GoHorseShow.com is pleased to feature the third installment of Sarah Elder Chabot’s series, Working It. An amateur exhibitor on the AQHA circuit, Chabot offers tips on how to make showing work on a limited budget. Look for her future articles for working amateurs with topics such as support systems, and mental focus.
The alarm goes off two hours earlier than normal. Giving that my alarm ring tone is appropriately Tupac’s “Me Against the World”, I am abruptly brought to life and reminded of my aging musical preferences. Climbing out of bed, I know that today is just going to be one of those days, but to make it all happen, I have got to get my ride in early in the morning.
Time management is one of the biggest factors when working towards a goal. Having balance in your life is only possible by planning and making priorities. An early morning ride is one of my options for finding the sweet spot in my life and success.
Check out my approach to fitting everything in.
- Check the weather and have a back up plan. This may seem pretty obvious, but I live my life around the weather. I keep my horse at my parent’s farm, which has multiple riding options including a covered arena. So, I get to ride probably more than most, but I also have to share that space with 30+ other boarders and riders. I know that if it is going to rain in the afternoon, the covered arena will be filled with riders and not all of them have completely got steering down. So I plan to ride in the morning and clean tack in the afternoon or evening. I always have a back up plan. If the weather is clearly not cooperating, I have a pile of horse clothes that need washing, clippers are handy so I can clip my horse, and tack is always up for another wipe down. Having the back up plan let’s me use the days that are most weather appropriate for riding. I really struggle in the winter as I have Raynaud’s Disease. Raynaud’s (ray-NOHZ) disease is a condition that causes some areas of your body — such as your fingers, toes, the tip of your nose and your ears — to feel numb in response to cold temperatures or stress. I have a very advanced form, so in the winter I am often completely layered and miserable while riding and don’t have use of my hands. So I plan my rides during the week solely based on temperature knowing that warmer days are few and far between and that I need to make the most of them.
Know your Barn Schedule. If you keep your horse at a training or boarding facility, you will want to get to know your barn family well enough to plan your time with your horse to give you the most efficient time in the saddle. For me, I know that my mom gives riding lessons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4-7. So I stay at work later on those days and arrive home in time to saddle up as the riding lessons are wrapping up. Plus, my horse has had time to eat his dinner by that point. You will want to find out when feeding time is – if you are crunched for time, and you have to wait on your horse to eat or try riding while the feeding is happening, you may not get the ride you were wanting. Plan around times with other riders! I love riding with other folks, but if disciplines really don’t mesh and I am already pushed for time, I try to avoid riding at that time. You don’t want your pleasure horse having to avoid a barrel racer or vice-versa!
- Mis En Place. A French phrase meaning, “Putting in place.” Mis En Place is used in professional kitchens all around the world, and it means to have your ingredients prepped and tools set up for success during dinner service or cooking. I apply the same approach to riding. My tack and equipment have the same home every day, so I don’t have to go searching for anything and can quickly tack up and get down to business. I also tack my horse up the same way every time. I have it down to an art and am very fast and efficient. At the end of the ride, everything goes back in its place for tomorrow’s ride.
- Don’t put off what you can do today. I know time gets away from us fast, so I try to do as much as I can when I have the time. Like if I know that I have all night on Monday, and I am planning on getting an early ride in the morning on Tuesday, I go ahead and set my fences for Tuesday on Monday…even if it is by the light of the golf cart. Creating more time to be in the saddle is my goal.
Make a “lesson plan”. My mom is a schoolteacher so she is always planning out what her students will be learning in the weeks ahead. I do the same thing with my horse. I know what I am going to be working on way before I get to the barn and even plan it out through the week. That way I can put on the right clothes, decide whether I am tacking up in hunt seat or western equipment, and even make my warm ups more efficient.
- Plan for a break. I really could spend my entire day at the barn and be perfectly happy. However, I know that in order to keep my marriage healthy and my work life successful, I have to be in other places and I enjoy those things too! Because I do plan on time away from the barn, I don’t feel guilty when I am away. My husband and I are constantly communicating about schedules. When he has a day off from work, I plan to have a day off at the barn so we can spend time together. Sometimes it doesn’t always work out, but the effort is certainly appreciated on both sides.
You want to plan and prepare as much as you can when you have the time. Period.
About Sarah Elder Chabot:
Competing on the AQHA circuit for more than 20 years, Sarah Elder Chabot has grown up showing American Quarter Horses in all classes from the hunter ring to the roping pen. With a diverse background in showing, Sarah is also a past contributor for the American Quarter Horse Journal, GoHorseShow.com and other equine publications. She currently competes on her horse, A Well Dressed Man, in amateur hunter classes, and can be seen traveling around with her favorite companion Elise, an Irish Jack Russell and her ever supportive husband, Andy. Outside of showing horses, you may see Sarah putting in a quick run, traveling to far off lands, and tasting great wine–all a part of her day job!
