Goal Setting

To be successful at anything in life we need to have a goal. Not just one goal, but many, many teeny tiny ones that all add up to the big goal at the end.

To create the teeny tiny ones, we must look at the overall goal which is the ultimate goal you aim for. From the ultimate goal we have to break it down into smaller goals, these are then broken down again, and again, until the daily/weekly (if appropriate) goals are easy to achieve, this serves as two purposes, the first is that a timeline is created where you can see each step of the journey, the second is that the daily/weekly goals keep you on track by focussing on them, rather than going down the path of focussing intently on the ultimate end goal and getting despondent when it feels like it isn’t getting closer. The small steps taken can be measured and adjusted as the journey continues, even changing route if needed, but the end goal is always there.

An example of riding goals could go something like this:

Alice bought a lovely horse who has lots of potential, the ultimate goal for Alice is to qualify for the National Championships at Elementary level. The horse is only young, but Alice is an experienced rider who has competed her other horses to GP so knows about producing them.

The goal needs breaking down into easy bits, firstly, what is the horse capable of NOW, maybe it has already been out competing and has done well, or it may need to start from scratch. If we have no NOW information, we don’t have a starting point.

So, for this example we are going to assume the horse has already started its career, Alice has now got to look at the SPECIFIC journey for the horse.

Alice can MEASURE the horses progress during training and competitions, so she knows how the plan is going, adjusting if necessary.

The journey must be ACHIEVABLE, as the horse is young, even an experienced rider needs to ensure the horses capabilities are kept within its limits, not overdoing it just for the sake of the end goal.

While on the journey Alice must recognise if the current plan is REALISTIC, horses are animals who have their own minds and develop at different stages, there can be all sorts of issues to encounter on the journey. Being realistic about what IS happening NOW and where you THINK you SHOULD be ensures you stay on track. Remember the journey can change, not being where you thought you would be at the current stage is not the end, even when you might feel deflated, you just need to review your plan. Depending on the time of year the goals are being put together may mean the qualification dates are too close and the end goal needs to be moved or the level at which she expects to be at reduced, keeping it realistic.

To qualify for the Nationals there are events which need to be attended first, so Alice needs to work out where and when the events are and work back to NOW this makes the journey TIME-BOUND , once the two dates are written down, add in the events needed for qualifying, then add in training, as Alice is an experienced rider she knows there also needs to be room for sudden changes of plan (we all know horses like to keep us on our toes – lost shoes, vets etc!) so a good timeline with room for change is important.

What Alice has done is create a SMART goal.

S – Specific, Alice wants the horse to be at the nationals at elementary level

M – Measurable, as an experienced rider Alice can measure the horse’s progress

A – Achievable, Alice has the knowledge and experience to produce the horse, and the horse is naturally gifted so elementary level is very achievable

R – Realistic, Alice has a realistic approach and knows there may be setbacks or issues to face with young horses, she can change the plan to suit

T – Time-Bound, the nationals are announced well in advance so the timeline can be constructed to work towards the dates, along with all the qualifiers

Once Alice is qualified for the nationals, she will be writing a new timeline for the next ultimate goal, keeping the goals moving forward means she doesn’t just arrive at the Nationals, ride her elementary test, go home and do nothing, she will keep reviewing her ultimate goal and using the SMART system to keep it on track. This way her horses are always progressing.

You don’t need to be a competitive rider to set goals, you can be a leisure rider who just wants to be more disciplined, or go places new, having something to work towards keeps you going. I meet so many leisure riders who have “dreams” about going to a beach with their horse, or on holiday or other visions, yet so many of them just dream about it because they have no PLAN of how to achieve it.

Goal setting may seem like a bit of a faff, but believe me, it is one of the best time investments you can make, it keeps you committed, focussed and disciplined.

2024, where did that go???

I cannot believe I am sat writing another year end recap, what on earth happened to this year, time has flown by!

As I sat and looked back over the last 12 months there was nothing that immediately jumped out at me to write about, but then I was trying to put words on paper related to competing, as let’s face it that is what people want to read about – don’t they? Sorry, I can’t provide that this time, but I have lots of other stuff for you!

