2026: What we pay attention to, grows

I’ve been reflecting recently on Doozy’s and my year together in 2025. It was, on the balance, pretty excellent — even with lots of lessons and learnings to carry forward into the new year.

And for whatever reason, that’s where my thoughts keep landing: the time ahead of us. Perhaps I’ll still get around to reviewing the past year in formal posts (it is winter, after all, with every reason to predict more snowbound doldrums lol), but for today I wanna talk about what’s on my mind and set my intentions: I want 2026 to be about showing up well — mentally, physically, and structurally — and creating conditions where positive experiences can happen often, with clarity, sustainability, and repeatability.

To dig into the details a bit, I’m breaking out three key elements to that intention: my mental space, physical capacity, and structural design + approach.

it ain’t always the easiest partnership, but i’m excited to see what comes of it in the year ahead!

Mental Space

I want to continue being intentional about mindset, emotional approach, and overall framing of how I participate in this sport. Realistically, anybody who’s been reading knows this has already been a major focus in recent years.

It’s been a real journey realigning my mindset to a process-oriented vs outcomes-focused approach. To release myself from the idea of “failure” and instead embrace that every experience is just more data. And that nobody will care more than I do.

And all that work paid off in tangible ways in 2025 — especially when it came to just getting out the door, doing the things, and actually enjoying myself in the process.

pictured: enjoying myself <3

That doesn’t mean it’s easy, or that the hard days disappeared. It’s honestly a constant effort — especially with a horse as uniquely challenging for me as Doozy. Sometimes it looks like pushing myself past my existential dread, but sometimes it’s also about adjusting expectations or even scratching when that’s the right call (Plantation being a recent example).

In 2026, I want to keep paying attention to how I show up: staying focused on process over outcome, and feeling present rather than pressured. I also want to leave myself some space — for fatigue, burnout, or the realities of life outside the barn. What we pay attention to grows, and this is something I want to keep growing.

Physical Capacity

On the flip side of the same coin, I want to bring more attention to my physical wellbeing and health in 2026. It feels like one of those universal jokes that as decades of horse experiences really start translating into a deeper knowledge (dare I say, wisdom?), the body…. Miiiiiight be heading in the opposite direction.

just trying to keep up with this spitfire mare!

Between age, accumulated wear and tear, old injuries, and the double-edged sword of a fulfilling career that keeps me hunched over a computer for long hours each day, it isn’t getting any easier to stay physically well, strong, whole, and present in the saddle. My strength, flexibility, and stamina aren’t what they used to be — but they also don’t feel gone entirely. Let’s say atrophied dormant rather than lost.

It’s been easy to rationalize that I’ve historically been sufficiently strong and fit just as a byproduct of my normal horsey habit. And ok, things slipped a bit in recent years as Charlie eased into retirement… but surely I would snap back as Doozy really got going, right? Ahem, cough cough. Perhaps I didn’t give enough credit to the fact that my horsey habit was “enough” when I was 10 years younger, taking 2+ lessons a week, AND doing barn work LOL.

literally the prettiest mare <3

So. In 2026, I want to be more proactive in building my strength and stamina outside of saddle time or lessons. Not in pursuit of some ideal version of fitness, but to be as strong and effective a partner for Doozy as I can be, and to make sure I’m getting the most out of our lessons. What we pay attention to, grows — and at least in this moment, my willful blindness to this reality is over.

Continuing Education and Lessons

I say this every year, and I always mean it: I want to keep learning, developing, and pushing my skill set. A big part of that continues to be lessons with qualified professionals.

perhaps we’ll go back to Area II champs again next year??

I still catch myself pining for the setup we had in 2015 — weekly lessons with a 5* rider at home, plus regular ship-outs for jumping and dressage within <30min drive. That was a halcyon age I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. These days, especially this winter, getting to a proper jumping lesson generally means shipping 1-1.5hrs each way.

In 2026, instead of dismissing that reality as “unsustainable” and rationalizing that “I can get by well enough on my own!” I want to make it work. That means more planning ahead, and obvi all the associated time / energy / resources of travel, but it’ll be worth it. At the same time, I’ll keep looking for creative ways to bring good education a little closer to home.

