The three major types of boundaries are:
- Physical (e.g., preferring handshakes over hugs).
- Emotional (e.g., refusing to compromise your values by euthanizing a healthy horse).
- Mental (e.g., refusing to allow others’ opinions to influence your own, such as some practitioners’ belief you should be available to clients 24/7/365).
Setting boundaries in equine practice will help prevent burnout and allow you to avoid uncomfortable situations. Without good boundaries, you will likely start to feel undervalued, underappreciated, disrespected, or worse.
The Importance of Setting Boundaries in Equine Practice
Understanding your values helps you determine what boundaries to set. Setting healthy boundaries helps you prioritize your own needs and communicate them to others. In doing so, you can alleviate the anxiety associated with overcommitment and the stress that comes with feeling unsupported. Healthy boundaries also help you improve relationships and reduce exposure to triggers—like that 1 a.m. text message from a client asking for a copy of their horse’s Coggins test, which might have previously incited feelings of rage.
To reinforce your commitment to your boundaries, write them down. You can also set boundaries at home to clearly communicate your priorities to your family. For example, you might want to silence your work phone when you’re not on call.
How to Communicate Your Boundaries to Equine Practice Clients
Once you have determined the boundaries that align with your values and priorities, you must communicate them clearly and repetitively in a calm, matter-of-fact way. Some people might be confused by your new boundaries or disagree with them entirely, so prepare yourself for violations. Visualize someone crossing your boundaries and practice your response. Whether role-playing with a friend or rehearsing by yourself, speak your piece aloud, not just in your head. It can be difficult to defend your boundaries unless you are committed to them yourself.
What about that text message in the middle of the night? When communicating your boundaries to clients, explain to them why they’re necessary. It’s possible your client has no idea you must keep your phone next to your bed with the volume up in case of an emergency call. To explain “the rules,” you can send emails and text messages or even share a carefully worded social media post. Try using humor to get the point across, such as a funny video of you throwing your phone across the room when a routine text wakes you up in the middle of the night. Another way to spread the word is to set up an automatic text reply that says, “All texts will be read and responded to during normal business hours. If you have an emergency, please call …” If you find it easier to read and respond to messages immediately so you don’t forget, schedule your reply for 8 a.m. on the next business day.
Responding to Boundary Violations
It is very important to bring up a boundary violation right away. When someone violates your boundaries, it’s common to get upset, ruminate about the situation for days or weeks, and then bring it up much later, especially if you are conflict avoidant. Start the conversation immediately with one of these phrases: “I’m going to disappoint you …” or “I know you want what’s best for me, and …” or “I promised myself …”
For example, if a client wants to schedule an appointment on a Saturday, and you have a boundary around elective work on weekends, you can say, “I’m going to disappoint you. I decided this year to reserve my weekends for my family, because they are what I care about most in the world.” Or, “I know you want what’s best for me, and I need some time to recharge my battery after a very long week.” Or, “I promised myself that I would prioritize my well-being so I can stay in equine practice long term. That means having time for a life outside work.”
Final Thoughts
Research shows that setting boundaries effectively helps people diminish anger, anxiety, and depression by gaining more control over their energy and time. These benefits can apply to situations in your equine practice and in your personal life.
Related Reading
- Veterinary Wellness Briefs: Setting Boundaries with Clients in Equine Practice
- Veterinary Wellness Briefs: Recognizing and Extinguishing Burnout
- Vet Wellness Briefs: Learning Acceptance
Stay in the know! Sign up for EquiManagement’s FREE weekly newsletters to get the latest equine research, disease alerts, and vet practice updates delivered straight to your inbox.
