To Do in 2025

I have some thoughts around goal setting these days. Lucky for you, Emma wrote an excellent post that sums it up beautifully and much more eloquently than I could have attempted. While I'm not one to write up a big plan for the year anymore, January still gives me the urge to get things in order. Whether that's tidying up my trailer and getting it ready for spring adventures, or using this space for bigger picture life organization.  

Where we're at:

If my equestrian life was a sports team I'd definitely say we're in the rebuilding/development phase. But, there's a lot of fun to be had in this space. Arguably the most fun, even.

no shortage of fun here

We all know the foundation of the big dreams is just a bunch of smaller building blocks, mixed with a good dose of enthusiasm and a dash of luck.  The building blocks are the most important part of the puzzle and where a lot of us will spend years of our time, but still it's tempting to downplay things... like "sorry my blog is boring, my young horses aren't riding age and I am only doing x,y,z this year." 

Thinking on the future:

The first step in hitting those big wins is confirming I still want them. I like to pause now and then and check in as to whether this path are still something I really want. It's easy enough to continue on and stick to the plan, but speaking from experience, my dedication will be lacking and the rewards won't be great if my heart isn't really in it anymore. So:

To Do #1: Write down what I hope to achieve this year and in the mid to long term. Commit to keeping an open mind and reevaluating things periodically. I'm guilty of setting vague goals and persisting well after things are fun or this beyond my control have changed potential outcomes - just so I can tell myself I completed all the measurable pieces in my control...often losing the important part (the qualitative 'enjoy and have fun!') in the process. 

This was a nice 2024 view, but not pictured was the absolute misery of hiking up here (and back down) in a crazy storm. Trees were literally falling around us and the trail was a waterfall. I thought we would die, so 1/10 for that effort, should have been sensible and gone to the gym (or even (gasp!) rerouted when the weather hit.)

To Do #1A: It has to stay fun. It's OK if there are low points or things get tough for a bit (hello December weather making me question why I even own horses), but if I'm dreading showing up on a regular basis, it's time for a redirect. My husband is great at questioning why I'm still stubbornly going down a path when he can see it's not one I'm finding rewarding. I should probably listen to him more, he's lived with me for 20 years at this point and probably has an idea of what he's talking about ;)

What I can do now:

My goals do change and are in a bit of flux right now, but the base motivation to just be out there having fun and learning new things is very consistent. I think I'd like to get back to lower level dressage and eventing once the boys are riding age, but I think the priority for me is to be a happy and confident rider on two happy and confident, fun all around, well adjusted ponies. Working backwards from that:

To Do #2: Keep giving the baby ponies positive life experiences. They're going to be 2 year olds this spring, so (fingers crossed, not seeing any signs of brain installation yet ;)  mentally and physically mature enough that we can probably go for longer hike and leads a little further from home and choose a couple of friendly clinics and events for them this summer. Building blocks for well adjusted ponies.

The ring sand is finished so I think in hand poles and obstacle courses could be in our immediate future too

To Do #3: I gotta pay for this stuff. Sit down and make an equine related financial plan/budget for the year. Cry if I have to. Top of mind is that my truck is well past needing replacing. I don't think it's needed this year, but 2026 me will be grateful for a nice amount of cash on hand for a new reliable tow vehicle. I've been borrowing G's truck when I need to hook up the trailer and while we make it work, it's not going to be a solution as the boys get older and I want to get out more regularly - G needs a truck too.

He needs his own truck for all the barn help I ask for ;)

 To Do #4: So cliche, but I need to keep consistently prioritizing taking care of myself. My mental health has honestly sucked this past year. I'm aware and I know the triggers and yet I just didn't do anything to help myself. Top of mind as far as gym/yoga/riding fitness - I'm still quite a bit weaker on my right side than my left. Some days that is just going to be life due to ongoing injury, but there is always room for improvement and I'd like the 'good day' baseline to be closer to symmetrical. Future happy confident rider is going to be a lot harder to maintain if the mental and physical pieces aren't ready.

This not-a-saddle at least helps me keep my balance monitored

To Do #5: This is the hardest one. I started removing what's not working for me in 2024. That included ending relationships with some people, stepping back from others, setting a whole lot of boundaries, and letting go of long term goals and thoughts about who and where I should be that weren't serving me well. I simply hit a point where I just couldn't continue as it was anymore. But, a blessing in disguise because it needed to happen. I still am feeling a bit fuzzy/guilty/sad because I hate conflict, I like making people happy, and a lot of things I thought were OK to accept...actually weren't. And oh yeah, I'm not a huge fan of change either. But, mostly I'm relieved because there's already so much more room to breathe and just be me, if you know what I mean? It's something I'm going to need to continue into 2025 and beyond, so bear with because I'm not great at it yet. 

Whew, that got personal.

I'm excited to see where 2025 takes us, and I'm looking forward to following along with all of you.