Enjoy the Ride of your Life in 2025!

 

The ride of your life in 2025 – how can we make it happen?
New Years’ resolutions don’t work. About 90% of people who set New Year’s resolutions fail before the end of January.
In fact, it’s so common for resolutions to fail that there actually is a special day for it, called ‘Quitters Day’ (the second Friday in January).

So, what about all our plans for the coming year? Should we just give up?
Or is there maybe a better way to reach our goals – a way of getting there that doesn’t have failure baked into it?

 

Don’t make resolutions – do this instead

Yes, there is a better way! It’s called: small steps.
Life is not a sprint – life is a marathon. And whatever goal you have, small step after small step will inevitably get you where you want to be.

It will take some effort, of course. And it might take some time. But every small step in the right direction gets you closer to your goal.

After all: 1% improvement per day is a 100% improvement in three months.

 

Play HorseCompass Bingo!

It’s a great feeling if you can cross those small steps off your list. Those ‘little wins’ make you want to do more!
And one of the most fun ways to do this is by using a Bingo card.

Playing Bingo is maybe not the first activity horse people think about… but take my word.

This is a really fun and easy way to create and enjoy THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE IN 2025!

 

Here is how it works

Download the HorseCompass Bingo card by filling in the form. The download for the Bingo Card will be sent to your email address.

You can print it out and hang it in a place where you will see it every day, to remind you of your goals.
It’s available in both A4 format and US Letter format.

Start by doing number 1, 2 and 3 on the HorseCompass Bingo Card first. Because they will give you the framework for the rest of the card. (Remember, even small steps don’t help if they don’t take you in the direction you want to go!)

Below you will find an explanation of every field on the card. Read through them and start by setting your own Bingo (the empty field in the middle of the card).

 

 

Will this work for my situation…?

The great thing about playing Bingo is that it works for everyone.
You can start whenever you want, and work through the fields in your own tempo.

And the best of it all: even if you don’t manage to cross off all the items on your card, you AND your horse will still be better off than when you started 2025.
Every single field is designed to help you and your horse. So, you cannot lose – only WIN!

Do you want to play Bingo together with a non-horsey person? Or even your whole family/stable/riding class?
Or maybe not all fields fit your situation?

The downloads are actually for TWO Bingo cards.
One has lots of blank fields, so you can adapt it to your own situation. For example, if you don’t have your own horse but are in a riding school.

Now, let’s play!

 

 

Begin with your BINGO

The BINGO field in the middle will be your reward for crossing off all the fields.
The great thing here is that it can be anything you want.

It can be something you buy for yourself, or your horse. (If you are very lucky, buy yourself a new horse even?!)
That really good pair of stable shoes, or a fancy new blanket?
Or visiting a horse store and trying on the nicest competition clothes they have, just to see how they look on you? And go for coffee afterwards.
Maybe you can finally enter that competition. Or do that ride on the beach.
What about tickets to an event (a horse show, or a clinic) – together with a friend? Or your ‘accountability buddy’? (See nr. 4)
Sit in as a spectator – or even ride! – in a clinic with that very good trainer?

Use your fantasy and your dreams, however big or small (but don’t make your Bingo too small – dare to dream big!).

 

Find your framework first

1. Even the smallest steps don’t help if they are going in the wrong direction. So start your Bingo by sitting down and thinking about what you, deep inside, really want from your horse time.
Is there something you have been dreaming about? Maybe you see somebody riding and think ‘Oooh – I would like to do that!’? Maybe ‘everybody’ in your stable is into dressage – but you would prefer to just ride in the woods? Or the other way around? Is your horse time just a way for you to relax? Is it important for you that it is real physical exercise? And so on.Remember: there is no right or wrong answer here. Just some time to reflect on what YOUR heart really is asking for.

2. Find one goal you are scared of. Feeling terrified? Even better! Stretching your comfort zone is the price of success. The aim of this Bingo card is not even to make you actually reach that goal – it is to make you dream and reflect. The best goal is one that gives you butterflies in your stomach – something that is both scary and excitin

3. Ask an expert (your trainer/riding instructor?) about what the steps would be to reach that goal, and how to get started. You don’t have to actually do these steps just now – again, the idea here is to figure out the best way to get there. So you know if you want to make this your goal for 2025.

4. Nobody can do it all alone. Increase your chance of success by finding a Bingo Buddy, aka an accountability buddy. It can be a horse friend, but it doesn’t have to be; it just has to be somebody you trust with your dreams – and trust to keep you accountable!

5. Talk to 3 ‘new’ people at your stable. Meaning, people you haven’t talked to before. If you are feeling really brave, share your ‘scary goal’ with them. And remember to ask them about their goals, too.

 

Make your horse the best he can be!

6. Check your horse’s vaccinations. If necessary, book re-vaccination now. It’s mandatory at most events and competitions to have a fully vaccinated horse. And not just that: the right vaccinations will help keeping your horse healthy. Check with your veterinarian what (s)he recommends.