Competitions

I want to keep competing in 2026, without attaching that to specific goals around levels, qualifications, or results. The focus instead is on staying present and producing predictable, repeatable experiences — especially in the dressage, but also in the show jumping.

ideally we’ll have more to show than just being super shiny in our dressage tests LOL

Some of that should come naturally from continued education and better preparation, but it’s important enough to name explicitly. Last season reinforced the value of early, low-pressure, bite-sized outings as a way for both of us to dip our toes in, build comfort, and set ourselves up for success. That’s definitely a lesson I want to carry forward.

Equine Management

This also ties into Doozy’s overall management, obvi a fairly critical element of overall program design. I’m really happy with how she responded to the care and management choices we made over the past year and hope to carry on as we have been.

That said, nothing here is static or fixed or set in stone. She’s an animal, and her needs shift — with the seasons, with workload, and especially with changes in grass and pasture. In 2026, the goal is to keep paying attention, stay flexible, and continue adjusting her wellness routines in ways that support her soundness, comfort, and mental freshness.

literally the sweetest mare, just gotta keep the hamsters all running in the same direction!

Setting Doozy up for success starts long before we ever get on the trailer, and this is an area I want to keep approaching thoughtfully and proactively.

Seems straight forward enough, right?? Or maybe that’s all a little vague and woo-woo and lacking the specificity necessary to be accountable, as far as you’re concerned. And maybe you’re right LOL. But eh, it’s horses. Anything can happen. For now, tho, this feels like the right course to chart. Anyone else starting to think about goals for the upcoming year?  

year in review: volunteering

We’re slowly drawing to a close on another exciting year full of changes. It’s been a long time since I’ve done a full blown comprehensive ‘year in review’ type series, mostly because… Well. You all know. It can be a bit of work pulling it all together lol. 

With that said, however, I DO like to do smaller and more focused summaries of key aspects of my horsey existence. So let’s kick things off with a reflection on my volunteerism in 2025.

jump judging the Intermediate class at Plantation’s spring USEA HT

Longtime readers will remember that I actually first familiarized myself with formal eventing in 2014 by jump judging the cross country at my local club’s annual recognized event. I got to see legends like Phillip, Boyd, Sally, Ryan, Courtney, you name ’em, jump around what seemed to be impossibly enormous* tables, and it was hugely inspiring.

Ever since, and especially since the USEA rolled out the EventingVolunteers portal in 2017 (vastly simplifying the signup process!), volunteering at events has remained a key aspect of how I enjoy and participate in this crazy sport.

(*Preliminary looks less enormous to me today, tho still perhaps intimidatingly impossible!)

The average Area II volunteer spent ~2.5 days at events this year.

Especially in the last few years, when Charlie was out of commission more often than in, time spent volunteering filled an important gap in my horsey experiences. 

Chasing the 500hour Bronze Medal volunteer recognition award gave me a reason to stick around, stay active, keep participating, while I figured out how to get back into the competitive saddle myself.

My personal totals ticked up a bit unexpectedly, more on that below.

It always seemed clear, however, that bringing Doozy home would necessarily coincide with a drop in participation. Naturally, I still wanted to go to all the events — but as a rider again, yay!

And it’s been funny this year, too. A lot of local coaches and riders don’t necessarily ‘know’ me, per se, but they recognize me from stewarding so many warm up rings. And more than a few of them this past year remarked on how nice it was to see me from this new angle lol — looking up at me in the saddle, vs the other way around!

I spent more time at unrecognized events this year - like scribing dressage at MDHT’s October starter trial!

Oddly enough, tho, my overall volunteer participation rates… didn’t actually drop in 2025, compared to 2024. Quite the opposite, actually. Which honestly surprised me a bit, until I started digging into the numbers for this post.

Getting back to my roots in 2025 — my grassroots ;)

I’ve already written at great length my opinions on how the USEA could continue to foster and incentivize volunteer participation, so I won’t get into all that again. 

But one thing is clear, at least, from my experience: While I was chasing that 500 Hr Bronze Medal award,* I prioritized volunteering at USEA recognized events that would count toward that goal, at the expense of supporting grassroots unrecognized events (with notable exceptions including those organized by my local club). 

