I am terrible about sticking to my New Years Resolutions. After many years of failed attempts (I won’t blow all my extra cash at the show booths, I wont eat all the cookies in the package the day I buy them, I am going to limit my foul language to only the most dire of circumstances) I have decided that maybe resolutions that do not pertain to my riding career just aren’t for me. So I have compiled a list of potential Riding Resolutions for you and your horse to consider in 2017, submitted by our fellow citizens of Jumper Nation.
Emily Anne would like to find the special part of the brain where the mud radar hides in gray horses.
Photo by Emily Anne.
Taylor Studley wants to figure out how to ride all the fancy pole grids she sees on YouTube.
Photo by Taylor Studley
Erika Niezgoda-Kuroski is going to remind her horse daily that he is in fact a horse, not a giraffe.
Photo by Erika Niezgoda-Kuroski
Ileana Tostado (who bravely crossed enemy lines from eventing to share her resolution) and her horse are working on their resolution together: to learn that combined training does NOT mean that you combine dressage and stadium into the same class.
Photo courtesy of Ileana Tostado
Francessca Valeri’s resolution is to teach the horses how to help out a bit at the barn. If she can muck stalls, so can they!
Photo by Francesca Valeri
Katie Sanchez’s horse Diego has been working on his Yoga skills in 2016 and hopes that in 2017 he will be able to fully bend his body in half.
Photo by Katie Sanchez
Kelly Elizabeth’s New Years Resolution is to always wear a helmet. Even when she is brushing off her horses legs. #ouch
Lynne and her horse Gunner have a goal of being able to walk while ON the horse! The pair has been on two months of hand walking rehab- and they are both over it.
Jackie McKuin says her resolution is simple: to ride into the arena, complete the course, and ride out…WITHOUT REMOUNTING!
Clair has a goal of jumping the correct fence height. #jumpallthesticks #noscopenohope
Photo courtesy of Clair Barnett
Martika Hendriks wants to get her horse more on his hind end.
Photo courtesy of Martika Hendriks by GNGR Photography.
Jayme Nault’s resolution is to stop making funny faces at the horse show photographer (but personally, we think you should keep doing it indefinitely).
Photo courtesy of Jayme Nault
Rachel Willis has a goal most of us can relate to. She wants to actually get on a horse #momproblems.
Ashley Viands intends to spend 2017 reminding her horses that they are jumpers…not reiners.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Viands
No matter what your New Years Riding Resolution might be, go forth and conquer! The only way to see change is to be change, so saddle up and get going. Let’s see where 2017 takes us all in our riding careers. And of course if all doesn’t go according to plan – At least get it on camera and commiserate with Jumper Nation, won’t you?
Go Jumping.