Bringing in the New Year - Goals for 2019

2018 was a pretty good year, all things considering. I barely got any riding in on Twister from January-March. Then we moved to the new farm at the end of March and it was a few weeks before I took my first ride here. I haven't focused much on Twister this year at all aside from hacking around and fitness for the hunterpaces. He's a bit peeved about it too. He likes having a job, though SJ has been on him quite a bit this year.

Christmas pony pics

In April we got the no-go for Curtis to go back to racing and I spent 2 months on ground work before getting on him at the end of June. This kid loves to have a job and he's so smooth.

He has a great head on him and handled just about everything I've thrown at him like a well-adjusted adult boy. Except for that show. Which ended pretty well even though it was an overall hotmess. But I'm actually sitting on a super athletic, leggy kid with fancy potential and I can't wait to see where we go next summer!

our best photo of 2018

I've also been able to keep him barefoot. He hasn't had shoes on since August or September and has been totally sound. *KNOCKS ON WOOD LOUDLY AND REPETITIVELY* This fall and winter has been so miserably fucking wet and I'm battling thrush. No surprise. Twister has the worst of it, of course. Rascal is about to blow an abscess I think. Curtis has some thrush but not as bad as the other 2. I'm hoping to keep him barefoot and sound through the year and show season.

6 weeks off pretty much. still looking pretty good

Which leads me to my 2019 goals.

1. Get more time off the farm from now until April or May. Lessons down the road. A ride in the indoor the other way down the road. Schooling trips to Masterson for experience. The biggest thing we need to do is get miles in new places.

2. Pick shows. I'd like to do 2 or 3 dressage shows and at least 1 combined test or mini trial. Probably 1 hunter pace in the fall as well. I don't want to get too ambitious. Horsey activities are hard to manage when your hubby works weekends and you horse show with the person you'd be inclined to leave the toddler with. Though maybe if we go in a big enough group, the toddler can come too. And sometimes I get lucky and her brothers are free to hang out with her.

3. Commit to taking monthly confo pics. That way I can really see Curtis change. I think I only took like 4 all year this past year....

4. Take SJ to her first leadline!!!! Her and Rascal are READY! And she's been asking several times a week since I came home from the dressage show in November if she can ride in a horse show.

Her and Rascal got a bridle and breastcollar for Christmas

and I bedazzed her helmet. 

Not very fancy goals, but it's what we need, overall.

Happy New, all!

Curtis' 1st Jumpies

For starters, let me say what a level-headed, easy-going donkey Curtis is. I've been on him a total of 3 4 times since the show. All several days apart. And he is always great. He never *knocks on wood* acts up or pulls shit. He almost always  remembers all the things. Though today he forgot what a left leg aid was and had to be heel-jabbed several times before he stopped hanging off my leg.

We've doing quick bareback rides over a blanket or without. I've hopped on after 10 days off and asked him to do fancy horse things and he's complied. I know I said I wouldn't get on him until after new years, but I changed my mind and decided I didn't want him to lose all his condition and muscles I worked so hard for this summer.

hankering for 80* weather so we can go SWIMMING

Mom is visiting today so I had someone to take media and call 911 just in case. And I trotted Curtis over his first cross rail. What a perfect little star he was. He is going to make SJ an excellent walk-trot horse in 3-4 years. He never refused once. Trotted nice and evenly over. The ground is really hard or I would have cantered over to see if I couldn't get an actual jump.

Several years ago I tried to retrain a 4 year old ottb who couldn't be bothered to do anything without a red-headed fit. Ok so he was a red head. But I half expected Curtis to be the same way. And he's not. Not at all. He's graceful and so willing to do anything I ask and he actually enjoys it.

to my right the men were hammering, sawing and banging around
in the garage and I walked him to the barn no hands <3

Now if only it would warm up so we could do fun things and ride more often.

And would you look at my Black Friday saddle pad? I can't believe I forked out money for a Le Mueix (sp?) but I did and it's so pretty😍 It's our combined birthday/christmas present and reward for surviving our first show lol