New Year’s Horse-Training Resolutions

Every year, I tell myself that I’m going to work more cattle, take more lessons, show more, win more money … the list goes on! The issue is, I might not stick with those goals. I don’t always set goals that are achievable, and I also don’t always challenge myself to complete them.

New Year’s resolutions are meant to act as a challenge for the coming year, but that challenge can’t fall flat after a couple of weeks.

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If there is no will, there is no try! So try hard to come up with some horse-training resolutions for 2017 that you can stick with. It’s OK to start small; everyone has to start somewhere.

For this coming year, my resolutions look like this:

• Improve transition from large-fast to small-slow circles
• Work cattle at least once a week
• Take a training break once a week for a trail ride
• Improve my riding cues for the rein-work

And that’s it! My mare and I have only been together for a short time, and we are still growing and improving our relationship every day. As we progress, so will our goals!

Are you craving a better connection with your horse? Download AQHA’s Training Your Horse for a Better Relationship with Curt Pate!

Our Instagram followers are also participating in the building of dreams, and here are some of their New Year’s resolutions:

• “I will complete my second, and possibly my third, apprenticeship to becoming a certified trainer!”
• “Getting my colt to canter the barrel pattern.”
• “Working on ranch horse skills.”
• “Mastering patterns and the lead change.”

Now, I challenge you to create your own! Share your New Year’s resolutions with us on our Facebook page.