Expectations for 2021

I've been trying to think about what to write for the upcoming year, what my goals and plans are. We have been training hard, keeping up the good work over the summer break, but next years competitions are hard to plan for. 

Ideally I would like to do way more of this!

I started thinking about goals for 2021 months ago, when I started to see that the evening path maybe wasn't or shouldn't be the main focus for Henry. Mainly I wanted to show jump confidently at 1m with 1.05m in the back of my mind for the end of the year. 

This is also fun!

Dressage goals included solidifying ourselves at novice, with the aim of attempting elementary by the end of the year, with not competing in prelim at all. 

A little of this is ok

Eventing I just wanted to continue to gain confidence, staying at 80 for as long as required for Henry to settle into eventing a bit more. Eventing was not going to be the main focus for 2021 at all, rather show jumping was going to take precedent given this is where we seem to be heading longer term. I really enjoy it and the more I do it the more I enjoy it. Plus it costs less, it's closer to home and shorter days.

Less of this, but still awesome

Continuing dressage club is obviously on the agenda, along with regular lessons. I want to keep enjoying the horses, get out and about and keep everyone happy and healthy.

However, it seems that there is something that will come between me and my plans this year. Something that is going to make me sit back and relax and try not to plan my life out quite so much. I mean I'll probably still try but I am waaaay out of my depth! 

We are going to have one of these: 

The future event rider, already ridden horses more times that most people!

Suddenly I have very little control over my life, since this tiny thing is already dictating when I sleep (or not), how I eat and how much I can do. Hot weather makes me particularly foul both in mood and physically. Apparently things get better in the second trimester but I feel like people who say that are lying!

For now, and for as long as possible and I feel safe, I am still riding. I am trying my best to keep going as normal though some days it just doesn't happen. I am already not sure if my competition breeches will do up, and those show jumping competitions I would like to do start in March seem a very long way away. So for now we take it one day at a time, and we keep training. I am still riding the best I have ever ridden and I want to keep that up for as long as I can so I have less work to do after baby is here. 

I will say one thing, it's funny the different attitudes you get from people about the horses. Non-horse people are like, are you going to sell the horses? Give up? Stop riding? Babies are so much work, you can't do both! Horse people are like, we will babysit while you ride! You'll make it work! Your horses are a great age to have a little rest and bring back into work. 

I think horse people are a special breed, used to commitment, hard work and sacrifice. People without them don't seem to quite understand and look at me funny when I say baby will fit in with the rest of the animals. Quite frankly I'm aware life is gonna change but it will all work out in the end (plus, people will not like me if I don't have horses haha)! I am hopeful we will be back out there having fun in no time!