Finding The Time To Ride
This time of year I have a really difficult time finding the time to ride. There is just so much to do, and I find myself wanting to come home and just become a zombie in front of the TV. Not the best use of my time, I know. But fall is the time of year where everything tends to slow down, and sometimes its nice to just do something mindless.
But my horses still need to have a job, regardless of what time of year it is. So even though it is easier to come home and veg out, I need to be a responsible horse owner, and spend time with my horses. They deserve it.
Make A Plan
I don’t know about you, but I always get more done if I have a plan. So the first thing I do on Sunday morning is come up with a plan for the week. Most of the time, this is uneventful and easy to do. The last few weeks though, it has been really difficult because I have had so much going on. But thankfully, the business is done for awhile, so I can get back to my regular routine.
Sometimes when I am feeling really “plany” I will make a project list for the entire month. Right now this is a good thing. Especially when I can plan on what I am going to be able to do with my horses in the dark. But even if I can’t ride, doesn’t mean I can’t work with my horses. On days that I know I can ride, I will take some time and plan on riding. ON the days when I can’t I really work a lot on ground work, especially with Ethan. And it is really paying off. Ethan is behaving himself a lot better, and being much more respectful. So even if I only spend a little bit of time with my horses, at least I am doing something.
Setting Realistic Goals
I am notorious for playing out a complete year with my horse in my head. If my daydreams were actual riding time, I would be a master in dressage, western dressage, jumping and barrel racing. But dreaming about it and doing it are two completely different things. Take the time to come up with some goals. How do you want improve your riding? Find areas where you are weak, and focus on that. For example, if it takes you 30 minutes to tack up your horse, set a goal to have your horse tacked up and you out riding in 20 minutes. Once you achieve that goal, set another. They don’t have to be pie in the sky goals, just regular, normal people goals.
The more goals you set, and achieve, the more your confidence will grow. This is a big deal for me. Since my fall with Ethan over the summer, my confidence is gone. But with every uneventful ride, my courage and confidence grows. Sometimes that means working outside of my comfort zone, but just a little bit. When things go well I get so giddy! And when there are little hiccups, I just take a step back. Realizing that every ride is not going to be perfect is also a goal I have. And then when a ride goes well, my confidence goes up and I work on another goal.
Riding Time Is Priority Time
This week is an excellent example. I had 2 days off from work, in addition to having the farrier coming out. But just planning on riding over those 4 days wasn’t enough of a motivator for me. I had to make the time to ride. There always seems like I can find something to do. With creating videos for my YouTube channel, writing blog posts for my blog, and The Saddle Box blog, and a hundred other things I could be doing, I had to make time to ride.
I promise, once you make the time to do it, it’s worth it. And all of that other stuff will still be there for you when your done. And I would love to say that I rode all 4 days of my work break, I didn’t. But I did ride 3 out of the 4 days. And I had a lot of quality time with my horses. So much so that when I went out to give them their late dinner around 9:30 PM, I got a very welcoming nicker from Ethan. I think my hard work with him is paying off. I didn’t ride him today, but we did do a lot of ground work as well as grooming. He even let me braid his tail. Believe me, this is progress for Ethan!
Just Do It
The best way to see an improvement in your riding, and your horse is to work with him. It doesn’t matter if it’s ground work or riding. All of it will pay off in the end. If you are planning on getting your horse fit and in shape for horse shows (my goal) or just to amble along a trail safely, it doesn’t matter, just get out there and ride. Just do it. The more you practice, the better you will be. Trust me, I give myself pep talks like that all the time.
Remember Your Why
Why did you get your horse? What gives you joy? DO you love riding? Or just being with your horse? The reason isn’t important, as long as you remember why you decided to buy your horse in the first place. Try to think about your why every once in a while, it just may help you to rekindle and find your joy in riding again.
You don’t have to ride every single day. Just try and find the time to ride when you can. Set some goals for yourself, and if you can stick to them, I think you will be very proud of yourself. Ride your horse when you can, and make time to do something with your horse whenever you can, even if it isn’t riding. In time you and your horse will improve and get better and better. You have no where to go but up!
