For many of us, 2016 was an incredibly challenging year, and the drive to do better, be happier, and have fewer breakdowns is certainly on the to-do list. However getting a clear idea of our goals can be difficult, and at times confusing. For us horse riders, this is even more testing, as we have to consider our four legged team mates in our goal setting as well, and as such, we have to consider realistic and achievable goals for not only ourselves, but for them as well. But the thing is, our horses can’t exactly sit down with us and explain what they do and don’t want to accomplish this year, leaving it up to us to figure it out for ourselves, and this isn’t the easiest of tasks. All that being said, this week I will take a look at how we horse riders can set achievable and realistic goals for both ourselves, and our fury friends.
Walking in to 2017, it would be fantastic to be able suddenly start waking up at 4:30am to muck out yards, ride your horse(s), feed, have breakfast, and then rock up to work, university, or school looking and feeling fabulous. I hate to break it to you, but it simply doesn’t work that way! The art of goal setting requires you to be completely and utterly honest with yourself about where you are currently, how much time and effort you will actually be able to put in, and how much time you have to reach said goals. We would all love to be able to say we will go from riding Novice level dressage one year, to smashing out GP the next, however for most of us, this simply isn’t an achievable goal, so setting smaller, more manageable goals is the best way to ensure you stay on track this year.
Success is all about organisation. If you take a look at any of the top riders, they have their lives organised down to the minute, and if you want to be the best (and by this I mean the best version of you) then you need to take on a more methodical, driven mentality. So, step one: buy a diary! This is one of those super simple, yet incredibly effective, steps, that will honestly make your goal setting that much easier. Go out, and buy one of those nice diaries that has sections like ‘week by week’, ‘study planner’, ‘dinner dates’ etc. – having to write down ALL of your commitments means you have to acknowledge that you may not currently have a schedule that allows you to get all of your horse related goals smashed out as soon as you had hoped. However, don’t let this deter you! By acknowledging just how busy your life is, it gives you chance to reorganise lunches to suit your lessons, and decline that party invite because you’d rather go to that clinic – by organising your life, you give yourself the tools to prioritise the aspects of your life that relate to your goals.
So, you’ve got your diary, what now? This is where you need to sit down and assess and write down the following:
- What happened in 2016? What competitions did you attend? How did you go at these competitions (include scores and feedback where necessary). What clinics, lessons, and events did you go to?
- Where are you at with your riding currently? What dressage movements are you and your horse competent at, and what needs work? How comfortably can you complete a 90cm showjumping or cross country course? How fit are both you and your horse presently (if you’ve both had time off over the holidays this will impact your current fitness).
- Taking in to account ALL of the above, how would you like to improve? Competing at the same level as last year, what percentage would you like to improve by? What movements would you like to be comfortable riding? Remember – be realistic!
- Finally – what time frame are you looking at each specific goal? Is there a particular competition/clinic/outing you would like to attend with your horse that requires a certain level of training? If so, this is a time sensitive goal, so ensure to write down how long you have from now to reach said goal, and assess if this is achievable. If it is, that’s fantastic! If you’re not entirely sure, be sure to set this tentatively, and ensure you don’t place any negative or unnecessary pressure on you or your horse.
In order to be completely honest and realistic about each individual goal, primarily in relation to time frames, I find it best to sit down with your coach and lay it all on the table – literally and metaphorically – and take on a professional’s insight in the effort and hard work it will take to reach each objective. I referred to goal setting as an art earlier on in this article, because it requires self-reflection and honesty, but also because it requires you to appreciate where you’ve come from, as well as where you are now, and sometimes this is incredibly difficult to do alone. We horse riders tend to be incredibly harsh on ourselves – we’re perfectionists – and as such we seem to forget what we have already achieved. Our coach’s don’t – they have been witness to all of our triumphs, and those important moments, like when you squealed when you nailed walk to canter transitions, and as such you need to take advantage of that, and allow your coach to help guide you through your goal setting for 2017. After all, they will be the ones helping you smash each one out anyway.
2017 is your year to shine, to slowly and progressively work towards that big dream, whatever it may be, that awaits you in the future. So sit down, with your nice new diary, your cup of coffee, and your coach, and set small goals that will guide you in the right direction. Aim to nail that pesky upwards transition, or that tricky combination, and aim to do it all with your best friend by your side, feeling strong, accomplished and empowered. This year is yours for the taking, you just have to be determined (and organised enough) to reach out and grab it!
– Talea Paraskevas