We want to #EndEquestrianBurnout
What is Burnout?
"Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained and/or unable to meet constant demands."
Source: www.helpguide.org
Sound familiar? If so, you'll know why this campaign is so important.
Why do we need to stop equestrians burning out?
Whether you're an amateur eventer trying to squeeze cross country schooling, dressage lessons and showjumping practice around a full-time job, or a professional groom working 70+ hours per week, Equestrian Burnout is real.
As equestrians, we are hardwired to fit as much into our days as possible, quite often at the expense of our mental and physical health.
The Conscious Equestrian is shining a light on the issue of Burnout by building awareness, encouraging discussion and helping riders to find time management solutions.
We don't have all the answers (we need this campaign just as much as everyone else!), but you can follow our mission to beat Burnout through our blogs, podcasts and other media.
Anti-Burnout Ambassadors
We've recruited four wonderful ambassadors, to help us spread the #EndEquestrianBurnout message. Read about them here:
Laura Young
Laura is an equestrian mental health and mindset advocate and amateur rider, with a fabulous Instagram account (@gingerand_tonic)! With Laura’s job being centred around helping others with their mental health, she has realised that she often ignores her own symptoms, leading to increased risk of burnout.
We have already recorded a podcast together, which can be found on the podcast section of the website, and also on Spotify under The Conscious Equestrian. Which talks about recognising your own symptoms of burnout and how to address them before they become overwhelming.
Tor Leeding
Tor is a UKCC qualified coach, specialising in a range of both equine and rider needs. She has over 25 years of experience with horses, from youngsters to established competition horses.
Tor combines riding, training, and coaching around being a mum to nearly-one-year-old Reuben!
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Tor's coaching business TT Equine Coaching.
We have known Tor for years and have seen how much she fits into her life, so we are delighted to have her on board as an Anti-Burnout Ambassador!
Emily Lambert
Emily left school at 16 to work with horses and consequently suffered so terribly from burnout that she ended up in hospital with glandular fever and the chronic disease, ME.
After taking time out from horses to recover, she now is a freelance groom and has to manage herself carefully to avoid burnout and ME symptoms flaring up. Emily has completed her mental health first aid certificate, and shares her experience and knowledge with others in the equine industry.
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Take a look at Emily's professional Facebook page here.
Toni Clark
Toni (@the_cobby_chronicles on Instagram) really stood out to us with her brilliant entry. She suffered a mental breakdown in 2018 and since then has been trying to separate herself from the stigma surrounding mental health problems, which is what we are all about at The Conscious Equestrian.
Toni is incredibly brave with sharing her story about her struggles with anxiety and uses her experience to help others in similar situations. She also has a fabulous ‘barefoot super tribe’ of horses!
Want to get involved?
We need your help to spread our Anti-Burnout message! Here are a few ways you can get involved in our campaign:
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Use our hashtags in social media posts: #EndEquestrianBurnout #TheConsciousEquestrian #EquestrianWellbeing
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Post about your experiences of burnout - the more we talk about it and spread the word, the better
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If you have a burnout story that might help others, get in touch with us - we love receiving blogs from and doing podcasts with real equestrians with real life burnout stories! Email us: info@theconsciousequestrian.net
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