Horse People on the board

Horse People on the board

Post by SHODHOR » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00


My name is Jerry Linker.  I would like to apologize for not understanding your
rules and regulations.  I was asked to come to this board to help some other
people out that were having problems with Tom.  I have thought this thing over
since I sent my first message to this board.  Let me explain the horse world.
There are two worlds here.  1- People who have horses and just ride for fun or
occasionally go to a show or competition just for fun.  These people have a job
and work an 8 hour day away from their horses.  They love their horses, they
care for them and do the best they know how.  2- Then we have the world where
men and women both feed their families, pay their bills and support their whole
life style on what their horses achieve that month.  No achievements no money!
These people have to have a person such as myself that can guarantee them their
horses are setting on go 7 days a week.  They can't afford to hear from a vet
or farrier, that, they have to lay their horse off from work or training.  If
they did many would starve.  I shoe several 100 top Qtr Horses, Arabians &
Hunters.  The majority of my people are professionals.  Meaning their family
eats off of what these horses bring in.  In return my family eats off of what I
can do to help these people.  I am not a Psychic but, I would say from reading
the majority of the messages on the board that I have not read one yet that was
written by a horse owner that makes his living, excluding Farriers, Vets, on
the back of a horse.  The people who make their living in other ways other than
horses most times have a very limited knowledge base as to what really goes on
in the horse industry.  The lameness end is so indepth that it would take years
of every day work for anyone to get a taste of what is available on the market
to treat these types of problems.  

Such as this example:  I imagine everyone here drives cars, everyday.  Some for
hours on end.  You may think you are a pretty good driver and you probably are.
 But this coming Sunday they are racing at Daytona.  Those drivers are
professionals and they know what they are doing.  You & I are just drivers.
They would blow us out of the water with their knowlege.  Professional Hor***
versus weekend hor***, same difference.  Point being when you make your
living at something you had better be better than just good.  

I am not pointing fingers or trying to be controversial.  But, if there is a
horseman on this board that lives, eats, sleeps and drinks horses 7 days a
week, providing for his family this way please let us know.  I think if you are
you will agree me on this point.  

I admit I am not too good at explaining things to the weekend horseman.  They
want to be pampered and petted.  It really doesn't matter if they ride old
spotty this week or not.  I am used to dealing with professionals in this
business daily.  I don't have to explain this knowledge base to him.  He knows
and if he doesn't we talk on a professional level and he learns quickly.  

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by WB Dare » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Quote:

>>I admit I am not too good at explaining things to the weekend

horseman.  They want to be pampered and petted.  <<

You should probably be careful who you patronize. These are the  people who are
paying to support you and other professionals" in the business. If my farrier,
trainer, vet or anyone
whom I pay to  do something with my horse spoke to me in the tone of your note,
they wouldn't be getting my money anymore.

Monika

Monika Delle, near Seattle, WA, USA ****Step Up To A Saddlebred****
Dare-W.B. Dare Me, the western wonderhorse (beginning dressage)
Julie-Doubletree's Juliana, all-around terrific horse  
and the Kitty Krew: Beanie, Dora, Frango, Taz and Tickle

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by Eileen G. Morg » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00


Quote:
>I am not pointing fingers or trying to be controversial.  
HAH.
>if there is a
>horseman on this board that lives, eats, sleeps and drinks horses 7 days a
>week, providing for his family this way please let us know.  I think if you are
>you will agree me on this point.  

There are such beings . . .
Quote:
>I admit I am not too good at explaining things to the weekend horseman.  They
>want to be pampered and petted.  It really doesn't matter if they ride old
>spotty this week or not.

Pardon? I earn some income from my horses by teaching lessons and the
occasional boarder, plus I was a barn manager at a ritzy hunter barn
for five years while in college; but, in general, I spend about 1/2
what I earn on them. Riding and competing "old spotty" is a fairly
important thing, and if "old spotty" isn't working, I'm just lighting
up dollar bills. I make it my business to know what is going on with
my horses' health, their physical needs, their social and training
needs, and the way thier bodies function. I've been a "hobby" rider
now for  25 years. I have a knowledge base and an intelligent opinion
about what is happening with my livestock. When I called my vet and
said, "this *&)*& weather. I have an abcess--please come out and open
it up" I was correct in my "weekend rider" diagnosis. My farrier and
vet both speak to me as an intelligent human being who is aware of her
horses' needs. Which is more than I can say for you. Most people on
this NG are intelligent human beings who have made it thier business
to learn about their stock. Get a clue.
Quote:
>I am used to dealing with professionals in this
>business daily.  I don't have to explain this knowledge base to him.  He knows
>and if he doesn't we talk on a professional level and he learns quickly.  

good. You sure wouldn't get business from me.
eileen morgan
The Mare's Nest

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by Kirsti Stephens » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00


Quote:
>My name is Jerry Linker.  I would like to apologize for not understanding your
>rules and regulations.  I was asked to come to this board to help some other
>people out that were having problems with Tom.

