Harry Trosin loved his job.

The Oklahoma shoer simply couldn’t wait to get to work each morning for more than 30 years.

Then it all changed.

“I would drive up to the stable gate and I’d get sick to my stomach,” he recalls. “I was missing work. I had no idea what was going on. Everything was good, and then it wasn’t.”

The culprit? Burnout.

“This was a profession I dearly loved,” Trosin says. “I wish I had never stopped, but it’s too late now.”

He retired from shoeing in 2008 and became a behavioral health rehabilitation specialist and case manager at Pennington Creek Lifehouse and Crossway Counseling Services, both in Tishomingo, Okla.

“Usually I do this in an office one-on-one because people don’t know what’s going on,” Trosin says. “Their lives are kind of in shambles. It’s chaotic. They’ve always been happy, and all of a sudden, they’re not.”

It’s critical to understand what stress is, the difference between stress and burnout, and how to avoid and cope with the latter.

“That’s the most important thing,” he says of avoiding burnout. “If you learn to control your stress, you won’t burn out.”

What Is Stress?

According to the American Psy­chological Association (APA), stress is any uncomfortable “emo­tion­al experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes.” In other words, “stress is just your body reacting to some type of pressure that’s been put on you,” Trosin says.

There are three types of stress — survival, environmental and internal.

Survival stress. Also known as a fight or flight response, survival stress is a common reaction in all people and animals.

“This is the only stress that your body automatically handles when you get in a situation that you feel like physical harm is going to come to you,” Trosin says. “It might be a situation when you’re getting ready to shoe a horse that you know is bad. Physiologically, your adrenaline kicks in. Your heart pumps faster to get those hormones in your blood. You start breathing faster to get more oxygen. It’s pretty amazing what your mind can do.”

Environmental stress. Your body responds to a number of stressors in your environment — noise, crowds, bad working conditions, etc.

“When you’re shoeing horses and there are dogs barking, kids are running around, it certainly will stress a person out,” he says. “You can get trauma from injuries caused by getting that external stress.”

Internal stress. This response generally occurs when one worries about things they cannot control such as family problems or losing a big stable.

Yet, stress isn’t always bad.

“Stress can make you do your best work,” he says. “Stress can make you focus so you get things done and work hard to do that.”

The key is how you handle the stress.

“Some people can handle stress very easily,” Trosin says. “It’s just part of their nature. The slightest bit of stress in others will cause them to just fall apart. They don’t know what they’re going to do.”

If you’re in the latter boat, don’t wait to address it.

“Stress can shut your immune system down, upset your digestive system, increase your risk of heart attack and speed up the aging process,” he says. “It can also negatively affect your sex life. If you figure out that it’s slowing your sex life down, you better start paying attention.”

Take Control

Regardless of whether you’re starting to feel stress or experiencing the physical warnings, it’s important to take action.

“You can put yourself in a controllable situation and fix the things that are causing stress,” Trosin says. “Personally dealing with stress has the ability to change the way you see the end.”

Addressing the stressors is the only way to regain control.

“If you have troubling clients, get rid of some of them,” he advises. “Get your scheduling in order. Decide that you’re going to start saving for your retirement.”

It’s also important to take some time every day for your per­sonal well-being, including getting plen­ty of rest.

“Don’t run the bars at night,” Trosin says. “Go home and go to sleep. Cut back on un­healthy habits like smoking, drinking and overeating. Most of all, take time off. We don’t like to think that our trainers and stables can go without us, but believe me, they can.”

Leisure activities are a great way to alleviate stress.

“You should read something besides American Farriers Journal,” he says. “Find a novel you like. Listen to music. There’s certain music that makes me smile when I hear it. So, I put together a playlist of those types of songs. Do things for yourself. Take the kids fishing. Believe me, untangling those lines and getting hooks out of their fingers will make you forget about what’s going on in the world.”

It Can Sneak Up On You

Ignoring the warning signs and failing to deal with chronic stress will lead to burnout.

“Burnout is the most deadly thing that stress can do to you,” Trosin says. “It can sneak up on you. One day everything will be fine, and all of a sudden, it’s not. You’re miserable in a profession that you truly love. You don’t want to see anybody. You don’t want to talk to them. You start withdrawing from people. It’s the worst thing you can do.”

American psychologist Herbert Freu­denberger first coined the term burnout in his 1974 paper titled, “Staff Burn-Out,” which was published in the Journal of Social Issues. It derives from his observations of drug addicts who stared with blank looks at cigarettes until they burned out.

“Burnout is a state of physical, emo­tional or mental exhaustion, combined with doubts about your competence and the value of your work,” Trosin says.

The differences between stress and burnout are stark.

“When you’re stressed, your senses are heightened,” he says. “You’re trying to figure out a way to fix things. When you’re burned out, you might not even be aware of the severity of the situation. Your emotions are dull. You start feeling helpless, detached and depressed. You feel like you’re drained all the time. You lose all care or motivation for things, including your job. You doubt your abilities. You ignore your family. You feel trapped and defeated. You want affection, but you can’t give it or accept it.”

You might also experience:

• Exhaustion.
• Headaches.
• Sore muscles.
• Nausea.
• Low immune system.

The Most Important Thing

Although someone who is burned out has a strong urge to do so, it’s critical to not withdraw from people.

“That’s the most important thing,” Trosin says. “No matter how much you think you can get along without having other people, you can’t. You were meant to work and spend time together.”

That sense of community is particularly strong in the farrier industry with its state and national associations, clinics and hammer-ins.

“You need to gravitate to them so when things start going bad, you have someone to listen and talk to you, someone who won’t interrupt you, judge you or criticize you,” he says. “That’s really important. If you don’t have somebody like that, you need to find someone. Friends will really help ease your stress.”

In addition, there are other things you can do while dealing with burnout that will help pull you through it.

Take time off. It’s important to reevaluate your priorities and figure out what makes you happy. For Trosin, that involved making knives.

“Nourish your creative side,” he says. “Start a fire and build something besides a shoe.”

Change the way you feel about your profession. “The work you do is important — not only to the horse, but to the owners, trainers, grooms and to you,” Trosin says.

Give back to the community. “I coached youth football for several years,” he says. “It could be stressful, but it was still a break from my everyday routine.”

It’s important to heed Trosin’s advice. It could be life-changing for you.

“I left a profession I loved,” he says. “I miss it. I didn’t see the signs. I didn’t realize what was going on. Don’t be afraid to talk with somebody.”

2018 Getting Started In Hoof Care Contents