1% Extra: Planning for the 12 months Forward with Woodge Fulton | Eventing Nation

“1% Extra” is a weblog collection through which World Equestrian Manufacturers-endorsed and coach group riders give us one booster tip that may assist us to enhance our aggressive edge by 1%. As any true athlete is aware of, all of these 1percents add as much as vital outcomes.

It’s January! Time to set objectives and make massive plans for the brand new yr. In case you are fortunate, you’ve got already or are on the brink of head all the way down to Florida for the winter season. However what about the remainder of us? How will we work in direction of our massive objective horse present of the yr when our ponies are fats, furry, and lined in snow?

We sat down with 5* occasion rider Woodge Fulton to learn the way we are able to strategy 2023, even when it’s not but time to hit the bottom working. Click on right here to learn the total weblog on the World Equestrian Manufacturers website.

WEB: Thanks for sitting down with us, Woodge! We’d love to speak a bit about what occurs after we begin setting objectives in January that is perhaps months away, particularly if we occur to not be headed someplace heat to get a leg up on the competitors.

WF: I believe this tends to draw a type-A go-getter, goal-setting mentality, which I believe in numerous methods can work to our benefit. I believe we wish to watch out that our horse has no concept it’s January 1. And so that you simply wish to watch out that we weren’t having a pleasant vacation and we had Christmas, and we’re getting on perhaps two days every week and hacking round. After which hastily, January 1 comes and there’s a giant wave of publicity concerning the New 12 months. And everybody on social media down south is leaping massive and galloping quick and your pony is a bit fats and furry. I believe it’s very easy to kind of lose sight of your personal objectives and what your milestones are, and A), get discouraged after which B), the tendency could be to push too laborious as a result of it’s January 2 now and we’ve bought massive plans. We don’t wish to break anybody in January, that’s for positive!

WEB: We don’t! So what can somebody do in the event that they’re sitting in a chilly place, excited about what to do for all of their massive objectives and so they’re not going to Florida?

WF: Stroll! I believe strolling is underrated — it’s boring and it’s particularly not a lot enjoyable to do when it’s freezing. However get some heated gloves and a few heated socks, and when you have a secure place to stroll on the street and it’s not tremendous icy. Simply getting out of the ring and going and strolling till you freeze to loss of life is an efficient place to start out!

After which additionally create a plan week by week by week on your horse’s health in order that manner it doesn’t come March and also you haven’t even seen your dressage saddle in three months. There’s no motive you’ll be able to’t stroll in your dressage saddle and there’s no motive the horse can’t stroll on the bit. There’s no motive you’ll be able to’t do little lateral stuff as you’re strolling. However I believe these bite-sized items each single day provides up over time.

I believe on the flip facet of that, simply being aware, too, of the day you’re having — if it’s adverse 40 and all the things’s lined in ice, perhaps simply take the blanket off and groom your horse.

I believe social media is nice in numerous methods, and it opens everybody’s eyes to alternative ways of studying, and also you’re capable of see all the things. However however, everybody is barely placing their finest work on the market. So whereas it could seem like Susie Q in Ocala is coaching from solar as much as solar down each single day, that doesn’t imply that’s your program or that’s going to work finest for you and your horse.