(*The prize for which was literally the worlds ugliest cheapest boxy white embroidered polo, exactly like what you wore in middle school…)

I still love the thrill of the FEI classes tho — and learned a new skill by timing the show jumping rounds at Plantation’s Fall International!

Not this year, tho! Because it turns out… Most organizers offer the same attractive volunteer rewards (like schooling passes or certificates) at ALL their events — and in some cases actually offer better rewards for folks who show up to the unrecognized stuff, since those events are often most in need of support.

And now that I’m actively riding and schooling and competing again, those schooling passes and certificates are actually being put to good use! Finally!

FEI events are technically a subset of my recognized category, although the volunteer experience is a little different re: rules and guidelines, and the presence of official FEI stewards.

Plus, not gonna lie, there’s something special about supporting the grassroots stuff. At least in Area II, there is a whole ’nother community outside the periphery of “USEA Sanctioned” events. A whole world of adult amateurs doing it for the love of the horse and the sport and literally no other reason, a world of folks (of all ages!) just starting to dip their toes into a new sport. 

Folks just like most of us, who want to get out and do the things — but maybe don’t really need all the trappings of “USEA” (especially re: the extra expenses!). 

Ain’t a bad way to spectate, tho!

And actually, one of my favorite volunteering memories from this past year was jump judging at the Fair Hill starter trial in July with my mom. It’s been a pretty challenging couple years for my family, with a lot of sadness and loss — this past spring in particular. 

Spending the day sitting in the air conditioned car, parked in the shade, watching the World’s Cutest Ponies (and occasionally retired 5* horses!) bop around little logs was the perfect antidote. We got to just sit there, make a radio call and mark a form every couple minutes, and otherwise just relax and enjoy the show. For those 5 hours, we were happily captive.

In a way, it’s reassuring and even exciting to see that volunteering roughly once a month can still fold in neatly with my schedule of actively training and competing. It’s something I love to do, for many reasons — not least of which being that familiarity can breed confidence and inspiration. 

Definitely something I want to carry forward in 2026, even if I no longer feel compelled to wrap the habit in any hard numbers or goals. What about you? Think you’ll do any volunteering in the coming year? 

Performance Riders Blueprint

Performance Riders, based in Australia, hosted a free live web session with Boyd Martin, Peter Wylde, Lillian Heard Wood, and Brett Parbery to promote their subscription online training module. As such, it was a hybrid sales pitch + teaser of what to expect from the program.

I knew from touring Windurra with Boyd years ago that this man has zero chill with sharing his opinions, approaches, methods, perspectives on literally everything he does with a horse – at a pace that makes you wish you’d hit “record.”

True story: he spat out so much rapid-fire detail on that tour about conditioning upper-level horses – how often they’re ridden, the focus of each ride, how intensity progresses – I literally couldn’t write fast enough, and most of those details blew over my head like dust in the wind.

Not this time, tho! I knew what to expect and was ready to go lol.

that time i fauxto-shopped boyd onto the legend himself, charles <3

So! Here are my notes:

The agenda was to basically create a ‘blueprint’ for our 2026 plans (that presumably you’d start executing by signing up for the program).

Boyd advises creating two sets of plans, one for the horse and one for the rider. Naturally, horses being horses, we should map a plan but keep it adjustable.

For the rider, however, Boyd was more strict: he urged us to evolve as riders, to be really really honest with ourselves about where we are, what’s coming up short, and where we want to go.

He said it’s easy to practice what we’re good at – but that’s not going to help us with…. anything else. Boyd’s personal goal examples included working on flying changes and addressing the ‘stiffness’ that’s creeping into his seat and position as he ages. 

Especially this time of year, it’s easy to talk ourselves out of practicing intentionally. But before we know it, it could be March and he won’t have sat the trot in months.

pictured: a man who is willing and eager to tell you everything he knows, no matter who you are!

For the horse, Boyd’s approach to goal setting was maybe… less relatable to my personal reality. Planning for Kentucky or Burghley obviously requires significantly more logistical resources than Area II champs an hour and a half down the road.

I’ll share his insights anyway, tho:

Boyd starts by picking his big events for his upper-level horses for the year – maybe one in spring, one in fall – then works backward to reverse engineer the steps to get there.

