Re: Newbies and Oldies

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-06-04 13:57:39 EDT, connieh@etalco.com writes:

<< A "Newbie" can be new to endurance, but not necessarily "new" to horses - I
 think we sometimes forget that.  Horsemanship is horsemanship.  Though my
 grandfather never rode a lick of endurance, he taught me to never overwork a
 horse, & closely monitor both health, & condition.
 
 I think many Newbie's come from a "horse" background.  Fewer decide they
 want to do endurance & find a first time horse? >>

Actually, in my observances as a ride vet, there are now more "newbies" that
are also new to horses than there are with horsey backgrounds.   This is a
shift from earlier days when Connie's point was very true.  And yes,
horsemanship is horsemanship, and those that start with a background have a
definite advantage.

Although I will not disagree with Ramey that the technology we now have is
wonderful, I find that the true "newbie" with no horse background is often so
overwhelmed by the technology that the horse gets lost.  I still feel that
whenever any of us tackle a new endeavor, we must learn to crawl before we
walk, and walk before we run.  With riders who start right out with the
technology, it has been my experience time and time again that the horse gets
lost in there somewhere.  

I had this brought home to me sharply several years ago when I learned to fly.
I thank God that I had an old-fashioned instructor who believed in "seat-of-
the-pants" flying and developing both a feel for the plane and also some
primitive navigation skills.  I was concerned about this, because I had become
interested in flying while traveling with a friend who was an excellent pilot
with many hours and many ratings beyond what I will ever achieve.  On one
flight, our Loran quit working, and I noticed that he became very anxious
about navigation.  (We were "somewhere" over Wyoming at the time.)  After I
became a pilot, thanks to the fact that I had learned the primitive basics
first, I did not have any difficulty at all when, as a very low-time pilot, I
had my navigation radios fail over unfamiliar country west of Chicago as I
ferried a strange plane home--I simply started flying by charts.  I later had
a generator failure east of Seattle and was able to get home with no
difficulty.  And when I had an engine failure, I was also not flustered,
because I had learned the feel of the plane when it had no power, and was able
to glide comfortably while I worked my way through restarting--not once, but
four times as I made my way safely to an airport.  Basic skills are essential,
no matter what the discipline, and need to be mastered.  Becoming dependent on
technology too soon has its drawbacks.  When dealing with a living, breathing
entity with a personality all its own, this is even more true than when
piloting a collection of aluminum and cables through the air.

I still strongly encourage newcomers to ride their horses, follow advice of
mentors, and become secure in the basics, and to utilize the technology only
on occasion to monitor progress, rather than to depend on it from the
beginning.  In the long run, they will be grateful for the rapport they have
established with their horse later down the trail, and will have a far greater
understanding of what their technology can tell them.

Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)