Why I don’t “do” goals.

So goals really are not my thing. For several reasons. Matt Brown did an interesting series on “Not focusing on your goals” that spoke to me. Granted I didn’t read every single word here because…well you guys know I don’t really read a ton of articles online. While I do intend to fully read the entire series, right now I am going to do some typing.

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They do not always work out.

This is a big reason why I don’t do goals. I am fairly competitive. And not winning, or not getting everything done that I want to do really weighs on me. I am also fairly anxious and get stressed easily. So yeah writing down “goals” is a great idea…they just stress me out and then make me sad when I don’t accomplish them.

Not a trailer, but still a big purchase

Grandiose.

I like to be “go big, or go home” when I have written goals out. Like back in 2017 when I wrote about doing an ‘A’ jumper show, or buying a horse trailer. While yeah, those are things that I did WANT to do, they weren’t really something that was ever in my budget. Or things I was ready to get done. While they may not seem unrealistic to some people, they kind of were, and still are, to me.

Fixed, not growth.

In the first part of the series that Matt Brown did, he wrote a lot about fixed goals and growth goals. In the past I have almost strictly written fixed goals. I want to do do THIS which leads to disappointment when you don’t get THAT done. Yes, you may be closer to getting THAT done, but when you do not get IT done, and That was your goal, you I tend to forget about what I did to get there.

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I have learned, that for me personally, writing out these “definitive” or fixed goals just does not work. I need to focus more on the “How did I get to there” vs. the “I need to get to there” ideology. It works better for my brain.

I also need to not stress about what other people’s goals are compared to mine. Which I do a lot. Everyone’s journey is different. Everyone’s budget for things is different. I need to focus more on what I can do for Luna and I and not think about what other people are doing and comparing us to that.

always on a journey

So this year, I will be doing something a little “different” then what other bloggers do when it comes to “goals”.

Do you like to write out goals? Or do you like to do something different?

Merry Christmas!

Well it’s officially Christmas time! We’ve made the voyage up to my parents for the week and are really enjoying the peace and quiet. I am missing my pony but she’s got “her kid” – who is not a kid at all – riding her and keeping her happy.

So from my family to yours – Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Am I the only one…

That doesn’t like reading online horse-related articles? I just cannot sit there, and read them !

me trying to read articles

Lots of them are in tiny little writing, with too many ads or other gobbly-gook on the sides that it is just so distracting trying to read them. There are rarely enough pictures pertaining to the actual topic that I am reading about. It is either more ad’s or something un-interesting.

boop

I am also more of a “do-er” then a “reader”. The only article I have read (that I can remember) that I have learned something from, and has been useful to me was the article on Practical Horseman by Laura Graves on creating a self going horse.

Did it take me all day at work to read it? Yes.

Did I enjoy reading it?  Yes.

Why? Because it was interesting. It was written in the way I learn AND there were lots of pictures! Plus I quite like Laura Graves’ way of doing things. It wasn’t overly complicated talking about having the “feeling” that so many articles talk about – but how do you understand that when you aren’t on the horse?

how i prefer to read

Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy reading. But the format I see on a lot of websites makes it hard for me to read. I would much rather have a book/magzine in front of me.

So please tell me that I am not actually the only person that is like this….please?

 

Bloghop : Favorites of 2018

I first saw this over on Amanda’s Blog yesterday and I just could not, not join in on this. Because blog posts with pictures are so much more “my thing” then actually typing out a bunch of words. Don’t get me wrong, I will probably do a full recap, but this is too fun!

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Favorite show picture

Well I haven’t shown at all in probably two years. But this is one when we were at least away from home! When we actually remembered how to load…

Favorite non-show picture

Favorite thing you bought 

Obviously my saddle!

Favorite moment on horseback

This was from (I think) our first ride out at Blackfoot this year. She was stellar. I don’t think I’ve ever fast cantered – because we don’t have much of a gallop lol – for so long. Good company and ponies keeps my happy

Favorite moment out of the saddle

Not horse related at all. Best week, with the best husband.

Favorite “between the ears” picture

From one of our many trail rides out at Blackfoot this summer. Wish we had been able to get out more!

Favorite horse book or article

Laura Graves: How to Create a Self-Going Horse

I actually just read this this week, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. No forward but all the crazy has been Luna’s thing the last week and the day I read this article I had the BEST ride.

Favorite horse ridden (or groomed/cared for) aside from your own

Quinn ! She may have been the only other horse I think I’ve been on but she was SO MUCH FUN!

Favorite funny picture of your horse

This was from the same lesson as the gif from below….mare’s, they are opinionated !

Favorite fence that you successfully jumped or movement that you conquered

By far it was finally getting some clean changes. I suppose we at least ended on a good note before she was off for 5 weeks for finally accomplishing this?

