Control What You Can and Forget the Rest

Stock Show Things
I CAN NOT Control

There are somethings that are just out of your control, spending time and energy on these things is counterproductive. Control what you can, forget about the rest!

Some of these things include:

The behavior of your animal – you’ve put in the time and work with your animal, relax and just make the best with what you’re dealt
Whether your animal eats or drinks enough or too much – stress can cause lots of issues with your animal at the shows. Just make sure you have the supplies and supplements that you might need and keep a good eye on your animal
Other people’s animals – remember that not everyone has your work ethic and they might not have their animals prepared or the animal might just decide to act up and the other exhibitor is just as stressed over it as you would be
The judge’s opinion of your animal – different judges look for different things or put different weight on specific traits. Use it as a learning experience and gather all the information that you can to help you for the next show
Where you are stalled in the show barn – some shows will allow you to pick your spots, but some don’t. Knowing that ahead of time will help you prepare
Other exhibitor’s, leader’s, spectator’s actions or ethics – You can’t control those around you, the only thing you can control is you. You might find that some spectators just don’t understand or know proper etiquette near show animals.