Re: Is the RP a more effective, longterm learning environment than any other?

[Marv Walker <Marv@MarvWalker.com>]

> >The challenges I issue and am perfectly willing to back up at any time are
> my way of emphasizing my confidence in the techniques that I have stumbled
> on during many years of dealing with horse problems..  In no way are they
> defensive.  My methods will stand or fall strictly on their merits.  The
> things I use simply MUST work. Period. If they don't, they either need
> fixing or dumping.>
> 
> Isn't that a bit limiting : each horse, and each person is an individual -
> your methods may not work with that person or that horse.  It is not the
> method which is flawed (unless it is harsh : harshness is always flawed),
> nor is it the horse, nor the individual, but the mix of the three.  Don't
> throw out the method, try to adapt it, or use something different in that
> circumstance.

It may be a bit limiting in what you'll accept, but it
is boundless in building a useful knowledge base.  And
I did say fixing _or_ dumping.  If I cannot fix them, I 
dump them.  I certainly won't promote them.

Trying something and failing and then feeling like a
failure is no reflection on the procedure.  That is 
a product of the person.

We all know that people are different mostly because 
they think and rationalize and do all that with a 
minimum of information.  They often superficially 
compare what is being offered to what they believe 
and discard either the whole concept or important 
chunks of it.

We see that all the time in the exchanging of recipes 
no matter how explicit they are written.  The new cook 
begins thinking "Hmmm, I have no Martha Wright's flour 
but I got some Econo-Milled", "One cup of sugar, that 
sounds sweet, I'll just use a tablespoon full."  Next 
time they see the recipe writer they say, "I made your 
recipe, it was awful."

Common sense should say that when someone says something 
works infallibly, that they mean, for them according to the
recipe.  If they follow the recipe, they produce the same 
dish, that's why they call them recipes. Of course, very 
little is foolproof, they'll always invent a better fool
but that has little bearing on the quality of the recipe.

I have no real idea how many people use my concepts and "fail".  
I have no real idea how many use my concepts and succeed never 
needing to contact me again.  Of the many thousands who visit 
my web site I kno they range from the immediately dismissing 
to the eagerly embracing.  They are all levels of horsepeople 
from the far reaches of this earth and each have their own 
understanding and ability.

But the recipe itself, performed in the manner it is written out, 
works.  I cannot really say that my methods work on every horse 
because I have not worked every horse yet.  I can say that so far, 
on a considerable number of horses, they have not failed me.  
Everyone who attends one of my events goes away confident they 
can reproduce the results on their own.  Anyone who "fails" with 
any of my techniques they have gotten off the web AND comes back 
looking for the how or why of the "failure" determined to succeed, 
will.

I understand how easy it is to discount things based on what we 
feel or that we can't see.  I understand how we also view things 
based on what other people who appear to be doing similar things 
do or say.

Marv "Some look at the glass and say the glass is half empty.  Some 
look at the glass and say the glass is half full.  I look at the 
glass and say, 'Is it drinkable?'" Walker
-- 
Upcoming 2000 Clinics 
Madison (Atlanta) GA Oct 14-15, 2000
Murfeesboro (Near Nashville) TN, Nov 11-12, 2000
http://MarvWalker.com/clinic.htm