Favorite horse meme or funny picture

 

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I hope you have enjoyed the picture recap and do this yourselves! And no skipping !

Review: Millbrook Stirrup Leathers

I bought a pair of these stirrup leathers not long after they first “came out and were a thing” – I say it like that because are they still a big “thing”?

made by pravins, sold by millbrook (in NA)

I was intrigued by the width for more then one reason – the added stability is always a bonus, but also because I hated the feel of normal stirrup leathers under my leg. That feeling of a thin(width) but still bulky thickness of most normal stirrups leathers were not enjoyable.

So once these popped up on my radar, I had to try them. The problem is is that I am too damn cheap to buy things that we don’t carry in the store. Honestly. If you see me buying something that IS NOT at the store – it’s because it is on a mega deal or we can’t get it in.

So what did I do? Made the boss order them in of course. LOL.

Out of the box these things are ugly. They are STIFFFFFFFF. They come curled up in a pair and to uncurl them is a hassle. It’s leather, it shouldn’t be THAT stiff. And I swear I used half a bottle of oil on them to supple them up and make them more pliable.

The first ride in them was a bit uncomfortable. They felt bulky because of how stiff they were and they did not lay very nicely on my saddle. But after that first initial ride they wore in and I no longer noticed them.

They do what they are supposed to in terms of keeping your leg steady. My leg was never unsteady, but when my horse has a bobble, I could feel how much of a difference they did make. I haven’t ridden in anything else since I bought them so at this point it is a bit hard to say how much they’ve actually helped.

when we used to jump

I am now riding in them with a longer leg since I am in a Dressage saddle vs. the jump saddle I WAS in…that should attest to the fact that their recommended size guide is a bit off. They would probably be okay for someone with a normal leg length vs. their height but my upper body is long, whereas my legs are shorter.

Pro’s

• The added width adds stability.
• They have a sleek feel under the leg.
• They are holding up really well.

you can see the weird color here, which has never been helped by oil

Con’s

• They are $$$.
• The color has faded weirdly in spots.
• Size guide is a bit off.
• You cannot run your stirrups up.

saving my butt a bit in a deep spot. I miss jumping

Overall, I do like this leathers. They do have some faults, and I would suggest NOT buying them at regular price, but if you are looking for a different feel under you leg and some added stability – go for it…when they are on sale.

The most important thing for me is that they are lasting, even with my abuse and constantly sliding my Freejumps off of them before and after every ride. I don’t think a normal leather would allow for that and stay in one piece.

In the end, I’m going to give these about a 3.75 out of 5.

 

(I purchased this with my own money, and have not been compensated in any way to write this honest review. Everything here is my own opinion.)

Sometimes I do things I shouldn’t…

Like go to the barn on nights that its poured for a few hours, on top of the snow we have. Or when its creepily foggy out.

in the driveway, you can see the moisture hanging out

I was really gung-ho to go to the barn on Monday night because of how my schedule is going to work out this week. I’d go Monday, take Tuesday off, then go Wednesday and Thursday and take Friday off. Otherwise it kind of screwed up my whole schedule. I don’t want to ride her more than a couple of days in a row right now since she’s just coming back to work.

But when I proceeded to get to the same side of the city as the barn…it started to get really foggy. Which at that point is not a good sign. We are right by a big lake muskeg and it usually makes it way foggier out there than anywhere else around the city. So I decided to skip the barn and just go home.

And then I flip-flopped a bit.

me the whole way there

And then I was at the township road to head out to the barn. Sooo I did.

Which then turned into this :

fml

 

Maybe not the wisest decision, like the fog could have been worse, and I could have been driving completely blind, but it was still pretty bad.

But whatever was out in the fog, was making the cows across the road upset. Which then made my horse upset stupid. No one was home in her brain. She is such a saint almost every other day, I should cut her a break. But seriously horse. W.T.F

giraffe mode activated

 

When I had to move the mounting block to get on is when I really should have taken it as a clue that it was going to be an interesting ride. But I waited until we almost made one lap around the arena and then just about came before I realized how spooky she really was.

25 minutes later we had a slight resemblance of a “relaxed” horse.

But once we were down at the barn again, and I was going back and forth putting my stuff in the tack room, going to my car because how dare I forget her peppermints, Lilly, the barn dog, would not stop following me around.

look at this adorable face

She never sticks around the barn. Ever. Unless her bestie Loki is there. She comes to my car, says hi and then leaves. Every time. She never sits outside the barn door and waits. Or follows me into the tack room or to put my horse away. On an already eerie night, she just made it a bit more creepy – like something was out there.

Can you tell I listen to A LOT of true crime and spooky stories? LOL.