7. Do a worm test on your horse and treat him if necessary. (Ask your vet.) Even if your horse isn’t out on pasture, he still can have parasites.

8. Schedule a dental check for your horse. And ask them to check the bit, too (if it’s the right size and type, and not causing your horse any problems).

9. Book an appointment with a equine therapist for your horse. Even if you don’t think there are any problems – a check at least once a year is a good idea for any horse. They can slip while playing, have a stumble, etc.

10. Book a saddle fit check for your horse. If the saddle isn’t working, you cannot expect your horse to be working. Here at HorseCompass we have many years of experience in spotting saddle problems and referring clients to the right specialists.

11. ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.’ Just keeping track of things can help avoid problems, keep your horse healthy and save you money. Start a horse journal, preferably one with a calendar. (You can find the HorseCompass Horse Journal here – immediately downloadable.) And then put everything from the fields above straight in it!

 

No hoof, no horse

12. Hoof care for your horse should be one of the first things you schedule for the whole year. For example, it’s best not to do hoof care just before a competition or even an intensive training session. Ideally it should be some days/weeks beforehand. Ask your hoof care specialist what (s)he recommends. And then put it in the calendar so it doesn’t clash with other things.

13. Learn more about your horse’s hooves. This is typically an area we ‘leave to the specialist’. But if you have some basic knowledge about your horse’s hooves it will be a lot easier for you to spot potential problems, know what to tell your hoof care specialist and make the best decisions for your horse.

14. Take pictures of your horse’s hooves. It’s just a few minutes work – and if you do it once or twice a year, it can be immensely helpful in tracking hoof health.
Note: for best results, you should take hoof pictures in a specific way. There is a HorseCompass e-book that shows you exactly how. You can find it here (for immediate download).

 

Don’t forget about yourself!

15. Have your own body checked by a chiropractor, osteopath or such. The horse world still has a tradition of ‘toughing it out’. And often we spend more on help for our horse than on ourselves. But it’s important to keep our own body in good working/riding condition, too. Even if you don’t feel you have any problems, book a check-up and ask the therapist to check for any possible crookedness, developing problems and so on.  Your back – and your horse! – will thank you.

16. Book at least one lesson dedicated to improving your seat and aids. Lunge line lessons are the best ever for improving your riding and to iron out any bad habits. At HorseCompass we have a lot of experience in educating riders about the correct seat and how to easily communicate with your horse.

17. Organize a learning event for your stable, or with some horsey friends. What about a session about hooves and hoof care? Or about riding techniques? Saddle fit? Lungeing? Here at HorseCompass we offer all that (at your place or at Raaken Farm). Organizing such a session is also a great opportunity to cross off nr. 5 (talk to 3 new people).😊

 

18. Go ‘old school’ and read a book. About horses, horse care, riding or whatever you are most interested in. Save money by loaning it from a library (often they can also order books from other libraries).
Many great older horse books are in the public domain, meaning you can read them for free online.
How about finding out what Black Beauty really is about?
Or read Xenophon – an instruction manual that is more than 2000 years old and still very relevant today?
Project Gutenberg and the Library of Congress have quite a few horse books to choose from.

19. Book a lesson with a new instructor (live or online). Sometimes, hearing how to do something from somebody else, or explained in a new way, can give you a whole new perspective and suddenly make many of the puzzle pieces fall in place. Maybe the instructor is also willing to ride your horse and give you feedback and tips?

20. Learn how to properly lunge your horse or do a little refresher course. Maybe it can be something you organize for the whole stable? Meaning you can cross off nr. 17 at the same time.

21. Ride at least one horse you haven’t ridden before (in safe conditions, of course). Especially when we only ride our own horse, we can get a bit blind for some of his issues – and some of our own! Riding another horse will give you great feedback about your skills and can help you become a better rider for your own horse.

22. Learn how to do join-up with your horse or even any horse. Join-up is a bonding technique, done with your horse loose in a round pen (or arena). Originally, it’s from the world of Western horsemanship but it can be valuable for any horse and pony, to build trust and improve communication. We offer join-up sessions at Raaken Farm.

23. Try riding your horse with a bitless bridle (any type). There are many different types out there. Maybe you can borrow one to try it – or organize a ‘bitless riding day’ for the whole stable? Many horses actually go much better without a bit in their mouth.

24. Try riding your horse with a neck rein (just use a stirrup leather around the neck if you don’t have a real neck rein). Use the bridle you normally use and see how much you gradually can do while only using the neck rein. Another fun way to test your riding skills and improve the communication with your horse.

 

You AND your horse will always win if you play HorseCompass Bingo! Start playing today and ENJOY THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE IN 2025.

 

 

Any questions or comments? Feel free to share with us in the comments.
We love feedback and will try to get back to you as quickly as possible.