Month: January 2017

February Goals and Stuff

Posted on by Equestrian Jane

Or “Let’s Tempt the Fates”

I have purposely not done another “Future Goals” blog as the last one I did brought out the “Life Gremlins” and I have had a very chaotic past two months with minimal riding or free time at all. I’ve had to take on a new job, which between training and getting a new schedule, I’ve had minimal time for training. It also hasn’t helped that I’ve recently had a near 100% tack overhaul, and I’m still in the tire kicking phase of saddle shopping. One good thing though of having to completely overhaul your life and tack trunk, it puts things into new perspectives and new priorities. I like to think that after so much chaos, that a new order is taking shape. So here is my blog on tacking stock, making changes, and crafting some goals.

Goals for February are kinda on the mundane side, general terms, more riding time, more blogging, more time for family. Now thanks to my Bullet Journals I’ve been experimenting with, I’m slowly getting some time management skills back. My favorite part of the bullet journal is the weekly and daily logs, these have allowed me to see my schedule, and I’m able to actually see where I’ve over and under scheduled my time. This has been a great way of keeping me focused and getting control of my day. So I have some confidence in making some goals for February.

RIDING GOALS: I’ve actually made some minor progress, I’ve temporarily set aside my bitless goals, and decided to get the 6″ low port Kimberwick. I want to get Beaux more confident in leg and seat cues before trying bitless. He is a smart cookie, but if you introduce one thing at a time, Beaux figures things out much easier. So, while waiting for the mail to deliver our bit, this week is just going to be grooming, massages/energy work, and some hoof trimming. Once the bit does arrive, spend some quality bareback saddle pad time working on the legs and seat cues.  I’m crafting another blog regarding the saddle shopping adventures, so stay tuned for that. I’m also gonna put on my big girl pants and take Beaux out on the trails while using the bareback pad, so definitely looking forward to that blog.

BLOGGING: I’ve already have 3-4 blogs in the works, so I should be back to writing on a regular basis. I also have some blogs regarding the rehoming of Standardbreds after racing, I will also revisit the bullet journal as it has really been a real game changer and I’ve barely touched what the journal is capable of. I am also a big fan of the “Daily Prompt”, some days it just really strikes the cord.

PERSONAL GOALS: I have a few things I’m working on in my “Private Life” with keeping my Significant Other aka The SO, in my top priorities. He is a great guy and puts up with my horse addiction, so having enough time and energy to be a proper partner is top of my goal. In the theme of having enough energy at least, I’m taking up the 30 Day Rider Challenge to get me in shape for riding, this way I can be a more balanced and effective rider and have more energy to boot.

Lots of good things here for February, will be celebrating a birthday and Mardi Gras the same week, and my saddle shopping adventures should hopefully end with a (at least new to me) new saddle. Here’s to an action packed February!

Livin La Vida Loca

Posted on by Equestrian Jane

Or My Crazy Life and Riding

It’s been a very busy last few days, but unfortunately, not in the riding busy kinda way. I started a new job which has put my already crazy schedule into “ludicrous speed” and we’ve definitely gone to plaid. (“Spaceballs” quote for the win). My last trip to the barn was to drop off hay and grain, have a nice grooming session, and that was about it.

Juggling work, family, and horses is always a difficult act and one I’ve not yet mastered although I am making some progress. I am madly in love with my Bullet Journal and while it, as with much in my life, is a work in progress, I am finding it helps me with organizing my day, and let’s me see in very stark detail if I have overscheduled myself, or done some other self inflicted scheduling issues. While this has not brought tangible effects as far as my riding time goes, I know that it will have an effect after this week. I’m going to go into much more detail on my bullet journal adventures in a future blog, I’m working on my schedule for writing, riding, and having some family time. I already have some ideas on blogs (besides the Daily Prompt) so February will be a fantastic month (besides having Mardi Gras and my birthday in it) with actual riding time.

So here is to “Livin La Vida Loca” and to finally getting some organization and progress!

Bullet Journals? Yes Please!

Posted on by Equestrian Jane

I’m usually a few steps behind the “latest and greatest new thing” so bare with me, but I just discovered a new journaling idea called “bullet journals”. I wear many hats and keeping my hats straight can be an issue, so yeah, that dreaded “time management skills” rears it’s ugly head.

A bullet journal is more than a calendar or to do list, it takes those two, add in a journaling/diary section, and you got the basis for the bullet journal. I probably described this probably poorly but there will be links to ideas and such.

I have a tendency to over-schedule myself which ends up with me being not as productive as I wish. Let’s be honest, having a “to do list” that doesn’t get done leaves you in a crappy mood. Well, fret no more! The bullet journal let’s you have a monthly calendar, a daily log to not just keep you organized, but also to help log what is going on that day, and an index at the front helps you to find your information easily.

This system helps to organize your thoughts, log events that happened that day, help to keep you focused and on task, and also can have many personal touches. Examples:

  • Go to Post Office
  • Defrost chicken for dinner
  • New book from your favorite author you want to read
  • New knitting pattern (I’m an avid knitter) I want to try out
  • Significant Other brought me flowers
  • Random idea for blog
  • Name of the clerk who is always so kind
  • The Daughter made honor roll

The possibilities are endless, although from my research, those who really embrace this say to “Keep it simple stupid” aka KISS, although if you are an artist or doodler, make it as personal as you like, whatever blows your hair back.

Make a list of books or movies you want to enjoy, but instead of crossing them out, use a square, triangle, etc and color those in. This way you can look at your accomplishments and archive them for later (being a historian, archiving, or as my Significant Other says “hoarding” is a beautiful thing). I also like the cataloging system, as this is not a true daily planner with blank pages, you just move on to the next blank page, so in order to know where similar items are just mark the bottom of the page example: 13-14, 21, 35 so you know where other similar items are at, again KISS.

