It's been a while but I  had a thought this morning and hoping others can give some good advice. I lost my heart horse Dec 23 unexpectedly and I’m trying to figure out how to go back to making goals and plans. I had a ton of goals for 2024 with him and the loss hit hard. 2024 went by in almost a daze with not much running.  I would like to make goals for this year but I’m afraid to make goals and then have something happen to my horses. Anyone else experience this and how’d you work thru it?

I'm in the same spot. I went from 2 to 0 in six months. I can't afford to buy a barrel horse so I'm starting over. 

I'm so sorry. Luckily I did have a young horse coming up so it pushed me to run her more instead of grabbing my steady. But I feel like I can't make plans for shows (even though internally I want too) because what if something happens. 2024 was tough and alot of tears but I'm trying to get some gumption back 

So sorry for both of your losses. Those cut deep. 

I recently lost a young mare that was so talented, so fast, so sweet, the list goes on and on but I lost her to a reaction to the steriod in her hock injections.I was emotionally spent, physically ill. 

Allow yourself time to grieve.  And when your ready, get back on another, don't compare them but enjoy the ride, enjoy the horse. It doesn't mean you have to run right away, but just getting back on a horse is so good for the soul.  

I think sometimes we just have to start in a small way, make a goal to haul to a race for time only's only, or just to tie them out while you watch if that is all you can handle right now.  Staying home becomes a pattern, just like entering up or making time in a busy day becomes a pattern. We sometimes just need to do things out of discipline when motivation takes a break due to circumstances.  It's especially hard when we lose those heart horses to gather our drive back up.  

I think this is probably the biggest thing. Thank you for this!!! Last year made me fully run my other mare but we didnt go as many places. Its become a habit to not really stay home, because i still try and haul just to use an arena, but just not go to a show. But i dont feel like i can plan out the year with bigger shows or even commit to a series, per say. Its like "oh theres a show, lets see how i feel that morning." Its like im waiting to make plans that way nothing can go wrong. I had wanted to run this weekend, but its jan and my younger horse always has something happen then and shes currently trying to blow an abscess. 

I have been just surviving life for the last couple of years and my mare has been a pasture pony.  Just happened to be speaking to someone I had helped get her stud registed (long story) and she offered me a free breeding.  I jumped on it, I know the sire/dam of the stud as they used to belong to a friend who is now deceased.  If she were still alive, I'm sure she would have done this breeding or one close to it. 

My mare is now getting close to foal (in a couple months) and I have be so stoked about.  So starting over with a foal cold turkey.  

I think one thing that makes loosing a horse so hard is that you remember how much time that you put into the horse.  I have a supply of youngsters coming up that have exceptional breeding and they have really helped me to move on.  I had another problem occur right after I lost my good horse.  I sent one to a colt starter and the person really mistreated the horse.  It took me nearly a year to be able to get near him without getting kicked.  I have really had to spend a lot of time just getting where I could handle him  That has taken my mind off of the one I lost.  I was outside working on my little feeding wagon and he came and assisted.  I wouldn't say he helped but what he offered certainly was interacting in a nice way.  Work with your other horses and make them into what your horse was 

"Its like im waiting to make plans that way nothing can go wrong"

I feel this....I run home to catch a quick ride during most of the year at lunch time to help keep them legged up but then find myself not going to the races because something else pops up or the wind is from the North or blah de blah blah.  So, if there is pre_entries available I pre- enter because I know me, if I don't pre-enter and the world isn't perfect that day I bail on my decision to go. Pre-entering is my way of call BS on myself. I put the work in, I bust my butt to keep the ridden and their shoeing schedule on point and do without to get them their extra's to keep them healthy as possible so I can enjoy them fully.  Sometimes we have to outsmart ourselves, LOL!!!