At the biggest show of the year, the All American Quarter Horse Congress, we all must endure the busy schedule, crowded arenas, stressful atmosphere and often uncooperative weather. When you add all of these things together and stretch them over a 4-week period, chaos may begin to ensue.
To make this your best Congress ever, some of the tips below may help you remain cool and calm when it all starts to become too much. The Law of Attraction Facebook page is dedicated to teaching people how their thoughts and action can help determine the outcome of any situation. One of the page’s posts lists multiple challenges that we can commit to during the Congress to improve our odds of having our best Congress ever.
1) Use Words that Encourage Happiness
The Law Of Attraction page mentions that, “The next time someone asks how you are, don’t say “fine” or “good”- instead tell someone how happy or excited you are about something that is happening or something inspiring. This will induce a better mood and spread joy to others, too. This is a great idea as we all can get too caught up in our own lives and we do not share our happiness with others. Spreading the love can create a chain-reaction and you might just brighten that someone else’s day in the process.
2) Try One New Thing Every Day
How often can you say that you are at the largest single-breed horse show in the entire world with your horse and horse show family? The answer is not often! While you are at the Congress, try something new that you wouldn’t normally do. Whether it is in your riding or not horse-related whatsoever, you might be surprised what you will find if you step out of your comfort zone.
3) Dedicate One Hour to De-Stressing
Horse shows have stressful moments but one as large and as long as the Congress can usually take the cake for being stress-inducing. The hustle and bustle of the show can be too much to handle for many newbies and experienced riders alike. Therefore, taking the time to de-stress is a crucial challenge that we should all strive to complete every day. No matter if it is turning on your favorite music or getting off of the show grounds to explore Columbus, these can both help you to unwind.
4) Treat Everyone with Kindness
A long exhausting horse show can weigh on everyone’s minds and this can make even the happiest person cranky and unhappy at times. While anger and stress can spread quickly, happiness and positive vibes can spread even faster. Focusing on only treating everyone in a kind manner will get you much further than greeting people with an unpleasant attitude. Respect is another large part of treating others with kindness. Though we may get frustrated from time to time, challenge yourself to be a better person when the going gets tough and wear a smile.
5) Work on One Long Term Goal Everyday for an Hour
This is a no-brainer, right? Most horse show exhibitors are working towards one common goal of winning a Congress bronze. Though we all share this goal, we can also work on smaller goals that we can complete by the end of the show. Breaking down a large goal and turning it into several smaller, more achievable goals can be a much more rewarding process. In a matter of no time, these smaller goals will add up and before you know it, your large goals will come true as well.
6) Read-Up!
Reading is fundamental and is a great way to challenge yourself every day at the Congress. Whether it is light reading to take your mind off of the show or catching up on all of your favorite informative and inspirational GoHorseShow stories (shameless plug!), reading can help to teach you as well as take your mind off of other things in your spare time.
7) Spend 10 Minutes Reflecting on the Positives
Often times we get too bogged down by the negative aspects of our rides and this can truly ruin someone’s day. Challenging yourself to have quiet time to reflect on positives and taking the time to write them down can come in handy if you are in need of a quick mood-booster. You will be happy that you took the time to do this in the winter months when you are looking back on all of your fun horse show memories from the past season.
8) Reach Out to Someone Every Day
We all have that one person who we see at countless shows who we recognize but have never spoken to. The Congress is the perfect time to challenge yourself to make a new friend or speak to fellow competitors who you normally wouldn’t otherwise. Even if you already know the person, taking ten minutes to catch up with someone who you haven’t had the chance to recently can be a small way to make this your best Congress ever.
9) Pay It Forward with a Random Act of Kindness
Every day presents itself as a new opportunity to reach out to someone and spread your kindness. This is a challenge that you can get very creative with. From letting a hurried exhibitor cut in front of you in the never-ending longe line to paying for someone else’s breakfast at the Sweet Shop, a random act of kindness will make anyone’s day go from average to fantastic.
10) Do Something You are Scared Of
At such a prestigious event, there are a lot of things to be scared of. Showing in a class with upwards of 100 entries is a terrifying thought for most, but concurring these fears will show you that you are capable of so much more. The things that hold us back can limit our potential but challenging yourself to overcome them is a great start. When faced with a fear at the Congress, keep in mind that you deserve success for not only yourself but your horse and your team as well.
Concluding Thoughts
When you combine willpower and commitment, you create a dangerous combination. There are unlimited possibilities of what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it and creating these challenges for yourself will help you every step of the way. The Quarter Horse Congress is not for the weak of heart, but you have the power of setting yourself apart from the rest with a positive attitude and a contagious smile, regardless of what happens inside the show ring.