I am going to spend the next couple of days making my own bullet journal, so that I can make the best use of my time, especially with my crazy work schedule coming up. Plus having to write down my goals (especially for Beaux and I) this helps me to see my progress or lack of, help to keep me focused, and maybe, just maybe, let me make the bst use of my time for myself, my job, my family, and even my riding partner Beaux.

Here are some links to bullet journals, ideas, and layouts. Happy journaling!

Bullet Journal ideas

More Ideas

Ideas for the creative types

Get Lost in Pinterest

 

Uneven? You Know It

Posted on by Equestrian Jane

Or “best way to describe my life”

Uneven

Uneven really describes my life at the moment, lots of ups and a few downs here lately, and for the next couple of weeks “uneven” will be my riding schedule. I’m taking on a new job so training for the New Job will take up the limited daylight hours, so no riding til the weekend.

Uneven also describes my training for the last couple of months with Beaux, between the drama at the Old Barn, moving to the New Barn, selling our pony Prissy (to an amazing family with 4 kids who will love her as much as we do), and now the new job. Uneven is definitely a good adjective to our last few weeks.

Now that we’ve identified “uneven” as the issue, it means I can now solve the problem. Yes, my schedule is chaotic at the moment, but out of chaos comes order (thanks Nietzsche) and the first order is to have purpose to my riding. For far too long I’ve not had a true purpose to my rides, sure I had ideas but our riding was not schooling but more schlepping around. Now when I ride I will have definite goals and ideas and even if we don’t accomplish everything, I will have a purpose to the rides.

I will work on being more even, which will actually help Beaux with his confidence issues, I will be more consistent, and even if I can’t ride but 2-3 times a week, those rides will have a better consistency, less unevenness, and *gasp* actual results on our riding.

So, here is to leaving uneven behind and being more even in our training.

Time is Not on My Side

Posted on by Equestrian Jane

It’s been a crazy past couple of weeks, with so many factors coming together to limit my “barn time” it has given me more than ample time to do what I do best, over think things. I’ve been looking over all aspects of Beaux’s care, from turnout, nutrition, to tack, equipment, and riding schedule to start making sense of our successes, and, I hate to say failures, but not successful attempts. This has given life to the dreaded “List of Grievances” and a follow up “List of Goals”. So in the spirit of my procrastination and love of all things Listed, here is my New Years Goals and if not solutions, at least an attempt at solutions.

LIST OF GRIEVANCES:

Equipment: The equipment I do have is not sufficient for the task at hand. I have gone through a few different saddles, some did not fit Beaux or did not fit me, all were used and some not so gently. I have made the difficult (financially) decision to stop looking for the next bargain saddle or Ebay score and look at getting a new saddle that can be adjusted to fit Beaux’s “pear” shape. Beaux has high/shark fin withers and a well sprung rib, this makes saddle fit a PITA to put it very mildly. This actually brings up a whole new bunch of issues, which saddle(s) do I get?

SOLUTION: This repeats saying, I’m getting a new saddle, one that fits both of us, allows for secure and comfortable trails, yet not too specialized that I can’t do some serious schooling in. I’m looking at a lot of potential saddles, from an Abetta endurance type saddle, another go at an Australian saddle, to my favorite Wintec AP. Until both my wallet and my brain decides which saddle to get, I’m going to stick with the Dreaded Bareback Pad, and work on basics.

BIT: This one has been a Big Issue since our first ride. Beaux was a hard puller on the track and trying to erase almost 9 years of a bad habit, it’s not easy. I’ve used a lot of different bits and none really worked well, either they were too much and Beaux backed off the bit too much, or communication was not there. Some bits may work for a short time, or fix one issue but open up another one.

SOLUTION: So, after much thought and a lot of research, I’m going to try bitless again, but work a lot more on ground work and patching a few holes. I’ve narrowed the bitless choices to an “O Ring side pull” from Knot Just Rope and maybe a Flower Hack down the road. This time I will take the time since I have plenty while waiting on saddle shopping finances, to work with Beaux on the ground to give more with his nose and work on a lot more foundation work on the ground. No more excuses, now it’s just patching holes.

RIDING TIME: This one has been my biggest issue to overcome, my riding time is not as consistent as I’d like and when we do ride, we’ve not always made the best use of that time.

SOLUTION: This one doesn’t have an easy fix, I’ll be working a lot more hours in the next few weeks so I’ll have to really make my time at the barn count. Time management has not been my friend lately, and I really need to walk that fine line between having a training plan and not pushing Beaux too quickly. I’ve pushed him on a few things, or at least badly patched holes instead of truly fixing them, so I need to make sure I can have a definite plan to work on yet not get too focused on the goal that I don’t take Beaux into consideration.

SUMMARY: Knowing my work schedule for the next few weeks, my goals are modest but going back to basics will be our new motto, but here is an outline for our next few weeks:

  • Ground work with the bitless bridle to build better communication with Beaux, and help relieve his bit anxiety.
  • Ride with a purpose! Even if I’m just riding for 15-20 mins (chaotic work schedule coming up) I must ride with a purpose and a goal. I will keep Beaux and his needs first, with relaxation as our main goal.
  • Saddle shopping, this one is tough, I’m torn between a few different saddles, but I need a saddle that can be comfortable enough for trails yet be able to school in the arena. May end up with my “fallback” saddles Wintec AP or Wintec Dressage, although the Abetta saddles are catching my eye, plus a few Aussie saddles that also have my interest. Beaux is hard to fit so that will be my first priority, what fits him and I can deal with comfort for me later.

Time Management and Goal Setting will be new mantra, and let the saddle shopping begin!