Extreme Burnout as a Professional - Support Needed

OP @SimplyLoveHorses this has happened to me several times. I was essentially a professional at age 14, but was a working student since age 11.

Today at age 38, I no longer coach kids or adults in any way except for rarely a clinic here and there for advanced riders. I specifically only ride young horses and stallions for breeding farms, both internationally and in the states. I also do sales for trainer friends only that want to import young horses from breeding farms abroad for their clients. I very rarely teach amateurs or beginners or children anymore. Sometimes I miss the kids, but I have no regrets. My life is much less stressful (well it’s stressful in other ways). After 10 years of anxiety and burnout, I have found my niche in the horse industry that I enjoy and no longer try to force a round peg in a square hole.

Full disclosure: I have outside income from my consulting gig, thanks to my just under 20 year career in science and academia. An education was hard to juggle with my riding life, but looking back the best thing my parents ever did was not buy me a horse (I never owned my own horse for me until I was 31), ride horses of many other disciplines besides hunter jumpers, pursue a graduate level education and a career in academia & science (that burnt me out worse than the horses), and of course I got lucky enough to ride internationally and realize that the there’s more to life than the United States show circuit.

Good luck. There is no right path for you… only the one that brings you peace.

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Yes, that is true, it must have taken a great deal of inner strength to reinvent himself. Imagine being taught by Mr. Bingley! I was a bit sad, because he was a wonderful actor, and it shows you how even being typecast in a prestige production doesn’t result in stardom.

Making it just about any profession is tough without a heavy dollop of luck and personal resources.

I got burned out. My UL horse retired, the horse I was bringing along to replace him was kind of nuts and almost borderline dangerous. Fancy, could jump the moon, but was a bad bolter and very quirky. My calmer and easier horses sold and needed to go to pay the bills. Some horse people are just bad people and I just really wanted to get away from it all. I hated going to the barn and riding, felt like a chore.

I took a break for four years. I came back as an Ammy and had to learn some of my confidence. I bought a horse mid way through and sent him to a trainer who made him a pretty decent ammy horse while I was out of the country for work. I make decent money now, have good and cheap insurance, and though I live in a really high COL area, I still have two horses and set aside money for retirement.

I have no interest in doing the horses full time anymore. I miss it sometimes but I dont want it. I don’t want the instability and the problem horses that hurt my body and my confidence. I guess I’m not content with my horses.

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Take a legit vacation.
Get rid of the clients that piss you off.
Change your marketing approach to attract different clientele - get more adults instead if kids, etc if that’s what is burning you out
I love teaching but last time I burnt out I realized I legit need vacations
Saturday and Sunday- light feed and hobbies and only 1 shw per month

I wanted to update you all - firstly to thank each and every single one of you for your feedback and support! I also wanted to let you know I didn’t shut down! I am doing virtual lessons, and still training horses in person. I took a hiatus and came back with a better understanding that just because riding isn’t always 100% someone’s PASSION doesn’t mean they’re invaluable to the horse or the sport itself.

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Is he the brother of Helena Bonham-Carter?

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He is indeed! A very remarkable family!

I always loved that version of P & P rather than the Keira Knightly one.

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I totally agree! Everyone was perfect, even the actors who didn’t go on to major stardom.

I think he’s a distant cousin.

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I stand corrected! Third cousin! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispin_Bonham-Carter

I was feeling very much the same and bizarrely Covid came along and made my decision for me.
When I had to stop freelance teaching & coaching due to lockdown I realised how relieved I was I didn’t have to put myself through it.
Something I’d trained for many years to do, was successful and had a full book….but when I stopped it was almost overwhelmingly releasing.
I never went back.
I still work full time with horses running the rehab facility, but that part is a lot less hands on ‘peopley’

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