Am I the only one?

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I wonder if I'm the only one who struggles with 'let down' after a show or event. Whether its stressful or fun seems to have no real bearing on it, once it is over I have a day or 2 where I feel sad/depressed and slightly irritable. I don't sleep well for a couple of nights, playing various scenes and conversations over in my mind. Its starting to bother me enough that I am starting to dread taking part in anything because I know I'll feel off afterwards.

 

[SilverRose Farms]

No your not the only one.

There are tons and tons of people who do the same thing. Whether they win or loose they still feel that "Drop" after.

Lots of times its because the people you are with in that situation are ones that you constantly have to worry about what you said. And its not fun to go and play with your minis any more.

You need to bring the FUN back into your showing whether you win or loose.

Its hard to do. But I found that limiting my interaction with people and just concentrating on my horse helped me more than having the interactions with others.

I would engage in the normal Hi how are you conversations but didnt really delve into my breeding/training or horses much. Just yeah I have "Johnny" or "Suzie" and leave it at that. I didnt really ask them about theirs either. And eventually I started enjoying the shows more. And didnt seem to "Crash" afterwards and constantly second guess what I said or did or who I spoke to. The night before the show however I still get no sleep but thats another matter all together.

 

[stormy]

WOW, thanks for posting Reignmaker, thought I was the only one with showaphobia!!

Good input too SilverRose, would love to be able to actually enjoy showing again some day.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Thats the thing tho, it doesn't matter if i have fun or not. It seems to be more connected to the build up of excitement before hand. For example, I hosted a fun day for our club this weekend, in hand obstacles, driven obstacles and jumps. A hot dog lunch and social time as well.This is something I do because I truly enjoy it not because I am obligated in any way and I can't 'win or lose' at it. It takes lots of planning and I love coming up with new obstacle ideas to challenge every one and I do have a blast. Then when its over, the last trailer has pulled out of the driveway and clean up is done I can feel my mood changing. Now I can live with feeling a bit blue that its over but laying awake half the night replaying what was done/said and thinking about different ways to set it up next time etc., thats what really gets to me. After a sleepless night I really feel down and if it runs into 2 nites I am a mess.

 

[SilverRose Farms]

I honestly believe there are way more out there but we are all scared to talk about it.

It makes it real somehow. Like we are weak or .....

We are exposed when we show. We are in front of tons of people some we know some we dont know. If our horses behave then its good, if we do good are we going to make enemies? If we do poorly are they going to laugh at me. Did I do everything I could have? Did I mess up my horses chances? Is my horse that I love not good enough?

These and hundreds of more questions all bombard us and soon we withdraw from showing. Keeping our "kids" safe in the backyard away from people who could laugh or hate because of them.

I shown at soo many different levels the joy of a world championship the embarrassment of screwing up my pattern forgetting my number.

I would love nothing more than to show my horses with out all the tension but honestly we are creatures who seek companionship from others of our species and so we always question ourselves specially if someone doesnt like something you have to say even if they asked for YOUR Honest Opinion. If its not what they want to hear.. its going to upset them. And we all hate doing that to one another.

 

[eagles ring farm]

It sounds as if your true enjoyments come from the preparations and planning and anticipation

Then when its over you can go into regular schedule, but you like the rush and the high addrenilin (sp?) of the prep work more

We look so forward to these events its like a let down when its over win or lose.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

It sounds as if your true enjoyments come from the preparations and planning and anticipation

Then when its over you can go into regular schedule, but you like the rush and the high addrenilin (sp?) of the prep work more

We look so forward to these events its like a let down when its over win or lose.

Thats it exactly Lori (altho I would have to say I am not a fan of adrenalin lol) Its like I feel when Christmas is over... like the old song... "is that all there is" There is such a sense of disappointment, not at the results but at the ending and the replay in my mind does nothing to help me let go and move on. I just wondered if I was the only one who built these things up to such a point that they were out of sorts at having it over.

 

[Sandee]

It's sort of like being hooked on drugs. Only our "drug of choice" is horse shows. Even my 7 yr old granddaughter after showing for 3 or 4 weekends in a row called to say, "when are we going again?" She just didn't know what to do with all that "time" on a weekend without a show to attend. My family gets so mad at me because I litterally "live for showing". I spend time with my horses, talk to my horses, talk about my horses, plan for shows, buy things for horses and shows. It's seems to be ever ending. HOWEVER, in the winter time I'm in the dumps a LOT because there's nothing to plan for or work on etc.

 

[minishowgirl]

I can be like that sometimes. The night before a show im up all night and then the night after. The morning after a show I stare at my ribbons and think about the show over and over. Its really wierd.

 

[Lloydyne]

I think it's like camp when you are a kid....you have so much fun and you meet new people you just don't want the experience to stop, and for sure you don't want to go home. It's a let-down when it's over and you don't want it to stop.

 

[Riverrose28]

I don't want to date myself, but some of you guys know me personally, and you know I'm a senior. Been showing horses since the 1970's. I used to get so worked up before a show, I would make myself sick, really, couldn't even eat, so scared I'd lose it in the ring. I've made so many mistakes in the ring I can't remember them all. Once the judge was calling my number, as I'd gotten second in a class of 16, and I was so shocked my legs were frozen in place, they had to call me three times, before my head told my legs to move it! One of the last big boo boo's I made was in 2008 at AMHA EAstern Regenols, (not to mention my spelling) was I forgot my glasses at the tack stall, so asked someone else the showmanship pattern, well she told me the wrong pattern, so here I am doing the wrong pattern and looking like an idiot! Oh well, we are all humane and we all make mistakes. This how I learned to get home and still sleep at night and not dwell on mistakes, losing or winning. ONce I load the horses and all my junk into the trailer and head home, I concentrate on getting home, my hubby, my dogs, my horses left at home, anything to take my mind off of the show! Of course when you get home a glass of wine, or a couple of cold beers help!

When I get home after unloading all my junk and horses, I rehash the show with whoever didn't go, and the best thing is, I start planning for the next one, that keeps my spirits up. As for winter, I look forward to getting the next batch of show horses in the indoor for training, and all the open show banquets to get dressed up for. So the moral of this story is, inorder to keep yourself up, keep planning for the next event, no matter how far away it is.

 

[littlebigspots]

In my dance troupe we call that P.P.D. Post performance depression, get it after every dance or horse show.

 

[dreaminmini]

It's like the after Christmas blues or home from vacation blues. You are just loving what you are doing and didn't quite want it to end.

I get it sometimes, specially after a good show, I want to go and do it all again.

Take pictures of the show. The horses doing your obstacle course and then you can look back on your job well done.It always helps me to be able to go and look at the pictures and share them on facebook.

Of course I also get pre show anxiety and can't sleep the night before and most of the morning at a show i feel sick and lightheaded and ready to go home to bed. LOL It is fun bathing and prepping the horses feeling like that. I am usually ok once I have been in and out of the ring once.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

In my dance troupe we call that P.P.D. Post performance depression, get it after every dance or horse show.

You even have a name for it? You guys have made me feel a lot less like I'm loosing it, so glad to know I am not alone in feeling this way.

 

[HGFarm]

Sounds like you are running on some adrenaline before hand and during, and it would be natural to be tired and have a let down after. It can be exhausting, lol How many horses are you taking to show? Are you too anxious or putting too much stress on yourself before hand?

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

The most I've shown at one show was 3 but my reaction is the same when I don't show but rather volunteer in some capacity. I do get over it in a few days but it I so dread that 'let down' after every event regardless of the actual stress level involved at the time.