2011 Horse Goals

Here is a video of our ride at the house on Dec. 23rd, 2010.

I have recently realized that I underestimated the amount of work that goes into breaking a new horse. No wonder people sell well-seasoned horses for over $1000! There are SO many hours that go into making a horse great.

Stacy Westfall wrote a great article in the January America's Horse magazine (the AQHA magazine) about making new goals for your horse. She touched on deciding what to give up to reach your goals. I wish the article was online for sharing!

First, an update on my old goals: (on my previous post)

1. Help him learn to focus on and trust me when I'm riding him. This seems to improve with every ride, but needs, more than anything, more hours!
2. Desensitize him to many different obstacles, in preparation for the stock horse association trail competitions. I have continued working him on the ground with a log to cross, a wooden platform, pieces of plywood, and a set of 3 tires in the round pen. This week maybe I'll do it from his back.
3. Sensitize his turns. Going VERY well! I'm feeling very happy with his turns at the walk and trot. He could use a little more work to the left. I have been riding him in his rope halter that has knots on the nose and poll.
4. Let him learn to hold a snaffle bit in his mouth. He's only done this three or four times, but always by the end of the day of being tied with a bit in his mouth, he's very quiet. When should I start riding him with a bit, or a bit/bosal combination?
5. Teaching him to "send" into the trailer, instead of being led into the trailer. Tex is definitely resisting this one. He will send into the stall, around me, and just about anywhere else, but won't send into the trailer. He loads perfectly when I lead him in, though.

This past week, I set some definite deadlines for goals, and they are as follows:

Dec 20th-March 4th- Ride 3-4 times per week
Between Dec 20th and Feb. 28th- Use my birthday money to take a lesson with a good instructor I know, on a seasoned horse, preferably a large horse. I need to overcome my fear of large horses.
February 1st- Ride Tex out on a trail or two from time to time.
February 25th- Trailer to the team sorting event in Port Allen and at least ride around the other horses in the unfamiliar setting.
March 2nd (this one is a MAYBE)- Trailer to the LA Stock Horse Show in Lake Charles, LA and enter the trail competition only.
Beginning June 1st- Ride Tex regularly on the trails with other horses with the summer youth camp horses down the road.
July 2011- Introduce Tex to working cows. He has seen and been around cows at roping events we've trailered him to, but he has never worked a cow. I can hardly wait for this one!
August 2011- Participate in a team sorting, even if I lose sorely!
September 24th, 2011- Participate in the LA Stock Horse show at BREC's Farr Park. Trail and at least one or two other classes. Maybe all of the classes?

Other undefined dates and events:
*Ride in an extreme cowboy race with my horse friend Katherine in Amite, LA in 2011.
*Ride with another horse friend, Che Che, and get input from her, no matter how embarrassing it may be. I realize that it's important to surround myself with people who are better than myself, and this will be a good step in that direction.
*Trailer Tex and ride with Katherine at her house about 1 hour away, just for the experience of riding elsewhere.

My fears are as follows:
1. Embarrassing myself in front of the instructor and my horse friends. Hopefully they won't have high expectations of my horse skills, because they're not as good as I'd like them to be.
2. Showing up at an event and chickening out.
3. Trailering long distances. I can make the straight trip to the vet's office no problem, but I break into a cold sweat anytime I get above 50 mph.
4. Large horses. It's further to the ground if you fall off! I don't really know where this fear came from. I've ridden some pretty large horses, but still feel much more afraid when riding a big one compared to a short little cow horse.
5. Getting bucked off. This is a fear that is fading, but still very real in my mind when I have to ride alone. I was thrown 3 times in one year in 2008, and that was plenty for me.

Stacy Westfall's article says, "if you have written goals, you are much more likely to succeed." So, here are my written goals, which are also on my refrigerator for constant reminders.
Peace out!
TM