Forget New Year’s Resolutions, we’ve come up with five horse-related ideas that you can try in 2025 to expand your knowledge in and joy of the sport. Choose one, do all five, or create your own personal equine goals – the point is in challenging yourself to do better for your horse, pony, donkey or mule.

1. Participate in a Clinic

When we say participate, we don’t just mean auditing, but actually riding or doing liberty work – whatever the clinician is teaching. Auditing has its purpose and you can definitely learn by watching, but doing the work under the expert gaze of a pro is tough to beat. There are Facebook groups dedicated to clinics such this one for Ontario, but you can also Google and find clinics in your area, or search by discipline or clinician.

Many sport associations also host and list clinics such as the Ontario Competitive Trail Riding Association or the British Columbia Eventing Association. Reach out to the clinician or host to see if you and your horse qualify to participate, but hey, if you’re just not ready, continue looking until you find a clinic you can feel comfortable riding in. You can also double up and ride in one clinic, then audit another. The point is to get out of your comfort zone, meet new people and learn a different perspective on your sport.

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