Reflecting back on 2024 it began with the devastating loss of Corrie in January, an absolute heartbreaking way to begin a new year which was loaded and ready to go with plans, only to be cruelly stopped in its tracks.

March came around and saw the Sponsorship announcement for Philippa and Mr Wiggins, a journey which has had a typical equestrian ups and downs throughout, from taking a step up in level to being off lame, it hasn’t been an easy year for poor Philippa, however the good bits have been VERY good!

Not having a horse of my own to ride gave me some time to reassess where I was in my own career and do some deep soul searching.

The first thing that I wanted to address was the next BHS Qualification to achieve, which was the Level 4 Senior Yard Manager, a qualification I had studied on and off since passing the stage 3 years ago! The BHS have changed the entire system since I last sat an Exam, now you have to be “signed off” by an approved coach to say that you are at the level and ready for assessment, which is very different to when I sat them all those years go, you entered and got your results in the post! Anyway, I did all the essential training, attended “sign off days” where you are assessed and told if you need more training or are ready, and finally sat the full assessment (they are not termed EXAMS anymore) for senior management and lunging back in July, happy to say I passed with flying colours!

This then gave me the study bug!

One thing about equine life is that is never stays still, we are all learning day in day out, and there are two areas which have been on my radar for a while, becoming more and more important to riders as knowledge is shared. They are Mind Management and Biomechanics of riders.

The Mind Management part used to be aimed at competition riders, specifically the elite riders, but has filtered down – thankfully – to the everyday nervous riders who simply want to enjoy their time on the saddle. Baring this in mind I undertook the Centre10 Course and found it very insightful, and I wanted more, I wanted to know how the mind worked and how we needed to work with it to be the very best we can. Cue the next training and exam, NLP, (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) which looks at how we can reorder and reframe our minds. (This is a very, very basic description!) but the effects are profound.

People were noticing how other riders (and friends) had applied this NLP to their everyday lives and soon I was being asked about how I could help non-riders with their daily problems too, this led onto the beginning of a second career as a life coach and therapist, which I have called “Serenity For Life” and offer a wide range of coaching therapies aimed at helping anyone with any issue, business, personal, relationships, finances etc.

Anyway, we are here to discuss equestrian stuff!

So, to date I had achieved my next BHS Qualification, become a Centre10 Coach, an NLP Master Practitioner and am still actively coaching.

Did you notice the word “Biomechanics” earlier? If so, where does this fit in? If not go back and read it again lol

Biomechanics is the science of the movement of the body, looking at how the body utilizes itself during the job we are asking of it. For riders this is becoming more and more important, “Centaur Biomechanics” are probably to most known company who work with riders in this way, they have developed a strong scientific backing to show the effects of riders being unbalanced or “wonky”! The effects on the horse are astonishing.

So what do I do with this? Well, having a Level 3 in Personal Training which I gained in the 2000’s, you have to learn an awful lot about the human anatomy, there is more of that than actual exercising! So I sat back and looked at how I could help riders become better physically, and therefore help their horses and improve their harmony. It began with a few friends, in a garden, but soon realised we needed an indoor venue to continue, so now I hold weekly classes (private sessions are available) for all level riders, and non-riders. The results have spoken for themselves, clients who may go to see other coaches at clinics etc have all been asked how their position has changed so dramatically, and non-riders are having less and less body aches and pain, some have lost lots of weight too!

Amongst all this I gained the most beautiful Mare, Belle, an ex-racer who preferred the quieter life. I have written all about her previously so won’t take up too much time here, just to say she continues to be the loveliest mare you could ask for.

Throughout 2024 I have been privileged to be part of so many riders’ journeys, from grassroots to Qualifiers for championships, watched riders achieve their goals and helped nervous riders overcome their fears. It has been incredible.

Now, here we are December 31^st 2024, reflecting back over what seemed to be a quiet year, yet now reading it, it was anything but!

Plans for 2025? I aim to keep Belle fit and well, no competing plans as yet, her happiness is the number 1 thing. Business wise I would like to expand the Mind Management and Biomechanics work further, and who knows, maybe more exams?

Finally, thank you all, every single one of you, for being part of #TeamJohnson.