My morning routine tends to be very predictable. However, today as I went to put on my much loved but very worn riding boots, I had the major wardrobe malfunction that every rider dreads.  

I’ve ignored the holes in my boots for months, laughing off the fact that they could be considered borderline peep-toes. But as both zippers broke on the same day, it was like the universe was saying, “Enough already!” 

It left me with no other choice but to reach for the beautiful, but new and uncomfortable pair I’ve been ignoring in the bottom of my tack trunk. Six horses and a full day of work later, the new boots are already showing some wrinkles and feeling not so bad.

Most days I call my best friend on the way home from the barn to talk about our horses and our day. Her response to the great boot debacle? “Ahh, new year new boots. It’s a good thing.” How I love her optimism and go-with-the-flow attitude! It got me thinking—what a perfect and accurate analogy.

The New Year is a time to start fresh. To let go of what’s not working and shake off what didn’t go exactly right. To both keep the best parts of yourself close and also be open to new things. To push beyond your comfort zone in pursuit of growth and re-evaluate your own personal “big picture.”

I had a lot of good fortune in 2014, including some great horses and some truly magical moments in the ring. But I also faced challenges and had to make a few hard decisions, such as exceptionally ill-timed injuries and taking a bit of a new career path. At the end of it all it is really just about moving forward. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to make leaps and bounds and sometimes the best we can manage are a few baby steps, but just use what you’ve got and keep going. 

My hopes for 2015 are to try to build my horses, my riding, and my business up in bigger and better ways. I am always interested in pursuing new avenues to enhance my operation and to develop as an individual and a horsewoman. I still feel as if I am only touching the tip of the iceberg of where I really want to end up in this industry as a professional rider and trainer. 

But I also resolve to be mindful of the things that are not so finite and tangible. To remember to be grateful for the lifestyle I lead and the chance to do what I love, even when things don’t seem to be going as planned. To seize every opportunity that presents itself and to convey my appreciation to all those who help me along the way. To be positive even on hard or frustrating days, and to not waste my focus on the things I can’t control. 

It is a gift in itself to have a true passion in life and goals that excite and inspire you. I endeavor to remember that a little more in the New Year, and to not take the ups and downs quite so personally, but more as an inevitable part of the process. My goal is to just strive to do right by my horses and do the best I can in each given situation and on each given day. I hope that success on the level that I aspire to will be a natural byproduct of doing things in a thoughtful and methodical way.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year, and many great rides in 2015!

Jennifer Bliss had a very successful junior career, which included achievements such as earning USEF Pony Finals championships and national year-end championships in the pony and junior hunter divisions, and top 15 placings in all the major equitation finals. A professional rider and trainer whose focus is on the hunter ring, she began her own business, Harris Hill Farm, in 2007. She especially loves developing special young hunters, and teaching junior and amateur clients.  To find out more about Jennifer please visit www.harrishillfarmllc.com and read all her blog entries.