Rider Psychology

The Impact of the Pandemic and Return to Competition on Athletes

Riders have learned in the past year and a half that attaching goals to horse shows is risky business and can cause anger and despair.

It can be difficult to feel enthusiastic about training or even riding when lessons and competitions are continually being cancelled or postponed because of shutdowns like those happening in Ontario and other Canadian provinces. (©Rakursstudio - stock.adobe.com)

By: April Clay, Registered Psychologist | May 12, 2021

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you're listening to an article from horse sport.com. the impact of the pandemic and return to competition on athletes by: april clay, registered psychologist. trying to navigate your way through the covid-influenced landscape can be a little like being trapped on an endless road trip where you keep shouting at the driver “are we there yet!?” except that driver is you, and you seem to have lost your way because there haven’t been any road signs for miles, and you have been driving in circles. worse yet, you have no idea where “there” is or how you will recognize it. but somewhere in the back of your mind you remember being excited about riding and competing and you have the vague feeling that has something to do with this ‘there’ place, but now you realize you have run out of gas. so now what? a recent study suggested athletes were no more resilient than non-athletes when it came to coping with the pandemic, and in fact were more likely to have anxiety. acceptance. at the moment, you are where you are, and for many riders that is just plain lost. “i just thought that because i am a competitive athlete and i am still luckier than some in that i can ride, that i should be feeling more motivated,” a rider stated recently during a session. advertisement scroll to continue with content “shoulding” yourself is another way of saying ‘what i feel is not right, it is not good enough.’ a recent study (knowles, breslin, shannon, & prentice 2021) suggested athletes were no more resilient than non-athletes when it came to coping with the pandemic, and in fact were more likely to have anxiety. when you have had a forced break from your sport, feelings can range from anger to despair. avoiding emotions will keep you stuck and more at risk for mental health problems. so stop for a minute, let yourself be still and ask: ‘what am i feeling?’ give yourself the space to be disgruntled, frustrated, sad, discombobulated or whatever descriptor fits best. it is very true: “if you name it, you can tame it.” resilience isn’t always rainbows and positivity; sometimes it’s hard rain and passing through a state of discomfort. finding a new way. emerging research on the impact of the pandemic on athletes and their sport is struggling to find an applicable model to frame their discussions, because, well, in our place in history we have not encountered such circumstances before. hence the confusion and search for the magical “there.”. in a recent 2021 study, gupta and mccarthy suggest that the sudden forced lockdown of sport caused by the covid-19 pandemic is close in experience to athletes facing either forced retirement or hiatus due to a significant injury. if you have ever been through an injury that left you sidelined, then you know this one is hard, but necessary. throw out your old map, it is not applicable any longer. remember, the road signs are gone and that is why you have been driving in circles. decide on a next short-term goal, but anchor it in a controllable aspect. riders have learned, far too often in the last year and a half, that attaching goals to horse shows is risky business. stick to goals that are possible to achieve, like a stronger upper body position or improved communication with your horse (even when he is not in the best of moods). it is okay to give in to the weariness temporarily and slow down. your old sources of gas ‒ lessons, horse shows ‒ have been altered or are gone. fuel up. if, like many of your fellow riders out there, you too feel like you have run of gas, the best thing you can do is stop, “park the car” and turn off your engine off to preserve fuel. take a few breaths and allow yourself to settle. flaking out is allowed. in our current world circumstances of change and uncertainty calling on us for frequent adaptation, its understandable we are fatigued. it is okay to give in to the weariness temporarily and slow down. your old sources of gas ‒ lessons, horse shows ‒ have been altered or are gone. that means you are going to have to open up yourself to new sources of energy. getting back to basic enjoyments is one way to search for what truly gives you joy. remember when you were a giddy horse-crazy kid? chances are there was something magical about the equine spirit that captured your attention and made you want to learn more. now is the time to deliberately incorporate pleasure into your goals. so maybe it is time to learn something new about horses that just may make you a stronger horseperson and competitor. do you know how your equine teammate experiences jumps, what colours they are able to see? how about how they experience stress and what you can do to help them? get curious again, start from a new place and chances are you will begin to feel your energy renew. so, back to the original question: are we there yet? i have bad news and good. there is no “there” but there is a here. the way to resilience is to start where you are and actively experiment with your adaptation. experience the joy of driving (and riding) off the beaten path, into new adventures not yet known. &&>

Trying to navigate your way through the Covid-influenced landscape can be a little like being trapped on an endless road trip where you keep shouting at the driver “Are we there yet!?” Except that driver is you, and you seem to have lost your way because there haven’t been any road signs for miles, and you have been driving in circles. Worse yet, you have no idea where “there” is or how you will recognize it.

