q4 review (insert sad trombone noise here)

Ha. Ok. Let's review my 4th quarter goals, or what I refer to as "the adventure that was not." 

this does not constitute an adventure in my book

Obviously it doesn't take a genius to see that this quarter did not go as planned... Breaking my leg in October took me out of the action completely, with no reason to believe I'll be cleared for full capacity before the new year. 

Ugh. But let's take a look anyway. 

General:

• Start thinking more seriously about crack pot / pipe dream / highly unrealistic winter plans  Goal not met, but crossing it off the list anyway. I thought seriously, very seriously, about going to Aiken with Dan for an intensive week of clinics, lessons, and ultimately an event. This is not happening. Le sigh.
• Additionally, start thinking more seriously about crack pot / pipe dream / unrealistic plans for next year -   This one at least gets to stay on the list. However my plans for next year could take a very different turn from what I originally intended. We will see.
• Clinics! Audit allll the clinics!  We'll call this a win. I audited Stephen Birchall at Austen's barn and Boyd Martin at Loblolly Farm. Both were wonderful. I had also planned to attend a semi-local clinic with WFP, tho his serious injury obviously derailed this plan. Perhaps there will be further opportunities later?
• Consider what work needs to be done before winter doldrums set in  Also getting crossed off the list despite nothing actually happening. Winter doldrums are imminent and we got zero work done in anticipation of them. 
• Get Bali going in the lesson program again (sooner rather than later!) -  My injury couldn't have come at a worse time for Bali. 

bali needs all the help he can get

Riding:

• Dressage boot camp: lateral work, transitions (all of them, up down, within the gait, whatever), next first level type shit?  -  Nope. 
• Moar dressage lessons plz! -  Double nope. We had one lesson w C before our last event. Not really what I meant. Ah well.
• At least one more xc schooling? -  Oooh we actually did this!
• Contingency plans for evening lessons as darkness sets in -  The arena lights were fixed and are better than ever now (evidence here)!! But also Dan is gone for the season now so evening lessons aren't a thing anymore anyway. Womp womp.
• All the fall trail riding - I'm gonna call two trail rides a win. Bali here, and Izzy there.
• Fox hunting? -  Noooope.

early october was so promising. this was a bright spot

Competition:

• End competition season on positive note, regardless of if that means staying at BN or shooting for an actual honest-to-god legit N -  BOOM. We totally did this. It wasn't exactly the 'positive note' I hoped to hit, but we finished the xc phase of our last event feeling better than ever. 
• Dressage < 32 -   Nope.
• Clear stadium (putting this here even tho it makes me uncomfortable lol) -   Nope. Haha. Hahahaha. 
• Clear xc. We can doooooo it! - AW YISSS. 

pictured: positive note

So there ya have it. Rather than wallow in crushing disappointment that I'm still not healed, I'm taking solace in knowing that October started out very promising - we were on track to meet or surpass each of these goals. That's good enough. Accidents are accidents, ya know?

and tempting fate is tempting fate

But given where things currently are, I'm not making concrete goals for next quarter. My plans for getting more serious about dressage still hold, but I don't want to tempt fate by putting timelines on anything. For now and the foreseeable future, my #1 priority is recovering fully.