Hello, and welcome back to the blog! Today I would like to share my intentions for 2023. I like to create intentions for all areas of my life; mind and spirit, physical, environmental, social, financial and vocational. However, for the purpose of this blog, I am going to focus on my equestrian goals.
2022 has been the most challenging and most rewarding year of my life. I got married in February and then I moved with my husband to Australia from Scotland in May.
The experience has been one of many highs and lows. In the beginning I struggled with feelings of identity loss in leaving everything I knew behind; my family, friends and of course my heart horse Bo. I wasn’t sure how to live this strange life in the beginning and I struggled with the changes. It has taken me a long time to mentally work through these interpersonal issues and get to the point I am at now where I feel I have become more mentally resilient and I am enjoying what Australia has to offer. The opportunities out here are unbelievable and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take the leap and move down under.
With 2022 being a year of much change and unpredictability, it is reassuring to know that 2023 will be significantly less challenging as, of course, we have already completed the move and have started to settle into life here. It will have new challenges I am certain but none quite as monumental as moving country.
In the new year, I would like to prioritise horses more as I feel I have lost an element of my equestrian self, just with moving and not having the same commitment as I did. I felt more connected and consistent back home in Scotland because I physically had to be at the yard daily, whereas here it is easy to be slack because I have no stables to muck out, haynets to fill and not even a walk to the field to catch my horse! It is easy to just give Bryni a quick check over and head off. There has been so much to do and to settle into that it’s been tricky to build a routine. So, I would like to get back into riding and training without constantly having a time schedule to follow.
Complete groundwork with Bryni
I want to make sure Bryni is as prepared as possible for becoming a riding horse. In an effort to do this, I plan to ensure I do lots of groundwork to form strong foundations. This will include my own mixture of horsemanship exercises, relationship building exercises and the traditional lunging and long reining.
Back and start Bryni
Bryni isn’t three until September so I don’t want to back her before then. If she is mature enough and physically level then I’ll lightly back and start her around September/ October and work with her for around 8-12 weeks before turning her away for December/ January. I say this all in theory, it will largely depend on Bryni and if I feel she is ready. I will gauge this from the groundwork throughout the year.
Get into a regular riding routine
I’ve let riding slip a little in 2022, largely because it’s been a tough year trying to settle in. However, I have the opportunity to ride Echo and Cash and I want to make sure I keep my riding up so that when it comes to backing Bryni, I don’t feel like a sack of potatoes! I also love these two horses and would like to help them improve, especially Cash because he needs to build up trust with riders again.
Take a lesson a month
There is an instructor who comes to the yard every Sunday and so I would really like to get some pointers. I’ve not had a lesson in such a long time and I feel like I’ve lost some of my balance and ability with not riding consistently so I’d really like to regain that back again. I might need it for my spicy Welsh when she’s backed!
Blog on a bi-weekly basis
Blogging is an area of my life I enjoy but it’s also an area that can be difficult to maintain and takes the sidelines when life is busy. Weekly posts, I’ve realised, are very difficult for me to consistently achieve. I’ve decided for 2023, I’d like to try to commit to bi-weekly posts. It’s an important year, and I want to track Bryni’s progress as much as I can so I’ve got the entries to look back on.
So there we have it, my 2023 intentions! Here’s to a fun, productive and meaningful new year!
What are your 2023 intentions?
Happy Horsing and Happy New Year!
BBequines 