My Motivation or Why I Need a Team

(Fox sporting his new trace clip and getting ready for a trail ride with Superhubs and Cowboy)


I realized this morning while goofing off catching up at work that I hadn't posted in awhile. Lately I've been thinking about the importance of goals and their impact on motivation which further has sway over my own self confidence.

I'll admit it I am not a self confident person, I'm not assertive, or outgoing. Which is one of the reasons that eventing appeals to me so much. It forces me to find my confidence, be assertive(even if it's only with my horse)and with the gregariousness of the eventing community I don't need to be outgoing I just need to sit still and eventers usually fall all over themselves to help, give a friendly word or throw out an enthusiastic good job!

So when this link to a blog on COTH popped up in my Facebook feed I was intrigued, clicked, read and felt a sense of connection with the writer.  This blog by Kristen Carpenter Plugging Away in a Program really made me realize the importance of a Team, whether that team is a barn crew, a coach, your vet box pit crew, or just a group of friends on horses at a similiar level.

And looking back over the last six years the most forward momentum I had with getting toward my ulitmate goal which is to complete a recognized BN event was when I took once a month lesson's with Chris.  But then he moved away due to personal reasons, Seneca went in to lame/pasture status and I was in limbo not knowing if Seneca would ever be sound and if not what did I want to do about my riding?

Enter Fox, LOVE!, and I suddenly had a new horse but no coach and most of my friend's horses we're all going at levels way above us. Then throw in a horrendous winter, my job taking a turn that I didn't expect that requires me to spend with it and the fact that I haven't been taking any regular lessons.

Swirl all this together and I get the realization that I need to find my own team.  I need other eventers with tadpole level horses, I need a good coach to motivate me, help me to be brave, and move me forward.  I need a group of people to go to HT's with even if it's only to make sure I can get my trailer out of anywhere I park it(I cannot tell you how much anxiety I have about getting my rig stuck some place, or EEEK backing up, although watching Dom Schram's video on that subject has bolstered my confidence a little.) Find that great video right here at Eventiontv's YouTube page, Overcoming TRA.

So I will be spending the spring trying to find a coach that I can really connect with, along with taking some dressage lessons from a GP rider around the corner from my farm.

What's going on other than epiphanies about Teams?  Well this weekend Super hubs and I are supposed to be going on a group trail ride with our trail riding club.  I may or may not be riding. Sunday afternoon when the weather got decent I put Fox in the side pasture.  He was fine for about five minutes, grazing happily and then he realized he couldn't see Seneca.  Screaming, flailing, flying up and down the fence.  I just let him do it, sort of like letting a toddler cry himself out.  He quieted down after awhile and went back to grazing.  But the damage had been done, I just didn't know it yet.

The Fabulous Farrier Fairy came out yesterday and Super hubs was on hand to hold the horses for her.  Fox was not exactly welcoming.  Apparently he tweaked a muscle in his right shoulder when he was running around and when K. went to pull his right leg forward on to the stand so she could round his hoof out with a rasp he protested violently.

When I got home I went to catch Fox who was out in the side pasture so he could get tucked in with his dinner next to the other horses.  I watched his movement and sighed unhappily. He was now gimpy on the right and feeling around he was a bit flinchy high up between his wither and the big muscle above the knee.  I gave him some bute and told Super hubs that if Fox wasn't sound I'd leave him home but still go with Super hubs and Cowboy so they could at least enjoy the day.

Here's to capricious horses and keeping it between the flags.