Thoughts on stuff and things (Or, how idiots like me can succeed with the horse)

I'm fixing up this trailer I got with the SO the other day, and I'm all freaked out about using the angle grinder (as a child I was afraid of sparklers too...don't judge).  I am not a fan of sparks.

So as I'm holding this thing gingerly in my work-gloved hands trying to psych myself up for it, a thought occurs to me:

"Megan, literally complete idiots use this thing without issues."

So I took a deep breath, got on the damned horse (figuratively) and used the damn angle grinder, sparks and all.  I did forget to breathe DURING the actual grinding in the beginning...but I got better at it.

Anyway...Sometimes I feel the same about horses.

I feel like "training" horses has become this big mysterious thing that one certain "horse whisperers" can do.  Like there wasn't a time when tons of people trained their own horses.  With varying results.  But still.  No NH needed.

The only thing I really see in common with these lower-end trainer people (and I'm not talking about the top-of-their-sport people), very generally, is that they are reasonably intelligent and observant and consistent about what they do.  They have a little sense about how horses learn and they use it to their advantage.

Of course, complete idiots also train horses and do a reasonably good job for the same reasons (I might be in this category.  What do I know, anyway?).

Rules for angle grinders:

1.  Make sure your equipment is hooked up right.  We don't want one of those disks sailing off  who-knows-where at 11,000 rpms.

2.  Don't try to jump in there and touch metal without getting the damn thing running first.  This results in unpredictable and dangerous behavior on the part of the angle grinder.

3.  Be sensitive and consistent for best results.

4.  Know when to stop.

Sound familiar?  Complete idiots can do this stuff.  You can do it!  Get out there and work your angle-grinder/horse.

I don't want this to be a blog that slams other training methods...

But...What the hell were they thinking?

I actually titled this file "Parelli WTF.jpg".

I really don't want this blog to at all be about "I'm right" and "they're wrong".  If there's any one thing I can freely admit, without a "but" in there, it's that I am not a trainer, and I don't know everything there is to know.

In fact, I've said before that I know just enough to know I don't know enough.

And I really, truly believe that!

That's part of what makes horses fun.  There is always something more to learn, something to realize you're not doing right, and a way to fix it.  It's a learning process, and it can last you through your whole life.

That being said...is the Parelli camp actually advocating that I have to eat grass with my horse to "collect my horse's heart" and bond with him?  I seriously thought this was a cruel photoshop joke on Mr. Parelli when I first saw this cover.

If that's "Mastery", then I'll happily stay a dumb horse gal bumbling along in ignorance for all eternity...

Because that, folks, is just plain crazy.