More Joy Day Approaching!

Have you heard of More Joy Day? It is a wonderful thing. Read more here.

I propose we also have a horse blog More Joy Day. So, on January 9, share the joy. Post a photo, feed your horse a peppermint, tell the world about a great blog you read, donate to a horse rescue, host a giveaway, give a lesson pony a spa day, bring cookies to your trainer/barn manager, sweep the aisle, pay for someone else's coffee at the shop...you name it. Do something, anything, to bring more joy to the world.

I'll post on January 9 to share what I'm doing - I have Ideas - and if you do something awesome that day, let me know about it, ok? I'll host a roundup so we can all share in the good cheer.

So...get ready to go forth and spread more joy!

Change of Plans

I had a work schedule laid out for Tris for last night and tonight. Last night we got slammed with the tail end of Hercules and the snow was still blowing hard sideways and it was 0. This morning I woke up more hopeful.

Noooooooope. Day 2 of huddling under blankets at home, reading, and playing with crafts and baking.

Here, have some updated topline photos instead. There is definitely some improvement in person, but I'm not sure it comes through in the photos.

Is your horse using his back?

With Tristan's slow climb back to fitness, I've been working hardest on making sure he's using his back effectively. I don't have a great natural feel for how a horse is moving underneath me - in fact, I have zero natural feel. Everything I have has been drilled into me by many frustrated trainers.

So I'm always looking for ways to learn more. A friend on Facebook linked to this article, which does a good job of describing what I'm looking for but the real gold is in a video the article linked to. It's really outstanding. It's given me things to think about and a much more clear visual reference for what to look for. (I probably could've picked these things out before but I don't think I could have really listed off why I thought a particular horse was better through its back.)

Here it is embedded for reference.

Happy Anniversary!

Sad but true story, you guys.

The first thing you need to know is that I am really bad with dates, which is ironic for someone who makes a living in history. Epically bad. I can barely remember my own birthday.

So my fifth anniversary with my boyfriend was coming up, and I sort of knew it was in the beginning of January somewhere? I was pretty sure it was in the first week, anyway.

Then I thought aha! It's on the second!

Then he said "So, on the fifth, what do you want to do?"

Whoops.

January 2 is my anniversary with Tristan...not with the boyfriend.

So, happy anniversary, Tristan my love! To be fair - 2014 makes eight years, which is far longer than any boy has ever lasted.

Ridiculous photo from a few minutes after he arrived late at
night - already stuffing his face with hay.

2014 Goals

Okay. Here we go. May this year be better than the one that came before it.

Tristan's Goals

1. Get fit and rebuild muscle
His #1 goal for the year is to get back in shape. Ideal would be BN fit again, but we'll see.

2. Strengthen dressage, particularly the canter
I would love to come out of 2014 with a real canter. We'll see. I'll take anything other than giraffe motorcycling, at this point.

3. Work on jumping again
He is jumping in hand, but I'd like to try some jumping lessons under saddle and see how his foot holds up.

4. Do a few tests at dressage show
Tons of options here for places to go. Ideally I'd travel, but we have two shows at home each year that we could do if we want. The whole barn goes down to GHMA and up to the Champlain Valley Fairgrounds for big registered show each year, so I could dip a toe in there if I chose.

5. Complete a group trail ride
GMHA, maybe? They have some good CTR options on their schedule. This could potentially also be a hunter pace, or a more informal community trail ride.

My Goals

1. Get fit!
I need to be a stronger, more effective rider.

2. Find a schedule and stick to it
Year 1 in Vermont was about working like crazy in my new position. Year 2 will be, if anything, even more busy, with some major events coming up, but now that I have the basic routine down I need to be more disciplined about keeping Tristan in a program.

3. Take more lessons
Much as I wanted to, my lessons in 2013 were sporadic. I need to commit to working more barn hours and taking more lessons.

4. Rebuild emergency savings
2013 was the year of neverending vet bills. 2014 needs to involve more buckling down and replenishing the money that went away. I'll be shopping for a new daily driver in the fall, and looking toward replacing truck and trailer in another 3-5 years, and those things can't happen without better fiscal management.

5. Be better organized with barn stuff
My stuff is freaking everywhere right now - the car trunk, the truck back seat, the trailer, the mud room, the tack room...you name it. I need to go through, re-organize everything, and take stock of what I have - and keep it in better shape going forward.