Ok Jerry, who was it that asked you to come over here and help out
with Tom? I've been reading this news group off and on for about 8
years and to my knowledge, Tom has not been causing any problems that
need to be worked out by a third party.

Quote:
> I have thought this thing over
>since I sent my first message to this board.  Let me explain the horse world.
>There are two worlds here.  1- People who have horses and just ride for fun or
>occasionally go to a show or competition just for fun.  These people have a job
>and work an 8 hour day away from their horses.  They love their horses, they
>care for them and do the best they know how.  2- Then we have the world where
>men and women both feed their families, pay their bills and support their whole
>life style on what their horses achieve that month.  No achievements no money!

And there is a 3rd world out there. Those of us that work full time to
help support the barn full of horses that we raise, train, show and
sell.

Quote:
>These people have to have a person such as myself that can guarantee them their
>horses are setting on go 7 days a week.  They can't afford to hear from a vet
>or farrier, that, they have to lay their horse off from work or training.

I doubt there is anyone reading here, or owning horses anywhere, that
can afford to have their horse(s) laid up. Not to mention the fact
that a visit with the vet is not on the top of my list of things to
spend my hard earned money on. Anyone out there like feeling like they
should have their paycheck directly deposited into the vet's account?

Quote:
>  If
>they did many would starve.  I shoe several 100 top Qtr Horses, Arabians &
>Hunters.  The majority of my people are professionals.  Meaning their family
>eats off of what these horses bring in.  In return my family eats off of what I
>can do to help these people.  I am not a Psychic but, I would say from reading
>the majority of the messages on the board that I have not read one yet that was
>written by a horse owner that makes his living, excluding Farriers, Vets, on
>the back of a horse.

Again, there are those of us that supplement our horse income with
outside income.

Quote:
>  The people who make their living in other ways other than
>horses most times have a very limited knowledge base as to what really goes on
>in the horse industry.

I think you are wrong here. Just from the replies to your original
post makes me think that horse owners out there have quite a good
understanding of the horse industry.

Quote:
>  The lameness end is so indepth that it would take years
>of every day work for anyone to get a taste of what is available on the market
>to treat these types of problems.  

And we are fools to expect to believe anyone who comes on board
spouting "I can cure with a simple laying on of hands!"

Quote:
>Such as this example:  I imagine everyone here drives cars, everyday.  Some for
>hours on end.  You may think you are a pretty good driver and you probably are.
> But this coming Sunday they are racing at Daytona.  Those drivers are
>professionals and they know what they are doing.  You & I are just drivers.
>They would blow us out of the water with their knowlege.  Professional Hor***
>versus weekend hor***, same difference.  Point being when you make your
>living at something you had better be better than just good.  

You'd be better off to compare apples to apples and not oranges.
Driving a Winston Cup car is far different from driving your everyday
street legal vehicle. Sure there is a differnce in knowledge base, but
I assure you that Dale (be still my heart! :) uses the same skills I
do to drive to work every morning. Sure, there is a big difference
between the Professional and the Weekend Warrior, but saying the
knowledge base is way different is incorrect. I don't consider myself
a professional (simply because I want to keep an amateur status) but I
do consider myself very knowledgeable when it comes to horses.

Quote:
>I am not pointing fingers or trying to be controversial.  But, if there is a
>horseman on this board that lives, eats, sleeps and drinks horses 7 days a
>week, providing for his family this way please let us know.  I think if you are
>you will agree me on this point.  

Well, I live, eat, sleep, and drink horses 7 days a week, 24 hours a
day, and grow alfalfa 7 months out of the year to feed those horses, I
flat out don't agree with you. So there.

Quote:
>I admit I am not too good at explaining things to the weekend horseman.  They
>want to be pampered and petted.  

