California Riding Magazine • December, 2008

Western Side Story
Set aside the rose colored glasses, take a good look at the past year and plan for 2009.

by Gayle Carline

No matter what holiday you celebrate in December, this is the time of year to look back and review how you did in order to look forward to doing better next year.

If you compete, this means assessing the shows you attended, your performance and your expenses. Did you and your horse place where you thought you would? If you didn’t, you should think about why. Sometimes we have a hard time seeing our horse and our performance in anything less than glowing terms. It can be difficult to admit that our horse doesn’t share our enthusiasm for the show ring, or that perhaps we aren’t as skilled as we believe.

If there are weak spots in your performance, you may want to increase the amount of training that you get each week. From loping the wheel in trail to doing a spin in reining, you shouldn’t enter the show ring wondering whether you can do the pattern. You should be confident enough to be able to have fun in the arena.

Look at the shows you’ve attended, too. Perhaps you’ve been competing at too high a level for your horse. For example, I knew a young rider who was technically brilliant and her horse was good, but not stellar. She had placed well, even winning, at local shows, and went to the AQHA Sun Circuit Horse Show, a huge show in Scottsdale, with high expectations. There were 50 riders in her first class. Even with her skills, she was lost in the pack.

Have you been getting lost in the pack at big shows? Maybe you should focus on the local arena. On the flip side, if you are always winning the smaller shows, perhaps it’s time to try out a larger event to see how competitive you and your horse are in a bigger group.
Along with the assessment of your show schedule, you should look at your costs. This year’s economy hasn’t been kind to horse owners. When you add the costs of traveling to shows, you want to get as much mileage out of each dollar as possible. If you have been going to large shows because “they’re fun,” even though you know you won’t place, you may want to save your money this year and concentrate on what you can afford.

Not a Competitor? Goals Still Matter

If you don’t compete, then what are your goals for next year? You may not think you need any. You may think you and your horse will just maintain the status quo in 2009. But I urge you to re-think this lack of a plan. As I mentioned before, the economy gave us all a beating this year, and the experts aren’t giving us any good news about next year. If you haven’t before, this is the year you should look at your expenses and see where you may need to cut back. Some things, like food and vaccinations, are nonnegotiable. But is it time to check into less expensive feed? Is it possible to organize other horse owners in your neighborhood and share a veterinarian’s call charge for vaccinations?

If you’ve got your budget under control, then look at your relationship with your horse. Are there any bad habits you’d like to break? I’m not only talking about your horse, I’m talking about you. Are you happy with the way you ride? Does your horse always respond to the pressure from your leg? Do you look forward to being with your horse or do you dread it because they have poor ground manners, spook at everything or refuse to go/stop/turn? If so, I urge you to find room in your budget for a few sessions with a professional. Books and videos can only do so much to help you. Spending time with a trainer allows them to assess you as well as your horse.

Now that I’ve given everyone else advice, it’s my turn. As you may remember, Snoopy broke his left hind sesamoid bone back in April. After months in a cast, then more months standing in a stall, he’s finally back to work. My first goal was to encase him in bubble wrap for 2009, but I soon decided that was unrealistic. I will be looking at the AQHA shows for next year and my budget and I will be discussing a plan with my trainer, Tina Duree. We had planned to get him to the AQHA World Show this year, before he was injured. Our plan for next year will probably include contingencies based on how he performs in the first few shows.

I’ve also got the non-show horse, Frostie. Currently, she’s being used as a therapy horse for abused kids, a few of my students ride her and I ride her occasionally. I could maintain the status quo for her next year, but I’ll still be looking at goals for my little red mare.

In the meantime, Christmas is just around the corner, so my first plan is to fill my horses’ stockings with carrots, fly spray and good health for 2009!

Got any news you’d like to share with the western riding community? Contact me at 714-296-6009, or e-mail me at gayle_western@sbcglobal.net.