Maybe next time I go when I shouldn’t, and its foggy, and the cows are yelling I will just pet my pony and go home.

 

 

Million pounds.

That’s what it’s been like to ride my horse lately.

Yeah, she’s coming back, I get that, it is just sort of disappointing as she was going soooo well. I know it will take the time to come back to where she was. But I did enough rehab with Calika, that this time around I am feeling super rushed to get her back to work.

I just want to do all of the things again!

we can at least look the part

I figured that I would try her in the Pelham on Sunday’s ride to see if she needed a bit of a reminder about what life was about now that we are doing things again and not on vacation. It didn’t work as I had hope.

We’ve only cantered 2, maybe 3 times in the last …. what, 2 weeks? I can’t even remember how long she has been back under saddle already. But I have been taking it really slow. Lot’s of transitions, circles, bending etc. But my god, the weight in my hands is a killer. And in the canter she feels like a wild banshee taking me for a ride. The Pelham did help with that a wee bit on Sunday’s ride. As in there was some steering and not as much exuberance.

being pretty is her thing

I’ve also been feeling like I no long know how to ride. I put my left leg on and somehow I am out to the right with my upper body. She has a mini spook and I swear I am falling off backwards at a freaking walk. We get fancy prancy because the poles and standards at the far end of the arena are going to eat us and I just…do weird things.

None of this is helping the million pounds in my hands. I feel like I am kind of doing an okay-ish job of staying out of her way when we are moving around but I know that she is a mirror of me. I am also not scheduled to start lessons until January so I am on my own.

think we are both doing this

In the meantime, while I try to remember how to ride my horse, I am going to go grab some cookies and contemplate getting in riding shape again.

omnomnom

Ps – In the above picture….if you look really hard at that plastic bag, you can see the weights I bought this weekend to help with my exercise program that I am supposed to be doing….wishful thinking on my behalf? lololol.

Brain Block

Do you ever just have nothing to write about?

Like nothing at all?

my brain 

This is one of those posts. 

I am just so stuck on something to blog about. It’s like I have all of these idea’s, but I just CANNOT sit down and type it all out. If you talked to me in person, I do not have this problem one bit. I will talk allllll day along about everything. But writing ? Nope, just cannot seem to do it. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t actually have to happen RIGHT NOW?

also my brain

Sure, this week I will have at least two posts out, maybe three, but that is really only because I got this fancy new laptop and I love it and I just want to use it. Using it only for Facebook seems like such a waste. So here I am, on a Saturday night, typing this out. 

Sure, I want to write about big, important things – but to sit down and do it? Nah, would rather go ride my horse. Or eat some food. Maybe I should blog about food? I like food. A lot. 

mmmmm food

You know what I like more though? My horse. 

long time ago

So where do the rest of you in blog land get your inspiration from? What kinds of things do you enjoy reading about? Because we all enjoy reading different things ! And no harm in that!

big booty beeeches

For now, I am going to go have a glass of wine and go to bed early like the 90 year old woman I secretly am !

Ps – I realize that this post is much like my post on Monday…..my bad. But I am leaving it scheduled because I at least took the time to write it all out. LOL

M.I.A lately.

Not that I am actually posting that much on a normal basis, but some of you may have noticed that I haven’t been posting really AT ALL over the last few weeks. 

Luna’s been off, so it’s not like much has been going on with her. I couldn’t be bothered to post a bunch of pictures of her miserable in a stall and what her poop looked like, how many there were and how much she pee’d. While those are all important things to us horse people, no one REALLY wants to read about that! 

who wants to read boring?

Luna also being off has actually made me a sad panda. More then it should have. It’s not like she is broken. She JUST has a cut. And I’ve needed to remind myself of that several times over the last few weeks. I just get sucked into the vortex of “what if” and then starting thinking about everything else that could happen because of it being a cut. It is a vicious circle.

me literally the whole last five weeks

I’ve finally gotten myself back to feeling more “normal”. I am doing things again other then sitting on the couch playing video games. My migraines have kind of mostly gone away now. I’m cooking again. Now that I am back on my horse, I think I will be feeling even better. 

The other reason that I haven’t really posted at all is because my ancient decrepit MacBook Pro decided it didn’t want to work anymore. 

I CANNOT write blog posts when I am on break at work. I just cannot concentrate. At all. There are too many nosies, too many people, and just too many distractions. And seeing as that was the only access that I had to a computer it just was not happening.

Until Thursday that is. 

Helllllooooo beautiful

Happy Early Christmas to me – Thank you wonderful Husband! I am hoping that I can get back to this a bit more. Literally have been at home for maybe two hours with this beauty and I have already typed out two posts and have them scheduled – go me!

What kinds of things keeps you guys from getting posts out on the regular?

just because