Back to the basics

As I read on BHW the goals for 2009 and sit and wonder what next year will bring. I can't help but think, am I going to be ready?

Its like day ja vou for me and I am back in Dec of 2006. It seems like this is a common theme for me to be facing the new year with young green mounts and not know what is coming.

Really I can not complain since it is my goal to start futurity horses, but I always thought in the back of my head I would still have one main mount that you would save for your rodeo weekends. It has now really hit me now that I will not run Lexus again. I think I am just going to avoid swinging a leg over her so I don't get that urge. She was a one in a million, which they all have been to a point though. But she was special, she was such an athlete I can promise you not many will ride a horse like her.

I am looking forward to the up and coming things 2009 is going to have. With Parker and Macie going down the road I am excited to have 2 new horses to learn and see if I can succeed on. Nothing brings me more joy then to bring a new one up and be able to do well on them. Seems circumstances have lead me down this road and prepared me to do well in the green horse venue. While I could tell circumstances to go to HE!!, as I would love to have a sound rodeo horse back where I could jet off down south to the odd Badlands Pro rodeo and feel confident in entering!!

It seems more and more lately I have been missing Dottie. New thoughts of entering rodeos has brought up old memories of Dottie and I ending up 9th at Valley City Pro Rodeo (of course they paid 8!!) But 7th place was Lisa Novak, the winner of the DNCF rodeo that year, bringing home a nice Dodge Dually. Or placing high at Fargo rodeo, against some top trainers!! I miss that feeling!

I guess rodeo blood will never get out of me, as I would love nothing more then to be able to get my pro permit back and be able to hit those ND pro rodeos. They are excellent rodeos with good pay and tough competition!! Oh and the ground is good!!

But the new path of futurities, wise entering, smart running decisions, and the miles out to AB is exciting as well. I must not dwell on the past as there are many new and exciting things to come.

In preperation of 2009, I have been busting my butt in the cold making a last minute effort to get Macie and Parker at the top of their game!! Its back to the basics time, something I haven't made an honest effort in doing since the winter of 2006. Its back to ground work and dry work in my riding only. I am still convinced the better broke and the softer my horses are, the better they are going to preform next year. It has worked for me in many cases in the past it can work again. I have decided enough looking for perfection in the pattern. Lets get everything perfect in the dry work and ground work and hope to he!! it transfers over!! lol

Its just simple things I find in getting them to use their feet more efficiantly. I have Parker and Macie jumping objects, doing the roll backs in lunging excellent and have them backing up so well that I am jogging to keep up to them!! They are desensitized to objects but reacting to the correct things.

I have been freezing my toes and fingers to get it, but a change is taking place. Now that I am back to riding them while the weather breaks to warmer, I am noticing holes in my training program. I really believed that I had some broke and soft horses, which I do in some people's program. But boy was I kidding myself!! I am flat out embarrassed to say they had holes. Big holes!! But going back to a snaffle and slowing things down in the dry work, I am slowly starting to patch things back together.

I hadn't posted in forever, I am terrible at this I know!! But here is to 2009, Let the good luck be ample, let the success be plenty, have a positive attitude, be dedicated, and do some good old fashion hard work.... and let it finally PAY OFF!!!