Managing The Majors

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550 – September/October, 2024

By Laura Boynton Jobson

The hustle and bustle of summer shows has started to cool off, but the chaos of the year-end majors is in full swing. These shows can mentally and physically drain professionals, exhibitors, and their horses with late nights, early mornings, and heavy workloads. Tension, fatigue, restlessness, exhaustion, and the drudgery of doing chores and being away from family and home for weeks at time is not for the faint of heart–more for the brave, bold and courageous.

Mental and Physical Games

Adam Mathis, trainer and owner of Mathis Show Horses in Camden, South Carolina, explains that fatigue is largely a mental game. He views the larger circuits, such as Congress and the NSBA, as much easier to prepare for mentally and physically.

“You know that you’re going to ride at night, you know that you’re going to have to deal with long hours and high-pressure situations, along with customer goals and expectations. So, to me a lot of the guess work is taken out of what to expect when I get there. I know to mentally prepare my body for what it’s about to go through for the most part,” he shares.

Mathis thinks being mentally prepared also lends itself to a more positive attitude. He tells us his dad told him this a long time ago: there are only a few things in life you truly get to choose, and one of those things is your attitude. “You can choose to be miserable, or you can choose to enjoy what you’re doing. Every situation has a positive, and it’s up to you to find it.”

“It’s not hard to keep a positive attitude or keep going at a long circuit because at the end of the day, we get to do what we love. We have the most amazing sport and being in the horse business where people can afford us the opportunity to work with them and their horses,” Mathis says. “We aren’t curing cancer; this isn’t a life-or-death circumstance. If you are a trainer or an assistant trainer, you know it’s going to be tough so it’s better to embrace the toughness of the job and realize it’s only 1-2-3 weeks of your life that you’ll be lacking sleep. Remember that you do this because you love it.”

Mathis adds that if others are into caffeine like he is, stock up and have favorite drinks ready to go. “Also, smile and laugh throughout the show–it helps you stay awake.”

Prepping for a Good Start

Click here to read the complete article
550 – September/October, 2024