winter with some light lunging, long reining and ground work. She loves to work, jumping is her favourite but she’s no longer physically able as she’s getting older and doesn’t have the best conformation, I’m hoping some down time (she’s had nearly 2 months off out in the field) and then doing some light ground stuff over winter will set her up for nicely coming back to ridden work in the spring.

Does anyone else do this or am I the only one not with their head down praying for winter to end!

 

[scats]

Sounds like a good plan. I’m just surviving winter, as always. I hate the dark, I can’t wrap my head around the fact it’s only early when it’s dark and my body just feels like it would at 11pm.
Ive just started riding early before work. I can still hack out in daylight then.

 

[Red-1]

With Rigsby, just to help him be happy through winter. He may do some hacking to accompany the new boy. His new hardstanding area should be finished this month, which I think he will like for the extra room it gives him, and the ability to pester...

New baby (4yo)Homer. He is boarding away right now while the building work is going on, I am driving to ride most days, just light schooling, and riding on a big field as the hacking isn't great. When he comes home, in a few weeks, I would like a winter of hacking, schooling, a few clinics and just letting him develop and grow up.

I work part time so can usually ride at least one in daylight. Rigsby now has a few riders.

 

[Bernster]

I struggle with motivation in winter and even worse when I don’t have a goal! I ride in the evenings in the week so it’s mainly flat work and ground work and I like to have 1 weekend day at least for hacking.

I will try to set some goals though as otherwise I come out of winter and feel like I haven’t really progressed. This time I have a newer horse, Bertie, and his flatwork needs some polish. I’d love to be able to crack the canter and trot transitions and feel capable of doing an ok prelim test. I might do some online dressage now I think of it. I’ve also got a sj lesson off site once a month and Will do course hire as our school is too small for a decent course.

For Finn, try to get him fit enough to go drag hunting a few times, but life in general and having two horses may mean that’s tricky. Otherwise, continue to do the things he loves and is good at (hacking, flatwork, rides out).

 

[little_critter]

My winter aim....get the blimmin horse sound

 

[HappyHollyDays]

My winter aim is to get back on board with 6 weeks of walking up our hills to get them fit before doing any faster work. Concurrent injuries of the human variety all summer long have meant they have had a rather long holiday but another week to go and I should be given the all clear to get back on board. Not entirely sure how I’m going to hold the reins with a partially functioning hand but the bones have healed and I can put weight through it now. I’m not sure whether to be nervous or excited ?

 

[LEC]

I don't bother doing much until January. Horses usually have a holiday in November and its nice not to spend every weekend dashing around competing and doing stuff to prep for competing. I don't have an arena so just do my best and not worry about it.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

My first winter with a baby so just making it through is my aim. Have tag teamed with another new mum at the yard so we can watch baby whilst other rides and swap. Would love to jump a tiny course by Christmas!

 

[CanteringCarrot]

My winter aim: survive.

I hate the cold. I have such a hard time.

Never mind the darkness thing. Ugh.

I don't like to set goals with my horse because when I do, it almost never works out ? if I don't set goals and be more casual, things go quite well.

 

[SEL]

My winter aim: survive.

I hate the cold. I have such a hard time.

Never mind the darkness thing. Ugh.

I don't like to set goals with my horse because when I do, it almost never works out ? if I don't set goals and be more casual, things go quite well.

I'm exactly the same. They break if I set goals (or I break which is even harder to manage).

Not even one week since the clocks changed and I'm fed up about dark evenings.

 

[DawnS]

Find a little box and get horse loading reliably and happily, with hopes to then get out at Elementary.
If anyone hears of a 3.5t for 10k or under please message me! Doesn't have to be smart, just safe.

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

I don't bother doing much until January. Horses usually have a holiday in November and its nice not to spend every weekend dashing around competing and doing stuff to prep for competing. I don't have an arena so just do my best and not worry about it.

Yep, same here. Horse is in the field on his holibobs. I'm going to see if he can stay sane in there for another week or two and then I will just trundle about the lanes with him. I don't have an arena either and so will enjoy not feeling pressured to train all winter. It's my second winter of having horses at home so I'm hoping I have got to grips with my winter grazing and stable routine this year as last year was a steep learning curve plus lockdown.
Also, it's nice to be able to wake up at the weekend without competition nerves !

