Beginning of Summer
The Savvy ShowMom Newsletter - May 23, 2007

The summer show season is off to a great start. There seem to be shows almost every weekend. Watch out for burnout - too many kids get the show fever and about now start seriously chasing points for qualifying. Most national and medal classes accumulate points through August or September 15th so parents and trainers can fill the summer with too many weeks of showing.

Burn out can show up in many forms. A sour kid and a sour horse - neither who seem to enjoy their job any longer. Remember to build in non-show time at the barn and rest time for both. If your daughter starts dragging and complaining about yet another horse show, bristles at your suggestions for packing and loading up, and does not seem to enjoy her time at the show, it may be time to take a look to see if she needs some time off. It is common for kids to burn out if horse showing becomes a chore. You have seen the look in the pony rider who no longer smiles at a great ride or wins a class without so much of a notice. Kids should still look like they are having some fun so watch out for the signs and take action before serious burn out sets in motion.

Don't forget to build in some fun for the summer away from showing, or quality barn time where the kids get to hang out with the horses all day. The horses should also get pasture time and time away from show stalls, trailering, and standing at the ring for hours. We live in the South so horses get turned out at night, away from sunny hot afternoons and a chance to eat grass and hang out over the fence with the other horses.

Summer also means more attention to feed and supplements, fresh water, and fans to keep the air moving if you board at home. We haul out the fly blankets, fly spray, sunscreen and scrims. All those winter blankets and wool coolers head to the cleaners, get repaired and stored for the summer.

It is also a great time to renegotiate expectations and work assignments. All kids need to be given responsibility so think about the summer and create a plan for sharing the work and teaching values like hard work and responsibility. Most of us say we want to raise a horsewoman - not a show princess, so summer is a great time to create some great leaning experiences.

Any summer tips you have - email me at info@showmom.com and I will post a summary of all of the tips I receive for the email list. We Savvy ShowMoms have to stick together!

Return to The Savvy ShowMom Newsletter Archive