Many people who work in the equine industry do so because they love horses. But what happens when the work starts to drain them? Burnout in the equine industry is real, and it’s more common than people admit.

So, What is Burnout?

Burnout is a serious work-related problem that leaves you feeling exhausted, ineffective, and unmotivated. It can affect all areas of your life, including your physical and mental health, relationships, and your overall well-being.

10 Common Types of Burnout

People in any vocation might experience a variety of types of burnout. Here’s what they look or feel like.

Overload burnout: Feeling overwhelmed by excessive workloads and responsibilities.

Perfectionist burnout: Striving for unattainable standards and becoming burnt out from the constant pressure to be perfect.

Neglect burnout: Ignoring personal needs and well–being while prioritizing work or other obligations.

Relational burnout: Experiencing burnout due to challenges in relationships, whether at work or in personal life.

People-pleaser burnout: Exhausting oneself by constantly seeking approval and trying to meet others’ expectations.

Under-challenge burnout: Feeling bored or unstimulated by tasks not challenging enough, leading to burnout.

Mental burnout: Experiencing burnout due to excessive mental strain such as constant stress, worry, or rumination.

Caregiver burnout: Feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained from caring for others, such as children, elderly parents, or patients.

Survival burnout: Enduring burnout due to challenging life circumstances or environments where basic needs are not being met.

Physical burnout: Experiencing burnout from physical exhaustion often due to demanding physical work or neglecting self-care.   

What Are the Signs of Burnout?

The biggest signs of burnout become evident in a person’s attitude and body language; they often express increased frustration verbally or appear irritable. If they’re beginning to doubt and think poorly about themselves, lose motivation, do not feel like going to work, or miss work, they could be experiencing burnout.

Those experiencing burnout might also have trouble focusing or sleeping, or they could experience changes in appetite. They might feel overwhelmed or helpless and become more cynical. They could also use drugs or alcohol to cope and could get sick more often because the stress negatively affects their immune system. They could also withdraw from loved ones or friends.

A client in your barn or horse owner can exhibit burnout by not showing up for their horse, not paying their bill, canceling plans for shows, lessons, or clinics at the last minute, being critical,, or creating drama at the barn. They might get burned out by not feeling like an accepted part of the barn’s culture or that they have friendly working relationships.   

What is the Difference Between Stress and Burnout?

Stress is a natural response to challenging situations. It is a state of physical, mental, and emotional tension caused by demanding circumstances. Stress can be positive or negative, and it causes our bodies to release multiple hormones (cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and a small bit of dopamine) to help us cope. Burnout is more severe and is a chronic exhausting condition resulting from excessive, prolonged stress. You can have stress without burnout, but you can’t have burnout without stress.

When stressed, your emotions heighten (“My work makes me feel really tense.”), you become more active (“There is so much I need to do.”), you can feel anxious (“I worry about all that I have to do.”), but your work still seems meaningful (“It’s important that I get these things done.”).

When suffering from burn out your emotions dull (“I feel numb and detached.”), you withdraw or avoid situations (“I can’t bring myself to go to that meeting/return that phone call/deal with that issue/do my work.”), you feel low (“I feel depressed and hopeless.”), and your work seems meaningless (“I don’t matter here anymore.”).   

Your Stress Levels

Understanding burnout is only the first step. In Part 2, we’ll look at why equine professionals face a higher risk—and the practical strategies barns can use to reduce it.