Goal Review and 2020 Goals

2019 Goals

1. Make First Level our bitch: God, no. I didn't like any of the new First level tests, and I moved up to Second level before Opie was truly ready just to get out of riding them any more than I had to. I crossed off our First Level Rider Performance Award, was Champion for rated shows and Reserve Champion for schooling shows with my GMO, but I still firmly say that First level owned us instead. Later, bitch. 
2. Fix the canter transitions: From where they were at the beginning of the year, this is a resounding yes! Now we keep moving forward up the levels and the expectation goes up as well. So while they're great for First, and really for Second as well, they're always going to be worked on to be baller status. 
3. Get another 25 trail hours logged: Currently at 38 hours.
4. Go to two new places: We did a hunter show at a barn neither of us had ever been to, and BM showed us around a park just down the road from the barn.
5. #dopiedoesdriving: Dopie broke his cart and half his harness in a completely random, unexplained, partially hitched freak out very early in the year, and neither Hubby or I prioritized getting any of it fixed. We'll revisit it when there's spare cash and motivation to do so.
6. Learn to braid a forelock: You know what I learned to do instead? Buy a really cute matchy ear bonnet and call it good. To be fair, I did put considerable effort into learning. I enlisted my braiding genius barn mate and she tried her generous heart out, but after kicking me off his forelock to practice on his tail instead--because I sucked so much--we both finally gave up. We I need a forelock braid, I pay for it. When I don't, I bonnet.

Those didn't seem like difficult or stretch goals when I posted them at the beginning of the year, and yet I somehow only accomplished half of them!

2019 Dopie!

2020 Goals

1. Improve rider position. Shorter reins, longer leg.
2. Once a week stretch day.
3. Be a bigger cheerleader for myself.
4. Find a good balance between pushing Opie forward and making sure he stays happy in his work.
5. Do more jumping. Now that we're not trying to move up a level (or two), we can spend more time away from the dressage to focus on other fun things.
6. Ride each movement in our tests. Don't give up stupid points by skimming over an area. We need every point we can get.
7. Figure out how to score well in the turn on the haunches. Started at a 7 last year, ended with 4s with no discernible difference in how I was asking/riding.