New Year, New Endeavors

Last year, my New Year's resolution was to keep up this blog with at least one post per week.  Though I did get less consistent with my timing, and I did fall behind occasionally, I would say I kept my resolution.  This year, I decided to try to stick to the same resolution, because I have really come to love blogging. However, I feel like I've been missing out on a big part of what seems a common aspect of the blogging experience: GOALS.

I never made goals before because I have an extremely busy schedule outside of my horsey life, and it just didn't seem realistic for me to be making progress in that way.  Sometimes life gets crazy and its a week or more between barn visits, and sometimes (coughwintercough) Jazz is not feeling this whole 'moving forward' nonsense and, not entirely by choice, we have a groundwork foundation day.  

However, I've been thinking about what I want to write, and I consider what I like to read.  Probably some of my favourite posts to read on other's blogs are goals.  So, I'm going to try it.  I don't think monthly will probably be ideal for me or my horse, so I'm going to make some quarterly goals.

Goals for the First Quarter (Jan-March)

Make more horse time.  Too many excuses and not enough pony have been happening recently, and I intend to put a stop to it.  

Play with the Horse Ball.  Jazz's absolute favourite thing and I'm not even sure I've brought it out more than twice in the last year.  Plus a fun thing both on the ground and under saddle.

Put the Western saddle back on occasionally. I kind of miss it.  

Do something about my tall boots.  I need to bathe them in boot stretch or get room put in at the shoe repair place because they are much too tight on my calves.  

Write a product review post or two.  Product reviews are the kind of post I will read 100% of the time I see them on my blogger dashboard, but I have yet to write one.  

Think about a bitless bridle option. Since my horse needs her teeth done every 6 months at this point, it might be nice to have an alternative when her mouth hurts.  I do own a bitless bridle, but I don't love it and I'm considering a different type of bridle.  

Try to talk less in lessons. Pretty self explanatory but a definite bad habit of mine.

Show off the horse.  I have been telling many, many friends for a long time they can come meet my horse, but I have taken very few people out to the farm.  I may end up moving this goal to a different quarter depending on how our winter goes (I probably shouldn't introduce my non-horsey friends who have never ridden a horse to the crazy winter Jazz I know and love).

Get better at leg protection. I will divide this one into two parts
a) use the brushing boots and/or open front boots I own much more often
b) polos! I have one set and I am honestly pitiful at wrapping them