Honey, with an attitude like yours, I think you best just pack in your
key board and trip on out of here. Pampered and petted, geesh!

Kirsti "going home to shave a number 3 on ol' Buddy's butt"

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by William P. Mila » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Quote:

> Such as this example:  I imagine everyone here drives cars, everyday.  Some for
> hours on end.  You may think you are a pretty good driver and you probably are.
>  But this coming Sunday they are racing at Daytona.  Those drivers are
> professionals and they know what they are doing.  You & I are just drivers.
> They would blow us out of the water with their knowlege.  Professional Hor***
> versus weekend hor***, same difference.

Poor analogy. Most race car drivers wouldn't know an A-arm from a strut
from a hole in the ground. They are very talented individuals with
extremly good relexes and coordination. They depend on Professionals
to provide them with the wheels (car) that can win a race on that
particular track. The driver can tell you what he/she does or does
not like. They can very rarely offer precise technical guidance
as to what the problem is.

If I wanted to know whether a race mechanic was good or not, I would
ask other mechanics, or engineers who have the technical competence
to adequately judge that persons capabilities.

I do know for a fact that no competent professional in the race
industry would be impressed by how many engines someone could
rebuild in a day. Quality is valued above all else.

--
******************************************************************
* This missive is from the screen of William P. Milam            *
* The opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone!         *
* My kids don't listen to me, why should you?                    *
*                                                                *
******************************************************************

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by John T. Klausn » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Read your post carefully...First of all, there are no rules and
regulations.  There may be a certain protocol, but there are no rules
and no one to enforce them even if we made some up.  Secondly, when you
were asked to come to this board, you were asked to do what?  What kind
of help were you supposed to give? make Tom post the way someone else
wanted him to post?? it doesn't happen that way.  Make Tom take back
his opinion on how horses should be shod?  it doesn't happen that way.
Show Tom that he doesn't know it all, but you do?  Doesn't that put you
 in the same position that you're presently assigning to Tom?  It's
nice that you're risen to the challenge like the white knight, but you
might have gotten a warmer welcome if you hadn't charged in like a bull
in a china shop thinking you were going to show everyone what's what.
Discuss facts, not emotions.  And if you continually present your
material like an ad for your shoeing school, you can expect to be
treated like most ads - turned off.  If your information and techniques
are available only for dollars, don't bother with discussion.  If you
are unwilling to discuss your techniques because of a professional
jealousy, don't bother with discussion.  If you can't answer questions
people ask because it's "for free", don't bother with discussion.  It's
a waste of your time and ours.  The reason Tom is respected is because
he's willing to share knowledge - gratis.  Putting it into effect is a
different problem.  No matter what he - or you - tell us about what
should be done to/for a horse's feet, there still has to be a farrier
on the spot to do the work.  Information is great, but it won't apply
shoes.  That takes a strong back and willing/capable hands. But having
information from a capable source helps even us lowlife
non-professional horse owners give our horses the best care we can.  By
the way, it's usually us non-professional horse owners that keep you
professional horse people in business, so do try not to knock the
customer.  
SueK


Quote:
(SHODHORSE) writes:

>My name is Jerry Linker.  I would like to apologize for not
understanding your
>rules and regulations.  I was asked to come to this board to help some
other
>people out that were having problems with Tom.  

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by Petr » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Quote:

>I was asked to come to this board to help some other
>people out that were having problems with Tom.

Oh have you now ? So how come the foirst I saw of you was a lengthy
adverti***t for your farrier school.

I had a lenghty conversation with a British Master Farrier ( 8 years of
training ... ) and he was totally amazed that someone would actually let a
student near a horse - never mind shoe one, after 30 days - never mind call
them farriers after that ....

Quote:
>Let me explain the horse world.

( as you see it - in your corner of the world )

Quote:
> The people who make their living in other ways other than
>horses most times have a very limited knowledge base as to what really goes
on
>in the horse industry.

Bullshit. You know that because ??

Quote:
>I admit I am not too good at explaining things to the weekend >horseman.

To explain *WHAT* to the weekend horseman ?

Quote:
>They
>want to be pampered and petted.  It really doesn't matter if they ride >old
>spotty this week or not.

What a load of nonsense. I keep two fit competition horses, whom I ride
every day - after work. I have 2, sometimes three lessons a week.
I compete at weekends or attend clinics. It *MATTERS* whether I can ride
them or not ! And luckily I have a team of farrier / trainer / vet who take
time and care to make sure I can ride them every week.

