May Goals

Goals from last month:

1) Start putting together some coursework - two stride and three stride fences. Introduce some scarier fences (barrels and oxers).

I think I did pretty well at this. I lunged her over some barrels, but never actually got around to jumping them under saddle though. We did jump a baby oxer and do both two and three stride fences so now we just need to refine them.

2) Jumping Lesson

Well, does it count that I did get a lesson but it wasn't in April? Close enough, I finally got it done!

3)Go on a trail ride - possibly to Elijah Bristow or school cross country if weather permits

Didn't get to haul anywhere for a trail ride and it was still too wet for cross country though at one point I was riding on the trails behind the barn almost every single day!

4) Practice dressage tests

Did this! The whole point to practicing the test was to prepare for the show that was on the 1st of May, but I decided to scratch because I was also helping manage the show. I'm still super bummed :(

Ok, I need some new goals.

1) Go to a show!

There's at least three that I want to go to this month. One is a Thoroughbred Exhibitor show that sounds like a lot of fun. There's the University H/J Show, there's a dressage schooling show at a local barn, and a Foxhunt Derby. I'm definitely going to go to the Foxhunt Derby no matter what because it was a blast last year and I can't wait to do it again! I'm super bummed though that it looks like I won't be making the trip to Washington for the Hunter Pace and clinics. There's a showjumping clinic with Todd Trewin and a Steffen Peters clinic at the nearby Traumhof Farms that I really, really want to go to, but no one will go with me and today was the deadline for the Hunter Pace. Super bummed.

2) Continue to refine the trot-canter transition, and for that matter, all my transitions need work.

3) Work on the stretchy trot. Definitely a weak spot in our dressage.

4) Jumping - get some real solid work done. Don't just do, but make progress.

We need to refine our half halts so that we don't get this silly rushing and ducking out at the second jump. Once that feels better I really would like to jump some scary jumps and do some cross country.

5) Touch up on our ground work and manners on the ground.

Jetta is one of those horses that tests you all the time to try and see how much she can get away with. I've been a little lax about reinforcing boundaries and such, and if you give her an inch she'll take a mile, so I need to get on that!