Time for New Year's resolutions

Happy New Year!

For equestrians, it's time for resolutions and figuring out how to make this year better than last. This is a great opportunity to analyze where you and your horse are and what you can do to make your relationship better.

Your resolutions will depend on what level you and your horse have reached and what sort of riding you do. When you make a resolution, make sure it is achievable within the year for both you and your horse. Break the resolution into smaller goals to hit throughout the year so that you can measure your progress and feel you are sticking to the plan. Set up ways to remind yourself of these goals throughout the year.

My goal this year is to ride new trails -- so my small goals are to ride one new trail each month and blog about it. To achieve this, I will need to do research to find new trails in the areas I ride often, as well as finding new areas.

There will be some obstacles to achieving this goal. I will probably need to drive farther than usual to find these areas and may be disappointed in some of the places I find. I am prepared for these issues, however, and know that the reward of learning how to research and find new trails will make up for the disappointments.

Other goals for you and your horse may be:

• Going to more shows. Set a number of shows you want to attend this year, and spend some time looking at show calendars and planning which shows you want to see or participate in.
• Trying a new type of show. Maybe you’ve always wanted to do an endurance race, compete at a three-day event or try a working cow-horse event. You should pick a show, probably toward the end of summer. This will give you enough time to train for the competition, and will be during your horse’s peak fitness since most people ride more during summer.
• Getting over a fear or problem. Does your horse have trailering problems, doesn’t tie well or has a fear of clippers? Getting over these issues takes time and practice. To achieve these goals, set aside time every day or every week to work on a small aspect of the problem. Plan to have a lot of patience and work with your trainer to get tips, ideas and help with getting your horse over these issues.
• Fitness goals. Want to do a 100-mile ride by summer's end? Want to be able to ride a full hour without stirrups? Break these into smaller steps, and set weekly or monthly goals to work toward. Set up rewards for achieving these smaller steps so you keep closing in on the bigger goal.

Set your goals, write them on a calendar and hold yourself to them. Remember, making a resolution is about changing a small aspect of your life for the year. It takes commitment and resolve to achieve these goals, so make sure they're what you truly want to do.

Good luck in 2012!