For example:

• Three or four weeks before a 5*, he’ll aim for a 4*-S or Advanced where he can give it a proper physical push – letting the horse go forward at speed across the country
• Before that, he’ll aim for 1-2 easier competitions as lead up events – maybe down a level to the 3* or even Prelim/2* for the veterans to get them started for the year
• Intermingled with that trajectory, he’ll do some show jump rounds as “training days” to get the horses into big rings, big tracks – maybe down in Florida.
• He’ll also pick out a couple dressage shows
• (Editor’s Note: “bite-sized outings!”)

Boyd & Tsetserleg in the MDHT 3* leading up to the Pan American games in 2019

Peter, an Olympian and one of Boyd’s coaches, further emphasized going to the show jumping events to practice, just to take the edge and jitters off. Like literally down to specifically wearing polo shirts and tan pants – just getting horse and rider into the ring, getting comfortable, putting in the reps, since eventers do so relatively few actual rounds.

Peter advised focusing on two main attributes in show jumping practice:

1. Rideability: We want our horses lovely and polite to ride – round, supple, light, not completely closed in the neck, a lighter more ‘up’ frame.
• In our exercises at home, he said to include course work that focuses on the horse staying lovely and nice around the course. It’s not about being a perfectionist, but rather being diligent in insisting that we do things well. Don’t just hop on and fly over the jumps (Ed. Note: me, this is me 100%) – but work on repeatability.
• He suggested using ground pole courses too, and Boyd offered a nugget that he uses with one of his hotter horses Luke: do a trot transition halfway across the course, or add a couple bounces in the middle.
2. Repeatability: Horses are happier when things are consistent. Peter suggested thinking about it like a “recipe.” Try to be consistent, try to figure out what formula you do with the horse for each event, each practice session – what gets the horse the best feeling so that you can make a plan for that.
• The most successful way to train horses and riders is to set up a plan then tailor that plan for approaching each event.
• That way, if the plan doesn’t work, you’ve got a blueprint for making tweaks or changes.

pictured: me and Charlie figuring out what not to do in a show jump schooling round at Plantation, naturally with a somewhat intimidating audience… 

Related to that ‘recipe,’ Boyd gave the following example of tailoring his show jumping warm up at an event:

• Start flatting about 12 horses to go (~24min from ride time)
• Start jumping 6 horses out (~12 min to go)
• Start with a vertical, focusing on rideability and discipline, and do a walk transition on landing to help the horse think ‘slow’
• (Ed. Note: interesting that the practice at home includes more course work, and the warm up includes more “one at a time” jumping)
• Put the vertical up, then go to an oxer
• About 2 horses out (~4min), he hops off the horse to reset the saddle (even if it doesn’t need it) and take 30seconds to exhale
• This gives the horse a minute to take a breath and calm down
• (Ed. Note: Could this be the silver lining to being our own jump crew while schooling at home??)
• Jump your last fence as the rider ahead is on jump 2 or 3 – set it to a tall vertical to get the horse jumping up

His point is to create a predictable routine system. Vertical, land, walk. Vertical, land, walk. Show the horse the routine, use body language to calm everything down, and help the horse recognize the pattern.

Ultimately, the mega goal is success at the one big event, with a game plan to use lead up outings as schooling and prep.

Boyd & On Cue at the Plantation 3* in 2020

Fitness and conditioning are obviously also key components. Boyd outlined the following schema for Kentucky prep:

• December is dedicated to long, slow dedicated flatwork – horse “yoga” vs test riding.
• January introduces long slow stamina work
• February will see the first couple events, again at lower levels and slower still speeds
• March is when more speed and hill work starts, with the goal of eventually hitting 14 hill gallops before the spring 5*

He encouraged us to observe what works for successful people, and adapt it to our programs, recognizing that things go wrong all the time. The people at the top of the sport aren’t doing some sort of magical riding. It’s not like they aren’t facing setbacks too. Rather, it’s the small fundamental details that make the biggest difference.

Boyd really emphasized that riding goals are not negotiable. Especially this time of year, he’s not just going to toddle around in the indoor arena or go for a hack. It’s too easy to just go through the motions (Ed. Note: Ahem, guilty as charged!) – but to improve, you have to go after it.

