Help me make a plan!

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I've always been a very horsey person. Family used to hunt loads and childhood was basically hunting and ponies and that was it.

I've always had horses as an adult. Done a bit of eventing, show jumping but nothing very serious. Cut a long story short I've recently lost the 'love' for it, mainly from having too much on with kids, work etc. and having too many horses at home.

Anyway, now down to one horse at livery and starting to enjoy it again. but not sure on a plan! I like to have a plan!!

Have a lovely mare, rising 6, had her from 3yo. She's not a world beater but nicely bred ISH. More event type but her dad was Grade A SJ so sure she could manage what I would ever want to do SH. Nice enough paces but typical Irish.

Been to a few shows/XC and she seems bold and careful. She's just a really good girl.

I don't know what to do with her! Should I try and event? I enjoy the challenge but it's quite a commitment with training for 3 disciplines and actually paying and getting to events. Or BS? We have a few good local leisure places and seems an easier option. Or just tootle round doing some unaffiliated bits and hacking? I don't know!?

I took her to probably her 3rd show ever and 1st this year and she popped round 75 and 80 like a pro! 2 DC.

Well it sounds a lot like the world is your oyster really! Your mare sounds lovely. If having goals motivates you, why not pick something like wanting to jump round a BE80 on a ticket by the end of the season (which sounds as though it should be within your/her capability)? Treat it as a challenge with the aim of enjoying the journey?

If you are organised and book things which need booking well in advance working backwards from your chosen BE date(s), and making sure childcare/budget is sorted in advance, I would have thought you can manage the preparation fine. Dressage you can prepare for just as part of your normal flatwork/schooling (and is the boring bit anyway ), SJ get out to a few of your local venues and do the 80/90/100cm class as appropriate (not with the aim of winning or going super fast in jump off to fry her brain but get her doing nice steady DCs to get fully confident at the height you want to event at). XC schooling will be the hardest part as you can't do as much at home but if you book in a local hunter trial or similar plus an XC schooling day or XC clinic at the right interval before the BE event should be fine, particularly if you are happy enough to potter around the XC and not worry too much about the time or going clear?

You'll also need a fitness plan but you can do this mainly through hacking and as you sound like an organised person I'm sure you can schedule it out

One thing that will def help is if someone else on your yard wants to take on the challenge with you. Sharing lessons, transport etc makes the whole thing so much more affordable and I really hate going out on my own, having someone else to hold your stirrup/put the practice jump up for/shoulder to cry on when you are nervous is invaluable IMO!

Don't know if you know it but we live local to Eland Lodge, it's a BE course but they do unaffiliated as well. I'm gonna planning to do an unaffiliated 80 there in May. Maybe see how that goes and then plan accordingly!

She sounds like just the type I want. She's still young, so go out and enjoy competing with her, keep at unaffiliated, more fun level for this season, don't put pressure on either of yourselves, but schedule in lots of training at different venues etc.

Jump at least 1 height below what she can do happily for now, so she finds it relatively easy - you're going to come across lots of new jumps, so the height shouldn't be too much of a push for now
Good luck!

Thanks @Biddie191. I like easy!

Took her to arena eventing at a new venue and she got a lovely clear again. Got 2 BS shows lined up now but will just do 80/85. Fingers crossed. x

Fabulous!
I think it's sometimes easy to forget that we're doing it for enjoyment, and to push ourselves too hard, to always be chasing the next height / level, rather than enjoying where we are. Then hit a time that you can't go bigger / harder / more advanced, and it feels like you're stagnating. With young horses, it's all too easy to do too much too soon, then regret it. Keeping it fun (well, as fun as you can in this weather) is the key