Its no secret that 2020 was an unprecedented year. Everything was shut down due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the equestrian industry was no exception. Many peoples' equestrian goals that they set in January 2020 went down the drain as shows and events were canceled one after the other including the 2020 Olympics! Imagine being on the Olympic Equestrian teams and not getting to compete! How disappointing for those riders and trainers! Of course, by the end of the summer most things had figured out a way to host shows and events with the required precautions, but by that time many of the people in the industry had been crippled by financial disasters stemming from the pandemic shut downs as people lost jobs and stopped going out. Revenue that was needed to pay for the expenses of shows and transportation was no longer there making it harder to participate when the opportunities finally did arise. One great outcome of the lack of in-person shows was the introduction of virtual shows. This allowed an outlet for both professionals who wanted to get their name out, as well as for those who wouldn't normally afford shows in a regular season, because the entry fees were much cheaper and it didn't require paying for all the extra costs of packing up to go somewhere.
At the end of 2020, as championships were conducted without spectators and as year end awards for the various equestrian associations were given out for the meager winnings that were able to be had in the short show season, thoughts began to turn to 2021. Sure, we all say that 2021 will be better, that nothing could be as bad as 2020. However, in facing the facts, I think its wise to consider that this year will probably be very similar in the limitations imposed by the CDC and WHO regarding events and gatherings. 2020 may be gone but unfortunately Covid-19 remains, and it is very real in the way that it effects the dynamic in society. With this in mind, I think that it is important to make our goal setting for 2021 a little different than it has been in past years. There are 3 categories of goals I'd like to address: Progress based goals, Show based goals, and Personal Goals.
Progress based goals are goals that focus on the progression of skills or ability of your horse or your partnership with your horse. Some examples would be improving your canter departs, better flexibility in your bending, better control in your barrel turns, or even something as simple as teaching your horse a better half-halt. These goals aren't effected as much by the pandemic because you can work on them on your own, however if it is something that requires lessons or a trainer, you could be effected by restrictions from finances or Covid-19 shutdowns. When making these goals, think of the progress you made in 2020. Did you learn something new? Explore a new skill set? Buy a new horse? Think of the accomplishments you made last year and then choose a few that you want to build on. Maybe you improved your canter departs but now you want to learn to collect and extend the trot and canter. Or you went from flatwork to small jumps, and want to improve your timing for courses. Or you want to teach your horse to move sideways off the leg. Whatever your goal is, give it a time frame but then add a grace period. This grace period is our way of giving ourselves extra time incase Covid or another tragedy rears its head and delays us. Its how we say "its okay" when plans need to change. If you give yourself 6 months to build up your horses topline to be able to lift and collect, take the pandemic into account and maybe make it 8 months. This means that when things happen that are beyond your control, like getting sick or being unable to take lessons or work with a trainer, you don't feel like you are failing at your goals. If you are able to make your goal happen ahead of schedule, then make a new goal. Just remember, in uncertain times when you never know what will happen next, give you and your horse grace to know that if you don't make it in time, it is okay.
Show based goals were some of the most affected goals of 2020 and I predict that they will once again be greatly effected in 2021. Many people have score goals, or they aim to have a certain number of scores in a given season. When pandemics shut down events, we can still make ourselves goals, we just need to size them down a bit. If your goal is to score a certain amount of points on a test you may need to find different avenues of attaining that score. There have been a ton of advancements in technology and in the last year there were a lot more options for virtual shows. If you don't own an arena, you may need to rent one for an hour to ride a test or a course. Your scores may not be as great when you are being judged on video instead of in person. The best thing to remember is whatever your goals are for the show season, give yourself GRACE! You may not be able to go to 6 shows this summer, you may be limited to 3. If that's the case, then it may be difficult to get 6 scores. Make your goal small and build it as you go. Start with the goal to show at least once. As you go through the season you can then increase that goal. When you meet that goal increase it again. This way not only do you achieve goals and feel better having achieved a lot of them, you also aren't left at the end of the year feeling disappointed because you aimed too high all at once and failed for reasons outside of your control. So again, in goal setting in 2021 be realistic and allow yourself some grace to accept that things are different.
Personal goals are for yourself. This could have to do with your riding, your attitude, or your mental health. Maybe you want to get in better shape, or you want to be more confident over jumps, or you want to work on your struggle with depression. Make a goal, set a time frame, give yourself grace, and do it. If you wish to get in better physical condition, try to make extra time to workout at home if the gym isn't open or you end up in quarantine. If you want to increase your confidence look into ways to help you to change your thoughts and become more positive. Practice believing in your self as you ride and try to be determined even when you would normally give up. If you are improving mental health, look into equine assisted therapy methods. Horses are used regularly to help people overcome their mental health issues, and you may be able to use some of the easy techniques yourself with your own horse. What ever your goal is, keep in mind that its ok if the timeline has to lengthen. It's ok if the goal gets paused to deal with unforeseen circumstances.
When making goals amidst a pandemic, you need to remember to take into account all of the extra red tape that may come along while accomplishing your goals. You must acknowledge that things are different. They will return to normal, but for the moment they are different and we don't know how long they will be like this. The best we can do is to continue to strive to improve ourselves and to always maintain an attitude of positivity and grace for the struggles we and our peers are facing. You may be hindered by illness, financial troubles, mental breakdowns, quarantines, and lack of resources. Work with what you have and if needed, change your goals so that they are easily attained. You may reach that big goal by the end of the year by doing it in smaller goal steps throughout the year. Or you may not. Just remember that it is more rewarding to reach 5 small goals in the process of reaching your ultimate end goal than it is to fall a little short and feel like you haven't achieved any goal at all.
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