2017 - Goals and Plans for Next Year!

Well, 2016 is coming to an end and it's been another interesting year full of highs and lows. I started out the year with a real drive to get healthy and I dieted and exercised like crazy. The scale didn't move much, and I was ridiculously frustrated. I had blood-work checked, tried cutting carbs and nothing worked. I basically gave up and gained a good part of the weight back. Looking back at the pictures from the Spring, I definitely was leaner, even if the scale didn't say so. In 2017, I am getting back on the bandwagon and I am going to try to once again to get back to a good, healthy weight.

The show season this year was great. My first show at the MODA show in April was a big learning experience riding 4-2 and 4-3 for the first time. Moving up to PSG by July was truly a lifetime dream accomplished. I hoped that I might finish my silver medal, but I'm fine with leaving that for next year.

Breaking my foot on October 29 was one of the lower points of the year. It was difficult to be out of the saddle for six weeks with limited mobility. But as a friend recently said to me that when we are hurt, it's bad, but when something happens to our horse, it is so much worse. So when I was finally cleared to ride and Gadget came down with an acute case oh lymphangitis just a day before I was to pick him up from Kristin's, I was terrified. Thankfully, he got excellent vet care thanks to Kristin's quick actions, and he was back to work within a week. He is still on twice daily meds and daily leg wrapping, but I thank God that it wasn't worse.

And a non-horsey achievement was making partner at my law firm this year. Although my work certainly does not involve horses, I think it is the horses that motivate me to keep doing this work. Hopefully 2017 will be a better year for work as well.

Before getting to my 2017 Goals, here's how I stacked up against the 2016 Goals:

GOALS FOR 2016:

1. Improve the working pirouette and work on the canter pirouette for PSG. The pirouettes are still new to me and Gadget, so I am hoping that we will get more experience in this movement and begin showing the pirouette. I think I actually accomplished this. The pirouettes are so much more confirmed and I am actually riding them; not just sitting there. Still much to learn, but this was definitely an achievement met.
2. Work on half-steps. I just started touching on the beginning of halfsteps with Gadget, and I want to continue working on moving toward better halfsteps. I think this will give him more range in his collected trot. So I did work on half steps this year, and the idea of half steps does rebalance Gadget uphill. However, the halfsteps don't seem to be "trending" toward piaffe. It mostly still feels like a little trot, but we are still working on it.
3. Continue to improve the flow, consistency, and relaxation in the tempi changes. Gadget now completely understands the aids for the tempi changes, and he tries to hard to please me. Right now, he is getting very fired up about the tempis. I think working on keeping the tempo of the canter and relaxation in place will be critical to the success of these changes. This is getting better. Since Gadget has been home this month, our tempis have been feeling pretty good. We definitely have a better feel for the timing of the aids. Although this took several years, I am definitely feeling significant improvement in the tempis this year.
4. Improve the canter halfpass. It's just not a movement that is easy for me to ride. Gadget can go sideways, and he can bend, but keeping him in position with enough later movement is not easy. I want to continue improving those halfpasses. This actually feels much better, too! Last year, I could not get the left change in or after the halfpass to save my life, but it's coming together now! Gadget can stay in a more collected canter, which has made all of the difference.
5. Show 4-2 and/or 4-3. Fourth level test 2 seems like the most logical progression at this point. Fourth three is rumored to be more difficult than PSG in some ways. These tests are technical and quick-moving, but I'm excited to give them a try! CHECK! It was nice to check this off the list in April!
6. Maybe Show PSG?! I have had a couple friends and trainers mention that PSG may be on the horizon. It makes my heart skip a beat to think of actually showing at PSG with Gadget. YES! Such a huge, momentous, awesome experience. Never, ever in my wildest dreams did I think Gadget would get here when I bought him, or even after we got our bronze. The love I feel for my little Gadget just makes my heart burst. 
7. USDF Silver Medal. To think of getting my silver medal on Gadget would be such a monumental accomplishment. I so want it to happen! This may not happen, but I'm throwing it on the list! So we are almost there! I need just one more score! This was a reach goal, and it almost happened! Hopefully 2017 will be our year.
8. Jump, do cavaletti, hack or some other non-dressage work regularly. Gadget loves his non-dressage work, and I want to make sure that he is happy. I want to make sure I build in lots of time galloping in the field, popping over crossrails, or playing over poles. I think I was successful with this. We have a large lovely field that Gadget loves to work in. Sometimes we'll head to the dressage ring and he will look longing at the field and we will change course and go gallop around. It has definitely made him fitter and happier.
9. Continue working on my seat to make it quieter. Control of my seat is becoming more and more important. I need to be quieter and more precise in my cues. I owe it to Gadget to be as fit and finessed in the saddle as I can be, so I really want to continue improving. Last January, my lessons with Kristin through the Dressage Foundation gifted scholarship really allowed me to focus on my seat, and I had a break through about how much quieter my upper body needed to feel. I think I am making progress in that area. I still have some crookedness issues, but those are getting better slowly, too.
10. Lose 10 pounds before show season. Not exactly a horsey goal, but it's important to me and my riding. I'm squeezing into my fat clothes right now, and I hate it. Need to at least get down to my normal weight range before show season. So I lost 8 pounds, but then gained it back. UGH!

As usual, I have stars in my eyes with dreams for 2017. So here's my grand list of goals for the coming yera:

2017 Goals:

1.   Get my last score of 60% at PSG for Silver Medal This seems very obtainable, but I still don't think it will be easy. To get bronze and silver on Gadget will be so fulfilling, if it happens.
2.  Nail the Tempis!  I think I am getting the timing and feeling how uphill he needs to be to get through an accurate line, so now I want consistency! I want to be able to nail these in the show ring!
3. Improve the Left Pirouette. It's getting better, but because he does not bend easily that direction, it does not have the sit and flow of the right pirouette. It's a work in progress.
4. Keep Gadget feeling his best For some reason, Gadget always starts feeling a bit off in the fall. I need to find a way to manage him better through the summer so his body stays happy. He may need a bit of downtime mid-summer. Also, now that cellulitis is a concern, I am hoping to keep his legs looking and feeling good through the next year too.
5. Begin shopping for a young horse to bring along in the Spring. I think I am ready to start bringing along a youngster while Gadget works at the upper levels. I don't want to push Gadget beyond his limits. I want him to go back to easier work before he "breaks." I think a younger horse will help me keep things in perspective. This is also part of a YOLO (you only live once) perspective. After two years with injuries, I don't want to wait too long to buy the young horse of my dreams. I want to do it now. You never know what life has in store. I am so excited about the prospects of a talented young horse that I can hardly contain myself. I'm sure I have a very steep learning curve ahead of me!
6. Get Healthy a/k/a Skinny White breeches. Shadbelly. Enough said. I'm hoping to clean up my diet and add in regular exercise. I may even try a personal trainer once a week to learn a bit more about light weight lifting, etc. Currently at my highest weight -- need to make a change!

Hopefully 2017 is a year with all people and creatures staying healthy and we have another year full of fun and adventure!