January is good for…

Posted by pvos on Jan 9, 2012 in Training Journal | Comments Off

Goal setting, planning, making resolutions. Got those covered.

Of course as we all know making plans and setting goals with horses can be an exercise in frustration tolerance. You have your plan, they have theirs. Sometimes, bless their hearts, things go better than expected. Sometimes, not so much.

But you can not work with horses professionally and not have a plan. So this past week Paige Cade, Katherine Adams and I sat down to map out the first six months of 2012.

Sadly, the Olympics are not on our goal list. This year. Taking Snowbird Beginner Novice and Novice is. Attacking the puddle jumpers with Kaz and Seattle – also in the works. Throwing a leg over Pele and Stanley for the first time – nearly as exciting as an Olympic go, not quite as much glory. But it all starts somewhere.

Winter in Virginia and Aiken Horse Country

Pandora, Crumpet, Peyton, and Snowbird head to Aiken, SC

Aiken is definitely on the books for February and March. Katie will take Pandora, Crumpet, Peyton, and Snowbird and will be based out of Full Gallop Farm. She is excited as she has every right to be – that is an exceptional line up of young horses. Pandora will continue her Preliminary runs. Crumpet and Snowbird will rock out the Beginner Novice and Peyton will be going Novice by March. We have taken our time with Peyton (some horses require this) and we think the pay off is just around the corner. His jumping and flatwork have progressed at such a rate recently that even we are a little taken aback. And we were expecting this turn of events!

Indoor Training and Hunter/Jumper Shows in Virginia

Paige will stay here and hold down the fort while making good use of our indoor (with its fancy new footing) and the winter A shows held at the Lexington Horse Center here in Virginia. Promise will begin his Pre Green Highs year at the Stonewall show there. Paige’s own new horse Corey will also head down as will Kaz, both to compete in the jumper ring. So far the winter has been mild (though it’s unexpectedly snowing as I write this) and the hope is to be able to keep Seattle, Kaz, and Promise going and showing and for Paige to start Stanley and Pele in earnest, maybe even getting them out to some local shows.

Spring Plans

Once the winter is over then things really get rolling. The eventers will go to Morven, CDCTA, Fair Hill, Plantation, Virginia Horse Trials. The hunters and the jumpers plan on HITS Culpeper, Lexington Spring Encore, Upperville. It is a full book but an exciting one. I’m not going to lie – when Katie, Paige and I finished our planning meeting I felt a little preemptive exhaustion! But I know from experience that once the ball starts rolling the adrenaline kicks in, and we get into a groove and then somehow it all just seems perfectly doable. Almost normal. And even fun.

First outing of 2012 is the local Foxchase Jumper show next weekend (if this snow decides to stop.) Look for updates and pictures soon!