Mid-Year Goal Check In and Revamp

 Yes, this post is going to be as nerdy as it sounds. Feel free to skip, unless you have insomnia. In that case keep going, I can help. 

Carmen and Quaid totally meeting their personal goals

It's no surprise that I find value in goal setting. I am also well aware of the pitfalls of it: being hard if I don't meet them or feeling frustrated. What I do like about it is that it allows me to evaluate what I'm doing and how it may be contributing (or not) to my goals.  I wrote about this year's goals here. 

So with that in mind let's see where we are: 

Carmen:

1.  Maintain an even rhythm in all three gaits. And when we lose it, get it back within a stride or two. 

This is going really well. I'm so much better at keeping her in rhythm and my awareness of when she shits is much better. It's still a work in progress (and maybe always will be) so I'm keeping this one. 

2. improve our ability to adjust the length of stride within the gait while maintaining the rhythm. 

This is so much better. In the past any ask for lengthen was met with an increase in speed. Jane is on me to not let go of the contact when I ask for a lengthen because that drops her on her forehand and causes her to speed up to keep her balance. Funnily enough, if I keep the contact and ask her to push she actually changes the length of her stride and I can really feel the push.  I'm going to amend this goal to: 

Maintain contact while adjusting the length of stride and keeping the rhythm and speed the same. 

3. keep her attention on me and don't accept her giving me half-assed responses

this is improved 99.9%. Probably because I'm so much better with distractions (funny that). I'm making sure that if I ask for something, like a shoulder in, I make sure that she's trying. I'm going to change it to make it less of a goal and more of a strategy for 90% of my other goals. If that makes sense. 

4. Improve our turn on the haunches. She tends to step wide with her hind leg and my ability to feel this needs to improve. 

Our ToH is better but I still have trouble feeling when she steps wide. So this one is staying. 

I'm adding a new goal. Although, technically I've been working on it but just haven't put it down: 

Develop an effective half-halt at all three gaits to allow for a shifting of weight to the hind leg and to improve transitions, rhythm and effectiveness of the aids. 

Carmen: I'm perfect in every way

Quaid

1.  have a more consistent canter, including the transition

Way better at home. Non-existent in other places or when stressed.  I'm going to amend this goal to: 

Have a consistent canter in various contexts (locations, stressful situation). 

2. decrease his separation anxiety when we're away and I take Carmen away. 

So much better. At the show he whinnied a lot but there was no kicking. At home he doesn't care, even if I put him in the stall. he still needs more of this so I'm going to keep it. 

3.  improve his acceptance of contact. 

Oh my gosh, this is so much better. It's not like he doesn't duck or pull, he does. But more and more he's going to contact and staying there. At least at home. Again, when we go somewhere it regresses a bit. Which is probably his anxiety and my anxiety about his anxiety coming into play.  

I'm going to amend this to: 

Improve his acceptance of contact at home and in other situations by maintaining a steady hand and pushing him to contact, not pulling. 

4. Be ready to show him at Training Level this year. 

Were we ready? I thought so but maybe not. then again, maybe not. We certainly were ready at hone. But how can we learn to canter in new places if we don't canter? I'm changing this goal to: 

Improve his self-confidence in new situations by : 

    a. traveling off site at least once per month and work on maintaining steady rhythm and going forward in all 3 gaits.  

b. introducing some distractions/spooky things at home and learning how to work through it. 

When we started back riding after the show he became very spooky in one corner. There's a lot of trees/grass/birds in this corner so it's fair. I really welcomed it as a chance to learn how to work through it. The issue before was that these things came up when we really didn't have a chance to practice the skills needed to work through it. And a show is really not ideal for that. But at home even when he pulled the walking sideways, refusing to go I could definitely work on it. And it we navigated it successfully. it took a few days but that's fine.  It takes the time it takes. The trick is to be consistent, steady, and firm without giving in to emotions. 

This week I set up a little obstacle for us to play with and work around: 

it's pretty simple but different visually and underfoot

He was pretty chill about it.  I, of course, did work in hand before riding him over it. 

offered to stand there the first time I rode him over. 

He walked and trotted over it with zero cares. there's a very solid horse in there I need to bring out in other situations. 

Cordelia appreciated the new dog bed so she
could supervise me. 

Which leads to a new goal I'm adding: 

Ride Quaid forward into contact while staying upright (no curling forward) with a steady leg (no gripping) and keeping my seat in the saddle (not tight and bouncing). 

I can't believe June is almost over.  I thought time might slow down when I retired. Instead it's just speeding up. What about you? Have you changed your goals/what you're working on? How's your year going?