Trotting on to 2024 - Goals, Progress and More (Jan-Feb)

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Also closing out!

Me:
Blance work, life, riding--try not to get burned out. Set boundaries! better than last fall, still need to get better!
Start using walking treadmill again--2-3x a week
Cook 2-3 times a week
Keep a riding log/journal to track progress and plan ahead
Video tape rides
Work on position

MM:
Maintain fitness
Do more jumping--including at least one other lesson
Work on getting a true collected and true extended canter back
Sprinkle in plenty of fun days--trails, bridleless work, liberty work, etc

RP:
Lunge 1x a week
Continue targeted strength training/rehab
Work on straightness and correct bend
Work on sharpness of moving laterally off the leg and keeping a clear trot in the lateral work (esp SI)
play with CC i had thought CC would be helpful for canter issues, but have since found that canter LYs have been more helpful

[StraightForward]

Goals this period:

Self:
Keep working through hoof trimming and kinesiotaping videos/content
[color=#FF0000]Lose 5#
Add a fourth day of working out, preferably a weekend run[/color]
30 day Feldenkrais challenge staring January 2nd.
Lauren Sprieser Ride iQ sitting trot lesson at least once a week.

Tesla:
All the haunches in work
Connection with energy
Haul out once a week
Go to the winter jumping shows if it's not too frigid

I was feeling pretty good until I revisited this! Well, we had some weather that got us down in January, then I had travel, hurt my back, traveled again. All in all I think we are ahead from where we were two months ago, so it's all good.

This morning I hauled to the big indoor, but the owner was up on a lift inside doing some work, so I rode outside. We got about 20 good minutes and then T sort of ground down from a right lead canter, and as I was trying to get her going again, she started spooking at noises coming from the indoor. The weather was getting blustery and there were leaves and tumbleweeds blowing around, so I decided this was not the hill I wanted to die on, packed up and went home. Sometimes it be like that.

[Moutaineer]

Breathe, breathe better.
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Well, its better than it was. I'm working with the speech therapist once every couple of weeks and things are improving. Painfully slowly but there is progress. I'm also working out and doing pilates.

Ride, ride better. I'm riding my own horse 4 times a week and not dying in the process

Combine the two.

And in the mean time, work to solidify the truly glorious feeling of "between the seat and the hand" that has appeared over my last couple of rides, as if with choirs of angels singing, like a true Christmas miracle!

Yes! This I'm just thrilled with. I feel like I've found his key!

(To do this at all gaits successfully will involve my actually sitting down on my right butt cheek and relaxing my inner thigh in the right lead canter, which showed up as an interesting little missing link today. There's always something )

Thats still a bit of an issue, but its getting better and I'm very aware of it.

I could do with losing 5lbs, too. ahem.

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Overall, I'm very happy with the progress I've made this winter. Its all solidifying the basics and filling in holes, but im coming out of this period a better and more confident rider than I went into it.

But I still can't work out how to change the font color on my phone....

[khall]

January and February I have lowered expectations depending on the weather ( looking at lots of rain with no indoor unless I can find somewhere to haul to)

I do have a clinic with Cedar scheduled in February if I can fill it. A couple of regular riders are out so we will see.


Here is what I had indicated to Cedar I wanted to work on this winter with Joplin
Introduce the double
Lots of trot canter trot CC transitions (it’s a focus Cedar has for helping set up for FCs Exvet:)
Caveletti under saddle
LY/HP canter work
More piaffe US which is going well so far!
CW focus I hope

Prepare for new foal!!!
Have some barn repairs this month and fence repairs too. Have 2 months to go. Seen the little one kicking and moving now. Gaila is quite round bellied but in fabulous shape. Not bagging yet which is good. Expect it last month if pregnancy. Get my foaling stuff together. Naval dip ivermectin etc

A friend has a foal due next month. We hope to let them be weaning buddies later this year.


Me continue with weight loss and Pilates. 20 more pounds to go.


This go around actually went better than I thought riding time wise with the exception of this last couple of weeks. Had a good clinic. Actually touching on changes and Joplin gets the concept. Did not put her in the double but have it put together now and just need to take the plunge. Still waiting on a foal. So is my friend. We are in limbo waiting on Mother Nature