The rate of improvement is very minute, mayyybe 0.1% a week. Day to day, you won’t feel like you’re getting anywhere – it can be frustrating to put in a huge amount of effort every ride for a minuscule or nearly undetectable reward. But that’s what it takes, and you must be relentless, disciplined, committed.

pictured: me and charlie demonstrating the sometimes frustratingly slow path to improvement at a tricky water question, natch with Boyd again watching (and waiting for us to finish) from the truck 

There are only so many jumps a horse can jump, obviously he acknowledged it’s a luxury to practice on so many different horses. But for each horse, each session has to count. You can’t just whiz them around – you have to be clear minded and committed that your sessions have purpose – that everything you do with your horse has a purpose.

Doing more of it badly won’t make you better. We’ve all fallen into that trap of basically being an ‘exercise rider’ just spinning them around, vs intentionally training every ride (Ed. Note: Hi, yes, the problem is me!).

The true champions still ride their horses with the same window of time, but are more engaged with their sessions, staying true to the real goal.

Brett, an Olympic dressage rider based in Australia, chimed in to observe that a high performance mindset is a mindset of detail. Working on the simple things and getting them right.

He said there are five critical steps to achieving your goals:

• Today, today, today, today, today

It’s what you do today that puts you in place tomorrow. And we need to take the time, break things down, create structure for how to improve skillsets, understanding and knowledge. Horses crave structure in their preparation and development, and it’s our job to provide it.

making the rounds at our local club’s recognized event

Obviously this session was intended to get riders jazzed up enough to enroll in the program (“Today!”), but for me, there’s still a lot of utility and truth in what’s written above. Especially as it relates to engaging more deeply in each session.

With Doozy, it’s always been true that I need to find ways to engage positively with her tension, without indulging in the drama. Staying proactive and mindful in each ride (like with my Brit Bot app!) is a big part of that, and something I shouldn’t abandon entirely even when relegated to dusty laps in the indoor or sharing space with lessons.

Also, it reinforced the importance of preparing through “bite-sized outings,” something that should definitely be part of my plan this year too.

What about you, any big takeaways? Or anything that can be adapted for your own off season work?

ice-blerg

Perhaps my last post mocking Baltimore’s meager snowfall in the last storm, um, angered the weather gods. Because they were back with a vengeance this weekend, with blustery cold winds and enough snow to get their point across.

Fortunately, the storm was actually worse than forecast. Which might be a weird sentence to say, except that around these parts we are prone to that nasty icy wintry mix that honestly is much harder to navigate than just pure snow. So the colder-than-expected temps spared us from the most difficult conditions.

 

Which, naturally, meant Doozy was not spared from our regularly scheduled dusty laps around the indoor…

 

This horse is just such a menace in the winter. The change in turnout schedules (from overnight to daytime) means she’s quite literally penned up in her stall for a larger proportion of the day. And even when she is free to roam in turnout, the nasty ground conditions and lack of grazing mean the little herd mostly just hunkers around the round bale. 

So lucky me, I guess — our time in the ring is really her one and only outlet for all that pent up red TB mare energy. And god help us all if I feel like slacking off bc… c’mon, isn’t that literally what the off season is for????

 

And so it goes lol. I’m trying to stick with a schedule of at least 3 consecutive rides in a row, minimum. Bc real talk: Doozy’s first ride after a day off is… hard, and bad. Bad as in, “might not be able to reliably w-t-c in both directions in the indoor, esp if lesson kiddos are involved. Day 2 is probably… still hard, but maybe it’s hard and good. As in, “can do the things, even tho it’s hard.”

 

Day 3 is usually when the mare more or less reliably copes. Usually. Except for those other times lol….
(and there are ALWAYS ‘other times’)

 

“Don’t listen to her, she’s lying. Also. I miiiiiiight be about to lose my shit if those boys keep running around like goons!” — Doozy, 1,000% about to lose her shit

Pictured: two goons, going bonkers. Fun fact: not long after this, they actually broke down that gate and joined me and Doozy on our walk back out to her pasture. Much “FUN” was had by all LOL….

So ok. Maybe everybody is feeling the effects of sudden onset winter lol.

Maybe it’s just that time of year lol. 

Rumor has it that our barn’s voluntary isolation policies may be lifted this week (assuming the EHM landscape remains stable), so maybe Doozy will get a chance to remember that the wider world can be a LOT more exciting, and maybe she should appreciate the boring dusty laps haha. 

