Goodbye 2015, Hello 2016!

2015 was a funny year full of disappointments but also some high points mingled along the way. We only competed once which resulted in me landing on the floor at C rather than cantering a circle but hey ho! We're still no clearer to knowing if there's anything major with Pea and the past month I've been so busy and just lost a bit of motivation to ride if I'm honest. However, this pony still means the world and hopefully we'll get a few more answers in 2016. 

So, this year, I'm not making any goals with Pea. We're just going to see where the year takes us and have fun (hopefully) along the way. 

However, I have made a resolution for myself which is to push myself out of my comfort zone more. I'm generally a more reserved person and worry about putting myself out there and doing things outside my comfort zone so I'm going to work on changing that :) 

Thanks for reading,
Laura xx

Productivity

Hello!

This is a slightly different post but it's relate-able all the same! I was recently contacted by Madie at Kabbage to write a blog post featuring my top 5 tips for productivity for the coming year. As it's January and the time many of us make New Years resolutions or goals that we want to achieve over the year, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to share with you some of my tips for getting the most out of your year! I will be the first to admit that I procrastinate so much that if I got paid for it, I would be rather rich by now! I have such a short concentration span the majority of the time and I cannot devote too long to doing the same task so by following some of my own tips (and others I've found from various places) it helps me to at least get something out of my day! 

#1: Writing Lists!
I am one of those people who loves lists! I have so many notebooks for different things and you will find little lists dotted around here, there and everywhere! I have a little blue notebook which is my 'to-do notebook' and each week I will write down things I need to do over the week such as what blog posts to write, if I need to book any appointments, if I need to buy/order feed, etc. I also have another notebook for writing down blog post ideas. This year I really want to try and blog more often as I feel my blog has improved over the past 6 months and I would love for it to continue to grow. I understand that not everyone likes lists, so obviously this tip won't work for you if you're not a list person but I personally love the satisfaction of ticking things off once they are complete!

#2: Mix Things Up!
As I mentioned before, I switch off if I have to do the same task for too long unless I genuinely love it! So, to make it easier and ensure that I don't switch off I will either have a break or move onto a different task for a bit before returning. This ensures that the task will get completed in a shorter time, even if it doesn't sound like it, and will also be completed to a better standard (I hope!) as if I try to do the same thing for ages I will just ramble and not put as much effort into it. 

#3: Share Your Goals!
By telling other people what you want to achieve it will help give you more motivation to try and achieve the goal as well as giving you support if you hit a rough patch. There are some goals that you might not want to share or you may feel that people might snub your goal. However, this quote I found on Pinterest is a great one to keep in mind if anyone does doubt you!

#4: Quotes!

Again, this might not be one for everyone, however nothing motivates me more than finding some good quotes on Pinterest. You can then print these out and stick them anywhere and everywhere - on your desk, in your diary, at the side of your bed, etc. I love a good quote and they can really help me to get into gear if I'm having a sticky moment! If you want more quotes feel free to follow my board on Pinterest - words of wisdom :)

#5: Take a Break!

Last and probably one of the most important is to remember to take a break and relax! Don't feel that you need to spend hours trying to achieve a goal because if you do you will soon begin to resent that goal and find it harder to achieve! So remember to take a step back if things don't go to plan and do something different for a while to clear your head. Trust me, you'll feel so much better when you return to what you were trying to do before! 

Hope these help!

Thanks for reading,

Laura xx

PS. If you want some more information on Kabbage feel free to visit their website (link above). They are a company who provide small business loans online to help start up entrepreneurs get that step closer to achieving their goals. 

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!

Hello!

This year seems to have flown past and yet University seems like forever ago! Looking back at the goals I made for this year I've realised they haven't quite gone to plan! But hey ho. 

The goals I made for 2014 were:

• to get his canter sorted: we are getting better! Since his 3 month holiday his canter seems to be better than ever though we do need some fine tuning! He needs to work a little bit more from behind but I think he tires out which causes him to get flat. Hopefully once he's a bit fitter he will lift up better and not just pull and nearly fall over :/
• try to jump more regularly: this has not happened! I think the last time we jumped was around April. Obviously the three month holiday didn't help matters & now he's coming back into work still. We have been doing more pole work and hopefully we'll build up to doing some odd jumping more often. 
• volunteer more: I have done the odd dressage writing this year and also did car parking at Osberton (though strictly speaking, that wasn't volunteering!). Next year I aim to do some charity running/biking events and potentially help at more events as that's the area I still want to work in. 
  
• get fitter: this is one of those that resurfaces year after year as I'm not too good at sticking to it! However, fingers crossed 2015 is the year that it will happen! 

This brings me onto the goals I aim for 2015:

• to get to unaffiliated novice: his canter is getting so much better and hopefully after some lessons we'll have activities to focus on to help him lift his back and get more power from behind. I am also planning on joining a local riding club so that I can get out to more clinics and competitions. 
• to participate in charity runs & get fitter: I seriously need to work on this one as I feel that Pea could work better if I strengthened my core and was fitter. I have a load of people behind me on twitter knowing my aim so I have no excuses! 