Quote:
>I am used to dealing with professionals in this
>business daily.  I don't have to explain this knowledge base to him.  He
>knows
>and if he doesn't we talk on a professional level and he learns quickly.

Explain what exactly ? You have not explained a thing so far - in any of
your darn posts. All you've been doing has been to make claims hoe you know
better - shoe better - teach better and so on than anyone else. You have
flatly refused - from what I can see anyway - to actually answer any
specific questions.

You can talk to most of the people here on a professional basis.

Petra

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by Madeline Rockwel » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00

  1- People who have horses and just ride for fun or

Quote:
> occasionally go to a show or competition just for fun.  ....  2- Then > we have the world where men and women both feed their families, pay   > their bills and support their whole life style on what their horses > achieve that month. ... They can't afford to hear from a vet
> or farrier, that, they have to lay their horse off from work or       > training.  If  they did many would starve.  

If they are so incompetent and so borderline that resting a sore horse
will make them starve, they are VERY borderline "Professionals."

Quote:
> They would blow us out of the water with their knowlege.  Professional > Hor***  versus weekend hor***, same difference.  

IMO, you are seeing a very strange part of the industry. HAve you ever
actually listened to the generic "professional" at an A3 HJ show? And
you thought what you heard actually made sense??? Have you ever spoken
to lifelong competent amateurs, or do you just believe what those
"professionals" who cannot afford to rest a lame horse tell you?

I think that Jerry is right. There are 2 groups of horse people.
1. Boneheads and 2. Competent folk. Professionals as well as "weekend
horse people" populate both groups.......

madeline

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by Tookie Myer » Sat, 14 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Quote:


> >My name is Jerry Linker.  I would like to apologize for not understanding your
> >rules and regulations.  I was asked to come to this board to help some other
> >people out that were having problems with Tom.

> Ok Jerry, who was it that asked you to come over here and help out
> with Tom? I've been reading this news group off and on for about 8
> years and to my knowledge, Tom has not been causing any problems that
> need to be worked out by a third party.

> > I have thought this thing over
> >since I sent my first message to this board.  Let me explain the horse world.
> >There are two worlds here.  1- People who have horses and just ride for fun or
> >occasionally go to a show or competition just for fun.  These people have a job
> >and work an 8 hour day away from their horses.  They love their horses, they
> >care for them and do the best they know how.  2- Then we have the world where
> >men and women both feed their families, pay their bills and support their whole
> >life style on what their horses achieve that month.  No achievements no money!

> And there is a 3rd world out there. Those of us that work full time to
> help support the barn full of horses that we raise, train, show and
> sell.

> >These people have to have a person such as myself that can guarantee them their
> >horses are setting on go 7 days a week.  They can't afford to hear from a vet
> >or farrier, that, they have to lay their horse off from work or training.

> I doubt there is anyone reading here, or owning horses anywhere, that
> can afford to have their horse(s) laid up. Not to mention the fact
> that a visit with the vet is not on the top of my list of things to
> spend my hard earned money on. Anyone out there like feeling like they
> should have their paycheck directly deposited into the vet's account?

> >  If
> >they did many would starve.  I shoe several 100 top Qtr Horses, Arabians &
> >Hunters.  The majority of my people are professionals.  Meaning their family
> >eats off of what these horses bring in.  In return my family eats off of what I
> >can do to help these people.  I am not a Psychic but, I would say from reading
> >the majority of the messages on the board that I have not read one yet that was
> >written by a horse owner that makes his living, excluding Farriers, Vets, on
> >the back of a horse.

> Again, there are those of us that supplement our horse income with
> outside income.

> >  The people who make their living in other ways other than
> >horses most times have a very limited knowledge base as to what really goes on
> >in the horse industry.

> I think you are wrong here. Just from the replies to your original
> post makes me think that horse owners out there have quite a good
> understanding of the horse industry.

> >  The lameness end is so indepth that it would take years
> >of every day work for anyone to get a taste of what is available on the market
> >to treat these types of problems.

> And we are fools to expect to believe anyone who comes on board
> spouting "I can cure with a simple laying on of hands!"