 

[nikkimariet]

Consolidate the tempis and piris on Rooni. Fig has completed all his life goals

They’re both enjoying a months holiday currently!

 

[Cob Life]

With the dark days and riding in the dark 5/6 days a week I find I need to give myself a goal to complete by the end of winter or I loose all motivation.

This year with Blue I’d like to be able to lunge him well (he’s not a fan and generally likes to dick about) and get him working more long and low on the lunge and hopefully transfer it to his ridden work.

Step 1: Teach horse that “walk on“ does not suddenly mean “gallop off and pay no mind to the human shouting at you to steady while they follow like a kite” when a lunge line is attached.

COMPLETED

 

[Red-1]

With Rigsby, just to help him be happy through winter. He may do some hacking to accompany the new boy. His new hardstanding area should be finished this month, which I think he will like for the extra room it gives him, and the ability to pester...

New baby (4yo)Homer. He is boarding away right now while the building work is going on, I am driving to ride most days, just light schooling, and riding on a big field as the hacking isn't great. When he comes home, in a few weeks, I would like a winter of hacking, schooling, a few clinics and just letting him develop and grow up.

I work part time so can usually ride at least one in daylight. Rigsby now has a few riders.

Well my step 1, of bringing baby horse Homer home, is delayed yet again when yesterday's builder didn't turn up! No builder means driving to the next county to ride him. Also means no time to ride Rigs.

He says, "next week."

Grrrr.

The other two tradesmen (joiner and gate fitter) are due this morning. The joiner can't finish until the builder has been though...

Don't even ask about the electrician. He has said, "next week," for the past 4 weeks . I would bring Homer home before he finishes though, despite the lights in his stable not working.

 

[Red-1]

Well my step 1, of bringing baby horse Homer home, is delayed yet again when yesterday's builder didn't turn up! No builder means driving to the next county to ride him. Also means no time to ride Rigs.

He says, "next week."

Grrrr.

The other two tradesmen (joiner and gate fitter) are due this morning. The joiner can't finish until the builder has been though...

Don't even ask about the electrician. He has said, "next week," for the past 4 weeks . I would bring Homer home before he finishes though, despite the lights in his stable not working.

I just realised, I am doing myself no favours with the negative attitude.

I will reframe to...

I am so lucky to be able to do building work on the stables to make the horse's lives be enhanced and my life easier. I have worked on this vision for many years, it is exciting for it to be coming to its realisation.

I am lucky and thankful to have found people who can and will come to do this work. I know that any impatience is simply because I an so excited and the excitement is currently greater than my patience as I eagerly await the completed outcome. The impatience is merely equal to the anticipated pleasure. The impatience is a gift to see how much I will enjoy the finished project.

I am grateful and lucky to have a yard who I can entrust with baby Homer. He is getting an education there too, with other horses sharing the arena. We are up to sharing with 3 other horses, he is becoming more confident in sharing his work space. It has also given me an opportunity to work on separating him from others, such as staying on the arena when all of the others leave, or riding in the big field when everyone else in on the arena. I would not have had this opportunity at home. When we leave this yard, Homer will be ready for a shared clinic environment. The driving time for me to go ride him is offset by the amount of time I save through not mucking out etc.

Having Homer away, even at a fabulous yard, has also made me realise that I am not (yet) ready to give up having my horses at home and go to livery as a permanent experience. It makes me look forward to my uprated, easier, yard even more. I eagerly await today's improvements.

 

[spookypony]

I also hate winter, especially when it's so wet and the cold just cuts through every layer! I'm not putting any pressure on myself until this Autumn term is over: I never get much done with the horses during it, so don't see why this year should be any different. Goal there is just to try to ride 3x week. Then starting around Christmas, go back up to min. 4x week, to start fittening for next year's endurance season! Schooling-wise, I'd like to make lateral work in trot much more precise, and keep improving our canter transitions. The Ballerina Mare has 1001 ways of squirming out of exercises, so I need to be extra quick and precise and clear, to get the consistency we need: so mainly, I guess I need to work on myself! I think I'm stronger and fitter now than I was before the Neck Thing happened, but I still have a ways to go!