To be honest, they are the main goals I have for 2015, but at least with only two it means that I have a better chance of sticking to them! 

What are your plans for 2015? 

Thanks for reading,

Laura xx

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014!

2013 seems to have flown by so fast! It seems to weird to be in 2014 already, and no doubt there will be moments that I forget we're in 2014 and say 2013 instead! 

2013, as with most years, has been one with ups and downs. Pea's schooling seems to have come on in some regards, but the canter has been our biggest issue that we still haven't resolved but hopefully we are slowly chipping away at it! It can be quite disheartening to think I am still having issues with his canter and cannot do a simple, nice canter around the arena like most people, however I am hopeful that with him regularly having chiro treatments and the help of my new instructor we may finally be able to crack it this year! 

During 2013 I had aims of:

• competing in Intro and Prelim UK Riders Final
• Riding at Novice level and hopefully doing a test
• Hiring arenas for jumping and getting more confident
• Doing a jump cross lesson and taking him out cross-country again

Unfortunately I have not necessarily been able to complete any of these. We did not go to any venues that did UK Riders qualifying tests as we mainly went to Houghton Hall at the beginning of the year and instead qualified for second round Trailblazers again for 2014 so we have that to look forward to. We also qualified at the Houghton Hall Winter

Championships where he came third so I was happy with that. As for the novice dressage test, with his canter issues we obviously haven't been able to do this although we have occasionally had the odd go at one or two novice level movements whilst schooling. I have been unable to get out and hire and jumps, though we have a great set at home as the yard purchased a new set with fillers that we can use all year, rather than the Academy ones which are only used for mentoring and competitions (I am no longer a member). We have increased our confidence and managed to jump some bigger fences every now and then up to 2ft6 and are slowly getting over our filler fear, however I have not jumped as much as I used to so still a lot to work on! As for the jump cross lesson and cross-country schooling, I realised this year that I need a new body protector as mine has been stuck in a box for a few years and now is all bent and I doubt it fits any more! I may purchase a new one at some point, but for now I don't feel the need for one and do not have the funds to afford one. 

This now brings me onto my aims for 2014 which are quite relaxed:

• really get his canter sorted and be able to do some nice Prelim tests without losing marks for his canter
• try to jump more regularly
• volunteer more
• get fitter

2014 is a big year for me, with many things happening such as my dissertation, graduating university, hopefully getting a career job, my sister is getting married and it is my 21st! Plus various other family big birthdays and anniversaries! I would like to try and jump more regularly as I only seem to pop over a fence every few months, and yet show-jumping used to be my favourite and is what I wanted to do before. I would like to volunteer more at events, as Equestrian Event Management is what I am hoping to be able to get into once I graduate University. During 2013 I did not get round to doing as much volunteering as I would have liked due to work and university, although I did get to spend a week at Blenheim which I loved! Therefore, this year I am hoping to be able to volunteer more such as doing some dressage writing, more fence judging and anything else! I would also like to get a lot fitter for riding. I used to run when I was younger, and keep picking it up every few months only to stop again after a few weeks due to leg pain, so if anyone has any ideas on how I can get fitter then they would be greatly appreciated!

Hope everyone has a lovely 2014!

Thanks for reading, 

Laura & Pea x

Achievements of 2012 & Plans for 2013

Achievements:

• Getting to & competing at the UK Riders final and Pea producing a lovely test, just missing out on placing.
• Coming home from each show (except the finals) with a rosette, sometimes two!
• Winning in his Prelim earlier this month even though he finds canter so hard and hadn't cantered at home for a while.
• Seeing Pea so happy in his work and very rarely arguing when we school, and even if he does have a 'paddy' it is so small and you can tell he doesn't mean it. 
• Pea being happy in general :)

Plans:

• Qualifying for the UK Riders final in Intro and Prelim
• Qualifying for the second round Trailblazers in Prelim - already done!
• Start working at Novice level over the second half of the year and maybe try one competition
• Get more confident jumping at home and hire arena's to school round jumps away.
• Have a few individual jumpcross lessons and hire a cross-country course at least once. 
• HAVE FUN!!

So those are my main achievements and plans. They may seem small, and possibly insignificant to others, but to me they mean a hell of a lot :)

Do any of you have any plans for next year? I don't necessarily feel I have to complete them all and I don't get down if I don't but it gives me and my instructor something to work on for the year! 

What are you achievements of this year? Please leave a comment as I love to hear how people are doing, no matter how small or insignificant to others they may seem, to you they'll mean a lot and that's all that counts! 

Bye!

Laura & Pea x

Ps. Here are the links for the video's of his tests at Houghton earlier this month:

Intro A:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL0ybxQ92zg

Prelim 14:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0Y-A-bonUk