> >Such as this example:  I imagine everyone here drives cars, everyday.  Some for
> >hours on end.  You may think you are a pretty good driver and you probably are.
> > But this coming Sunday they are racing at Daytona.  Those drivers are
> >professionals and they know what they are doing.  You & I are just drivers.
> >They would blow us out of the water with their knowlege.  Professional Hor***
> >versus weekend hor***, same difference.  Point being when you make your
> >living at something you had better be better than just good.

> You'd be better off to compare apples to apples and not oranges.
> Driving a Winston Cup car is far different from driving your everyday
> street legal vehicle. Sure there is a differnce in knowledge base, but
> I assure you that Dale (be still my heart! :) uses the same skills I
> do to drive to work every morning. Sure, there is a big difference
> between the Professional and the Weekend Warrior, but saying the
> knowledge base is way different is incorrect. I don't consider myself
> a professional (simply because I want to keep an amateur status) but I
> do consider myself very knowledgeable when it comes to horses.

> >I am not pointing fingers or trying to be controversial.  But, if there is a
> >horseman on this board that lives, eats, sleeps and drinks horses 7 days a
> >week, providing for his family this way please let us know.  I think if you are
> >you will agree me on this point.

> Well, I live, eat, sleep, and drink horses 7 days a week, 24 hours a
> day, and grow alfalfa 7 months out of the year to feed those horses, I
> flat out don't agree with you. So there.

> >I admit I am not too good at explaining things to the weekend horseman.  They
> >want to be pampered and petted.

> Honey, with an attitude like yours, I think you best just pack in your
> key board and trip on out of here. Pampered and petted, geesh!

> Kirsti "going home to shave a number 3 on ol' Buddy's butt"

Kirsti,

I do understand your not wanting to send your entire check to your
veterinarian. However, my knowledgeable horse owners spend about $600 to
$800 per year with their farrier and about $300 to $400 with me.

A high percentage of my equine practice is lameness.

M. W. Myers, D.V.M.

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by J Bair » Sun, 15 Feb 1998 04:00:00

About the supposedly incompetent amateurs that ride and show for fun:

There are professional horseshoers out there that ride and show for fun.
There are vets out there that ride and show for fun.  There are amateurs
out there, riding against professional trainers, and they have won Open
World Championships against the pros.  

Some professionals in the horse world have this strange idea that all
amateurs are incompetent.  A few years ago, I went to a Hackney clinic.
The well regarded professional started talking about nicking the tendons on
the tail to set it.  He recommended people call a vet, but also said that
he does his horse's tails, not a vet.  A woman in the audience was just
getting into Hackneys, and asked what was nicked, how deep, if sutures were
needed, etc.  She seemed very knowledgeable about equine anatomy.  The
professional trainer told her that she would need more skill than she
posessed to cut the tail, and he offered to do it for her.  She told him
that she was quite good with surgical tools, and he made a remark about
"even though you probably work part time in a vet clinic, blah blah
blah...".  The woman told him she was quite good with a scapel, but he kept
interrupting her to explain her obvious amateur owner incompetence, until
she explained that she was a surgeon.  After some more explanation,
finally, he understood that she posessed more surgical skill than he did.
She's a board certified plastic surgeon at a large hospital.

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by Jazzer » Sun, 15 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Quote:

>I admit I am not too good at explaining things to the weekend horseman.  They
>want to be pampered and petted.

      I find this remark very insulting. I'm one of those people who owns a
horse for the pure pleasure of it. However, when something goes wrong, both my
vets and farrier talk to me, not down to me. I don't want to be "pampered and
petted". I want to know the facts, all of them - what caused it, what I
could've done or should've done to prevent it; what needs to be done to cure
it, ect.
    All I've got to say is, Thank God you're not my farrier - you wouldn't be
for very long. The man who deos my horse's hooves treats me as an equal and his
father (who was our vet till he passed away) did the same. So do the 2 vets we
now use. They all treat me like a professional. They talk *to me*, not down to
me and none of them "pampers or pets" me. If they did, I'd be looking for a new
vet/farrier.


 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by CATHERINE ALEXANDRA PAFO » Sun, 15 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Board? What board? Ain't seen no board.

Quote:
>My name is Jerry Linker.  I would like to apologize for not understanding your
>rules and regulations.  I was asked to come to this board to help some other
>people out that were having problems with Tom.  

It's a free country - but while I might have problems with some of Tom's posts
(which I skip freely) I just got a brilliant reply to a question that really
interested me. Thanks, btw. None of us signed a charter that stated 'you have
to read every single post on rec.eq.

