‘I have nothing to aim for!’
I don’t know about you, but this is the cry that I am hearing from every corner at the moment as the coronavirus crisis deepens and the competitive season crumbles. Everything is cancelled, and we don’t know how to cope. Not much is certain with horses, but one thing has always been constant – the opportunity is there to achieve goals. Whether that’s finally cracking the flying changes with the help of your coach, riding at the Nationals, or taking your youngster to its first outing, there has always been something out there to aim for. In the absence of the opportunities we have so long taken for granted, what are we left with?
Like everyone else, I fell into this trap. As lockdown closed in around us, I bemoaned the fact that I wouldn’t be able to take my place in the Winter Championship line-up. For my top horse, Fay Thomas’ Freya FST, the Winters were a process goal – another chance to pit ourselves against the best in the country, to gain exposure, and to build experience. For my second ride, Caroline David’s Dormilon XV, however, it was to be the highlight of the season. As a horse who has come through multiple physical and mental roadblocks over the last few years, just to qualify was a result beyond our expectations. For us, having ‘Dom’ at the Winters was the goal, and he had earned his time in the spotlight. My heart hurt for him and for Caroline, who so deserved to see her horse compete at that level.
Of course, the old saying holds that there’s no point crying over spilt milk – at least, not for long. And we mustn’t forget that a cancelled dressage championship is not the worst thing to happen during these troubling times. But what can we do now? How do we salvage 2020? And what goals can be set when we can’t compete, receive training or, for some of us, even ride our horses?
Tomorrow I will be picking up my popular #TrainingTipTuesday series to explore a few different ideas for setting goals and reaching them while on lockdown. I’ll explore my newly reset goals for Dom and Freya, as well as how I got to them, and I will also examine what it is we can do from home to make the most of these difficult and challenging times.