Goals for 2018

I'm terrible at goals. I always make them but I never write them down and then I forget about them and remember them after the fact or never remember them at all. My memory in general just plain sucks. I've tried writing them down in a journal, but that doesn't seem to work either. So, maybe having them written in this blog will help, and I'll be able to look at them throughout the year and remind myself what I want to do.

Goal 1: Complete a pre-training event (novice) with Lily.
Lily upgraded to entry level (beginner novice) in July 2017 with good success. What my friend and I thought would be a good upgrade course for our horses turned out to be a really hard course where half our division got eliminated. Lily got around clear xc with time, and although she was really brave and was trying so hard, it wasn't our best round. She finished off this year nice and brave, riding forward over a lovely course in horrible weather. She has come SO far from our first event where she was looking at EVERYTHING (omg a bird. And a squirrel. Where did that jump come from? THERE'S A PERSON SITTING THERE!), and is turning into a great horse. I'm looking forward to kicking butt this year and hopefully we can move up to pre-training towards the end of the season.

Lily schooling at Abydos this past summer

Goal 2: Get Zippy out to his first event
This was a goal for Zippy last year, and I fully intended to take him to an event in September, when he came down with another abscess. And then another. And another.  He ended up having half the season off rehabbing abscesses and only made it to one show in July (where he was perfect, let me tell you). There is a super baby-friendly event in July at Glen Oro, and I'm really hoping to take him there. Or, I will settle for unsanctioned, at this point I really don't care. I just want to get him out and about; nor do I care how we place, I just want to finish. He is such a cool little horse.

Zippy at a clinic in May, jumping his first course *baby brain exploding*

Goal 3: Run a short course event

I've picked a date (July 8) and advertising has begun. I have lots of jumps to build, lots of jumps to paint, and lots of sponsors to find. And ribbons to order. And judges to find. And a whole bunch of other things I really don't want to think about right now. BUT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, DAMMIT!

Please come back summer

Goal 4: Become more confident with myself 

This is pretty self explanatory. I want to lose some weight, eat better, enjoy life a little more.

Goal 5: Take more lessons

I generally take a monthly dressage lesson, but this year I only took about 3, maybe 4, jump lessons. I want Lily's dressage to get stronger and our jumping to become more confident (my jumping, Lily is plenty confident). 

BRING IT ON 2018!