How to Cope With Uncertainty and Cancelled Horse Shows
By: Brittany Bevis
It’s been a rough couple of months to say the least. For many of us, it feels as if the world has been put on hold. Our normal schedules and daily routines have fallen by the wayside leaving us feeling anxious, fearful, and confused.
Our way of life has changed, and is likely to continue to change over the course of the coming year. But there is hope. Things will return to normal. Restaurants and movie theaters will reopen. Kids will go back to school, and it will be safe to return to work. Horse shows and athletic events will resume.
But, in the meantime, it’s important to acknowledge that the emotions you’re feeling are valid. It’s ok to feel angry, sad, fearful, depressed, pessimistic, anxious, or frustrated. However, it’s one thing to recognize and accept your feelings, and it’s another to be able to cope with uncertainty and disappointment.
Here are a few things you can do:
#1- Focus On What You Can Control- With so much uncertainty surrounding the current health crisis, it’s no wonder that you’re feeling anxious. Humans crave routine and habit. Attempting to predict what will happen in the future isn’t helpful and will only breed further anxiety and potential disappointment when things don’t turn out the way you thought they would.
Instead, choose to focus on what you can control- your daily routine and your mind. You may not be able to compete at a horse show right now, but that doesn’t mean you can’t practice foundational skills with your horse at home. If you can’t ride, but can still go to the barn to brush, graze, or love on your animal, that’s still beneficial to fostering your partnership and connection. If you can’t be anywhere near your horse at the moment, that doesn’t mean you can’t work on equestrian specific strength exercises at home, so you can maintain your fitness for when you do get back in the saddle again. Instead of focusing on what you can’t do; focus on what you can.
#2- Have Empathy- This is two-fold. First, in respect to horse shows being cancelled, rescheduled, or in limbo, it’s important to recognize that no show management team or club that has put in a year of hard work to create, organize, fundraise, and promote an event wants to cancel. For all of these entities, the decision to move or shutter an event is, for the most part, out of their control. During this health crisis, it will depend solely upon the decision of state and local authorities as to whether an event with a certain number of people attending can be held. Event organizers must comply, and they should, for the safety of everyone involved. Therefore, it’s important to have empathy and respect for the decisions they must make and the timeline during which they choose to make them. If a show is holding out on making changes to a date, it’s because they want to wait as long as they can in case circumstances change. This isn’t affecting just you. Negative comments and angry outbursts won’t help the timeline move any faster.
When it comes to your friends, family, and strangers, empathy is crucial as well. You know how you’re personally being affected by the current situation, but you don’t know what struggles someone else might be facing. Your thoughts and feelings about the health crisis are valid, but so are theirs. Engaging in electronic, verbal sparring matches with others serves no purpose. It only frustrates, bullies, and shows a lack of respect and self control. Take a moment to think about what someone else might be going through, and show a little empathy and compassion, because everyone is facing the same struggles.
#3- Reflect on What is Most Important- You might not be able to have your performance evaluated by a judge and be awarded with a colorful ribbon or points on your record, at this point in time, but is that the only reason you got into this sport in the first place? Chances are, that’s not true for any of us. Likely, you started riding horses for the love of the animal, to develop a partnership, to test your skills and limits, and yes, for the thrill of competition. So, with most events being cancelled, now is a good time to reflect upon why you started riding horses and why you plan to continue. Think about the aspects of this sport that you love, and make new goals for the future, when things return to normal. Work on the aspects of your sport that you can, within the confines that you’ve been given, and be mindful that the health and well-being of yourself and your family is most important.
#4- Reduce Anxiety- It’s one thing to say not to worry, but that rarely works. Worrying if the event you’ve been training for will be cancelled is a normal response. It doesn’t mean that you don’t recognize the seriousness of the situation or respect that health care officials are trying to keep us safe. It just means that you’ve put in many hours of hard work and dedication, and financial resources, into pursuing a goal, and you feel disappointed. It means you care.
Consider adding mental wellness activities to your daily routine. Meditation is an excellent way to calm the mind, and it can be done in the comfort of your home, barn, or pasture. Yoga is not only good to reduce anxiety, it’s an excellent aerobic activity to maintain flexibility and strength. Consider creating a mantra that you can repeat to yourself whenever anxious thoughts start to creep in. It should be short, memorable, and meaningful. For example, “This too shall pass,” “Breathe in, breathe out,” or “I am worthy,” are good examples.
#5- Maintain a Sense of Normalcy- Humans are creatures of habit. We like our routines. We like our daily schedules. We like when life fits into a perfectly wrapped box with a bow on top. But that’s rarely real-life, is it? In the past, you’ve likely faced a roadblock, tragedy, or adversity of some kind. Reflect on those moments and recall how you were able to persevere in order to get to where you are now.
The current situation is no different. Keep doing the activities you love and make an effort to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Focus on enhancing your personal strengths and improving upon your weaknesses. Revamp your nutrition program and focus on getting enough sleep. Keep up with your friends on social media and all your favorite horse news from EquineChronicle.com. Maintaining some sense of normalcy is important for your health and well-being.
