This morning, I responded to a post in an Equestrian group from a horseman/woman who reached out to the broader horse world to ask if anyone else is experiencing burn out from owning horses.
They expressed how fortunate they are to be in a position to own horses, and expressed guilt for not having the energy to help them reach their “full potential”. They lamented about how hard it is to find the motivation to ride and improve, when they feel so burnt out, and said that riding feels more like a chore than an activity that brings enjoyment.
As someone who is living through this same sense of burnout and languishing, here was my response:
I am feeling this to my core.
Time and energy are valuable resources.
There aren’t enough hours in the day, and the hours that you do have are spent working or caring for your horses, and then by the time you’re finished, the energy is all gone.
I have begun hiring help, or finding some generous volunteers to help save me some time and energy around the farm in exchange for free ride time (bonus, my horses get attention and exercise!) and occasional lessons.
I’ve found a yoga and wellness facility in my community that offers membership packages that are covered by my group insurance plan, and I’ve begun prioritizing yoga, meditation, exercise classes to help me to become more present, and I’ve registered for some life coaching sessions to try to help me find that “spark” again.
I’ve reached out to my peers, friends and colleagues in the industry and initiated conversations or coffee dates to reinstall the motivation that comes from chatting with your support system about horses and goals.
I’ve reworked my work schedule in order to begin prioritizing rest - a minimum of 8.5 hours/night before getting up to do barn chores. I’ve also reworked the feed routine for my boarder’s horses and my own horses, so that I can get the bulk of the feeding out of the way before I run out of energy and before it gets dark and miserable and I find that I don’t want to go outside.
I’ve established an agreement with my boarders that they feed 1x per week, so that I have one less feeding to do every weekend. They work it out amongst themselves and share the workload (usually alternating weeks).
I’ve listened to audiobooks (while in the shower, eating breakfast, feeding horses, etc.) about burnout and managing time more effectively and eating habits for energy and overall good health.
And I’ve begun firing the clients who don’t bring me joy, so that I have more time to prioritize me and perhaps find the time to ride my horses myself and work towards my goals. 💕
In my response to this fellow equestrian, I forgot to include the most important factor in my mental health: my friends. My main support system, who offer me a listening ear, a helping hand, hours and hours of free labour, and moments of laughter. The right friends in your corner make all the difference.
I hope that something I’ve described in my journey sparks some motivation or adds value to your own search for time, energy and motivation!
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