But somewhere in the back of your mind you remember being excited about riding and competing and you have the vague feeling that has something to do with this ‘there’ place, but now you realize you have run out of gas. So now what?

A recent study suggested athletes were no more resilient than non-athletes when it came to coping with the pandemic, and in fact were more likely to have anxiety.

Acceptance

At the moment, you are where you are, and for many riders that is just plain lost. “I just thought that because I am a competitive athlete and I am still luckier than some in that I can ride, that I should be feeling more motivated,” a rider stated recently during a session.

Scroll to continue with content

“Shoulding” yourself is another way of saying ‘what I feel is not right, it is not good enough.’ A recent study (Knowles, Breslin, Shannon, & Prentice 2021) suggested athletes were no more resilient than non-athletes when it came to coping with the pandemic, and in fact were more likely to have anxiety. When you have had a forced break from your sport, feelings can range from anger to despair. Avoiding emotions will keep you stuck and more at risk for mental health problems.

So stop for a minute, let yourself be still and ask: ‘What am I feeling?’ Give yourself the space to be disgruntled, frustrated, sad, discombobulated or whatever descriptor fits best. It is very true: “If you name it, you can tame it.” Resilience isn’t always rainbows and positivity; sometimes it’s hard rain and passing through a state of discomfort.

Finding a new way

Emerging research on the impact of the pandemic on athletes and their sport is struggling to find an applicable model to frame their discussions, because, well, in our place in history we have not encountered such circumstances before. Hence the confusion and search for the magical “there.”

In a recent 2021 study, Gupta and McCarthy suggest that the sudden forced lockdown of sport caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is close in experience to athletes facing either forced retirement or hiatus due to a significant injury. If you have ever been through an injury that left you sidelined, then you know this one is hard, but necessary. Throw out your old map, it is not applicable any longer. Remember, the road signs are gone and that is why you have been driving in circles. Decide on a next short-term goal, but anchor it in a controllable aspect.

Riders have learned, far too often in the last year and a half, that attaching goals to horse shows is risky business. Stick to goals that are possible to achieve, like a stronger upper body position or improved communication with your horse (even when he is not in the best of moods).

It is okay to give in to the weariness temporarily and slow down. Your old sources of gas ‒ lessons, horse shows ‒ have been altered or are gone.

Fuel up

If, like many of your fellow riders out there, you too feel like you have run of gas, the best thing you can do is stop, “park the car” and turn off your engine off to preserve fuel. Take a few breaths and allow yourself to settle. Flaking out is allowed. In our current world circumstances of change and uncertainty calling on us for frequent adaptation, its understandable we are fatigued.

It is okay to give in to the weariness temporarily and slow down. Your old sources of gas ‒ lessons, horse shows ‒ have been altered or are gone. That means you are going to have to open up yourself to new sources of energy.

Getting back to basic enjoyments is one way to search for what truly gives you joy. Remember when you were a giddy horse-crazy kid? Chances are there was something magical about the equine spirit that captured your attention and made you want to learn more. Now is the time to deliberately incorporate pleasure into your goals.

So maybe it is time to learn something new about horses that just may make you a stronger horseperson and competitor. Do you know how your equine teammate experiences jumps, what colours they are able to see? How about how they experience stress and what you can do to help them? Get curious again, start from a new place and chances are you will begin to feel your energy renew.

So, back to the original question: are we there yet? I have bad news and good. There is no “there” but there is a here. The way to resilience is to start where you are and actively experiment with your adaptation. Experience the joy of driving (and riding) off the beaten path, into new adventures not yet known.