A girl can dream, right? Hope y’all are staying warm and not going too stir crazy either!

slow news day

Oof guys… This interminable season between Thanksgiving and Christmas… Days are still getting shorter, winter precipitation is starting to arrive, and the ground and footing stay wet + mucky longer. Not gonna lie, it makes for… Uninspiring monotony lol!

“No.”

We have a few extra reasons to whine, too. An electrical malfunction on the farm took out power to our “big” indoor a few weeks ago. Mgmt has been quick and committed to working to fix the problem, but you know how it is with old farms. 

The more they prodded, the more they found wrong with the system, and the solution proved to be quite a bit more complicated than anybody anticipated. 

nap o’clock at the ok corral

At present, that ‘solution’ looks like a giant trench dug with heavy machinery halfway across the barn yard to lay new lines up to the ring. Progress is happening, but slowly. It sounds like power might be imminently (or already?) restored, tho presumably work will continue until that trench is filled back in.

holy mother of goodness, it “snowed” lol

Meanwhile, the lovely outdoor ring has footing that just plain old can’t stand up to wetness at all, and doesn’t have lights anyway. So we’ve spent most of our time in the ‘smaller’ indoor* — which is naturally adjacent to aforementioned trench + related heavy machinery. So the acoustical situation has been, ahem, occasionally fraught.

(*brief pause from my whine to recognize that, obviously, it’s quite a nice luxury to even have so many available riding spaces…)

the ‘big’ indoor is limited to daytime use only at present, bc of an electrical issue

That’s before we even factor in all the ring traffic that has therefore been concentrated into the smallest available space. Meaning Doozy has recently been tasked for the first time with routinely sharing space with the tiniest lesson kiddos and newest beginner riders, who generally stick to the smaller indoor as a rule anyway. 

And guys, not gonna lie… I love this ridiculous silly little chaos engine of a mare… But I would have a hard time forgiving myself if she triggered some sort of mass-spooking event that led to a kid falling — or, worse, if she kicked a kid or lesson pony that got too close.

don’t be fooled by that charming green hue, the top 1” layer of ground is slippy sloppy treachery

As far as I'm concerned, I know and understand the associated risks with horses and riding in general, and of this specific mare in particular, far better than the average lesson kid or parent. So it’s up to me to not create a risky situation while expecting others to act accordingly, ya know?

 

she’s still cute tho <3

Tho, before you start thinking Doozy is a wild and uncontrolled menace… By and large, she’s been fine. And on the nights she’s *less* fine (like when the construction equipment is going or, god forbid, rain is making *weird noises* in the downspouts… Ya know. We satisfy ourselves with just accomplishing mere existence. 

Sometimes, just going through the motions and getting our steps in is enough, right? Esp after a day spent tiptoeing around on squidgy mud or choppy frozen ruts, even just 30min of active walking on soft footing has its benefits. And meanwhile, our sound dampening bonnet has made a reappearance lol….

noise cancelling ‘headphones’ for the win LOL

As it is, we’re just in a bit of a holding pattern. Which is timely enough… Apparently there was/is a huge EHM outbreak stemming from a rodeo in Texas, that, combined with two isolated and seemingly unrelated cases inside 100mi of us (one in southeastern MD and one in PA), basically set local social media ablaze with panic. As a result, many local farms (ours included) have adopted voluntary quarantine / isolation policies. 

I’m not entirely sure that reaction is necessary or warranted, given the current reality on the ground in our area… But nobody asked me either LOL. It’s off season anyway, it’s not like there’s a lot going on. Tho, real talk, I might have a stronger opinion during competition season about what circumstances realistically merit dropping the iron curtain. Ymmv. 

winter… it ain’t our favorite! c’est la vie….

As it is, we go along to get along, amirite? A big lesson learned after Doozy’s lengthy period of NQRness last year was that… Ya know, the horse is fine. Routine consistent practice is an end unto itself with this horse, regardless of ‘intensity.’ And hopefully we’ll be allowed to get out and about again soon, so she can remember to #StayCivilizedInPublic too haha. 

In the meantime we’ll just keep going through the motions of dusty brown 20m circles in the indoor LOL…. (siiigh)