By Danika Overstreet
January 2018
The new year is right around the corner, and while I am spending my last few days of winter break relaxing and desperately trying not to think about finals coming up, I have also had some time to reflect on my horsey endeavors the past year, and there is definitely a few bad habits I could break. I have a feeling I am not the only equestrian out here struggling with these things, so I am writing them down in hopes that you may either learn from me (and my laziness) and add these to your resolutions list, or sigh and say “me” while not changing anything (most likely what I will end up doing).
Resolution #1: CLEAN YOUR DANG TRAILER AFTER SHOWS! I am the absolute worst at cleaning out my trailer after shows. While I love organizing my things at shows and making everything look “cute” and proper, when it’s time to pack it all up your lucky if you can see the floor of my little tack room. It’s just soooooo difficult after a long show to have any motivation beyond getting you and your horse ready for bed. I typically remain blissfully unaware of the true state of my trailer until it is two days before the next show and I am looking at it in dismay wondering how long that salt block in a bag in the corner has been there. While this makes cleaning your trailer a bit of an adventure because you have no idea what your past self is about to throw at you, it’s not practical. Therefore, my first resolution is to clean out my trailer after EVERY show… pray for me.
Resolution #2: Bring veggies, not sweets to the shows! Horse shows for me are one giant excuse to treat myself to whatever unhealthy snacks the vendor might have, and to whatever cookie or doughnuts happen to be laying in front of my barns tack stall. Our barn, like most I have witnessed, bring food or snacks to the shows. Often these include of all the sugary items literally every athlete will tell you to avoid before a competition, but guess what I do? I eat them anyway. While horse shows are lots of fun and can be a time to let loose a bit (after the stress of classes of course), maybe bringing a veggie platter to the next show may be within my and my breeches best interest.
Resolution #3: Are those polo wraps or…? One of the dirtiest and messiest things I own are my polo wraps. As any average equestrian and lover of colorful things, I have about 4-5 pairs of polo wraps. Why? Who knows! But all of them are disgusting. You would think with this many pairs I would be able to keep a few clean but no! All the dirt from the arena has permanently stained some of my wraps I’m pretty sure, and despite my collection I am only capable of using one set at a time for months. This year my goal is to wash my wraps frequently!
Resolution #4: Spend more time just enjoying my horses! My horses are my best friends, and I love them with all my heart, but it can be hard sometimes to remember to just enjoy my time with them. Between the stress of school and showing, it feels like I have no time to just chill with my horses, that every time I am at the barn I need to be training. This year I want to set aside more time to just chill with my horses and relax, I’m sure they would enjoy it and I know I would too.
Resolution #5: Be more confident in myself. While the first 3 resolutions were me just trying to reprimand my lazy self, this is a bit more personal. I think all equestrians could benefit from showing a bit more ferocity and confidence in themselves. Whether it be the show ring, in lessons, or even just in our daily lives, we need to be less afraid of making mistakes. Failing is all a part of learning and if we didn’t fail we wouldn’t have the chance to succeed. Horse back riding is a demanding and emotionally challenging sport, it is no easy task and it is hard to not blame ourselves for every little wrong doing, but if we stick together and remind one another that its okay to not always be on a winning streak, I think we would all be a little happier!
I hope you enjoyed these resolutions and join me this 2018 in adding a bit of organization and positivity into your life! About the Author Danika Overstreet is the 2017 Youth of the Year