 

[little_critter]

My winter aim....get the blimmin horse sound

Well horse appears to be sound ?
I had concerns last week that he didn’t seem quite right, as he had his fetlocks medicated last month I assumed is was linked. Turns out his toes had got too long. He was shod between me booking the vet and the vet coming out and the vet said he looked great.
So, still no set goals but I can look ahead again.
I had planned to qualify for petplans but that won’t happen now. So I’m gradually increasing the schooling work over this month with the hope of restarting lessons in December. I’ll look again at petplans next season.

 

[MuddyMonster]

• Complete our first season of Winter TREC. So far we're learning lots, having fun and even been placed ?
• Keep pony ticking over hacking wise. Realistically, 15km-ish hacks are likely to be our regular limit over winter with daylight hours, ground and some of our regular hacking being out of bounds in winter but I'm hoping it will still be enough to help make Spring fitness easier
• I'd like to use the winter to build more strength and suppleness - neither pony or I are the most motivated at schooling but we've had a recent in-hand lesson so hoping to maintain a session or two in the week.

But really, I'd be thrilled if we get through to Spring with our motivation and waistlines still vaguely intact

 

[BronsonNutter]

Goals for Baby-TB:
- Regain a bit of confidence & trust in each other. I've never been a nervous rider but when she was coming back in to work earlier this year, on a yard where she was unexplainably terrified of one end of it, she began throwing some shapes that were a bit unsettling - she subsequently scoped with baaaad ulcers which have been treated, but it's still a bit in the back of my mind now she's feeling 'well' and beginning to have fun again that she could definitely lob me into next week if she really felt that way!
- Get out competing again

Goals for Old-but-not-grown-up-TB:
- Have lots more fun hacking adventures, maybe go hunting a few more times
- Maybe do some dressage, if I can handle the embarassment. I'd like to take him to the RoR champs next year so would be nice if he could qualify for a championship or two, but given he finds dressage HILARIOUS this may be difficult!

 

[J&S]

Well my riding friend and I have done a fair few miles together on my two ponies since February and on the basis that one is a retired from competition through injury veteran at 24 and the other an RS chuck out of 14 who cost £200.00 I think we have done really well as both still going fine and both sound with good feet. My aim is just to keep them fit, sound and happy.

 

[Shoei]

I'm wanting to get my last qualifying score before Christmas and then I'm going to aim to get a music qualification for the areas early on in the year.

Baby Raymond arrives soon so I will focusing on getting him to be a happy and confident youngster, doing some TRT with him and getting him confident with some new things.

 

[Alibear]

Operation Solo Hack is my winter project. Ambers has been out twice now with YO solo and has been very well behaved so far. She does better in regular work so when it's too dark both before and after work to hack, we will have to do some schooling work. That will either be easy light fun sessions working slowly on technique for poles, obstacles, ropes, turns and manoeuvres. Or lope work to try and get her stepping under, balanced, shoulders up and consistently forwards.

 

[AandK]

It's coming up to 1yr since Charlie had his keratoma op (24/11/20), the first 5 months were hassle free, the last 5.5 have been a bit of a roller coaster as the last of the defect and abscess related rubbish grows out. Looks like we're over that hurdle and so my aims for the winter are to slowly get him fit again, taking it slowly to make sure the foot copes! Walking out in hand started at the weekend and hoping to be back on board in a couple of weeks. All going to plan, this will be the first winter I have been able to ride for about 4yrs... It probably won't now I have posted this, but one can hope

 

[Red-1]

It has been dark for an hour, and the rumbling outside the window tells me the builders are still hard at it.

From what I can tell though, they have done enough that baby Homer can come home and join Rigsby on Friday!

Rigsby's veranda is finished, he will love being able to choose in or out. Homer's still needs hooks to hold back the stable door, a grill over a window and some electrical wires shielding.

It has been great at the friend's yard, expert care and a wonderful arena, with a huge field to exercise. He has learned to go in the arena with others as they canter or jump, and to either leave the arena alone or, indeed, stay in the arena when they all leave. I miss having him at home though. I have to say that Rigs doesn't seem to have missed him at all.