2015 In Review

This year has been crazy.  We started off strong, then life happened and is ending with a feral yak beast.

Full beast mode engaged

 I feel like the year started out fairly well. The winter was very cold, so not a whole lot was done early.  We ran into some issues with spinning and bolting early on and this really affected my confidence.  Then in the spring I found out I was pregnant. The nausea and lack of confidence kept me out of the saddle for just about the rest of the year.

Some other highlights include:
-Did a CMO in May with my in-law's horse. This was a confidence boost, but couldn't outdo the nausea
-Got a new-to-me saddle that I still need to figure out if I want to keep. I sat in it once and Max hasn't had a saddle on since. Unfortunately, every time I think of this saddle I start to feel a little nausea from association.  Hoping this will go away once the kid is born. It needs a better fitting girth and longer stirrup leathers. I do remember that much.
-Built a teeter totter/bridge that has been a lot of fun. 
-Started doing carrot stretches with Max. I've since tapered off, but still do them occasionally. He loves them! (okay, really it's the treats he loves)
-I did putz around bareback on Max a few times in the paddock and he was still relatively good.

We teeter and we totter. We're a good boy!

Let's look at my goals written a year ago. 

We did go for rides! But not through icy water.

Goals for Max:
- Improve leg yields - Nope
- Get a decent turn on the forehand and haunches - Nope
- Work on some trail obstacles - technically we did this, just not as much

 

My human is crazy, but she feeds me so I try.

Goals for Me:
- Continue lessons in some fashion - this started off well enough, but then I had to stop due to life events
- Be able to sit the canter under saddle - we didn't work on this during lessons and I never got Max to the point where I could even think of sitting. 
- Build/set up some trail obstacles - Yes! I did not make as many as I had hoped, but I got a bridge/teeter toter made. I also made some poles colorful enough to see in the pasture and had that L thing set up for a while. I have more plans for the coming year
- Ride the pony with the goal of working on something, at least once per week* - This did not happen. It started, then it ended fairly quickly.
- Doing groundwork or lunging at least once per week** - Nope - At this point, the beast hasn't been handled all that much and has turned feral. He's getting pushy and needs some refreshing

We bow for treats!  Actually, we bow a lot, even without being cued. Gimme treats!

 
Other Goals:***  We did buy a trailer, right around the same time I found out I was pregnant
- Have at least one lesson on Max - Nope
- Take Max off property at least once for a trail ride - Nope



* By this, I mean more than just absentmindedly riding around the property. I want to ride with focus and a clear idea of what I want to accomplish during the ride.

**Again, this is more than just the basic stuff we do every time I'm around him.

***These are completely dependent on whether we are able to purchase a trailer this year. Have truck, need trailer...

The beginning of the easy life for me.

So, over all I'd say goals not met, but I don't feel too bad or guilty about that.  I mostly feel bad that I haven't been spending much time with the pony at all.