Quote:
> Let me explain the horse world.
>There are two worlds here.  1- People who have horses and just ride for fun or
>occasionally go to a show or competition just for fun.  
>2- Then we have the world where
>men and women both feed their families, pay their bills and support their
>whole life style on what their horses achieve that month.  

And then we have a whole range of people inbetween. At one stage I *was*
supporting myself through work in the horse industry. I could have gone down
that way. I chose not to. I'm not saying it couldn't happen again.
I prefer amateur status because I have more time for the individual horse, I
get to pick my rides, and I'm under a whole lot less pressure.

Quote:
>These people have to have a person such as myself that can guarantee them
>their horses are setting on go 7 days a week.  They can't afford to hear from
>a vet or farrier, that, they have to lay their horse off from work or
>training.  If they did many would starve.  

If they don't give a horse the time it needs to heal they aren't hor***.
While there are many many therapies that can speed the healing process up, you
have to work out whether the investion is worth the gain. I know many private
owners who are willing to pay several times their horse's worth in vet's fees
because they're attached to their horses. I know many professionals who'd have
to get rid of the horse and look for a replacement.
But anyone thinking they can build their business on a horse and thrown off
course just becaue the inevitable downtime happens isn't a very good
businessman in the first place.

Quote:
>I have not read one yet that was written by a horse owner that makes his
>living, excluding Farriers, Vets, on the back of a horse.  

Oh, I could point to a few of them. But I've been*** out here for a while
longer. Nobody wears a sign round their neck 'this is my daytime job' - and if
they did, you wouldn't be able to read it.

Quote:
>The people who make their living in other ways other than horses most times
>have a very limited knowledge base as to what really goes on in the horse
>industry.  

I agree it's quite an education. Which is why so many of us have at least
another leg to stand on.

Quote:
>Professional Hor*** versus weekend hor***, same difference.  Point being
>when you make your living at something you had better be better than just
>good.  

Nope. You just have to be good enough to make a living. Meaning that you can
see a solid business proposal when it stares you in the face. Meaning that you
are willing to take home a fluctuating salary, work your ass off, risk being
out of business without three month's notice etc. Nothing wrong with that. But
I've met some VERY knowledgeable non-fulltime horsepersons, I met some pretty
middling professionals, and anything in between.

Quote:
>I admit I am not too good at explaining things to the weekend horseman.  They
>want to be pampered and petted.  

Not a very professional attitude towards potential customers, is it?

Quote:
>It really doesn't matter if they ride old spotty this week or not.  

It does to them. They can't easily replace the horse or get another one - for
many horseowners most of their finances are tied up with the one or two horses
they have. Finding a horse that suits *their* specific needs is a great deal
more timeconsuming than for many professionals.

Catja,
amateur by choice and chance

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by JJA » Sun, 15 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Quote:
> >.  I don't have to explain this knowledge base to him.  He knows
> >and if he doesn't we talk on a professional level and he learns quickly.

I am afraid that research has disproven this theory. I am a professional
in the horse industry, so I have no axe to grind, but what you are
talking about is knowledge vs ignorance, expert vs novice, intelligent vs
dumb. There are plenty of knowledgable, intelligent amateurs, the same as
there are plenty of stupid, ignorant professionals. Whatever area of
expertise they concentrate on they are highly likely to be ignorant in
other areas. AND they are more likely to rely on "what they have always
done" rather than seek out new knowledge. As I say, research has shown
that professionals are the group MOST resistant to learning - the
serious, competitive hobbyist is the least resistant.

Jackie

"I know more and more about less and less, and pretty soon I shall know
everything about nothing"

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by SHODHOR » Sun, 15 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Quote:
>I prefer amateur status because I have more time for the individual horse, I
>get to pick my rides, and I'm under a whole lot less pressure.
>If they don't give a horse the time it needs to heal they aren't hor***.
>While there are many many therapies that can speed the healing process up,>you
>have to work out whether the investion is worth the gain. I know many private
>owners who are willing to pay several times their horse's worth in
>several times their horse's worth in vet's fees >because they're attached to

their horses.

Quote:
>Catja,
>amateur by choice and chance

Sorry Cap,  

My point is being missed again as usual.  If you are Amatuer by choice are you
a good one? Is your name in the record books for training and placing in the
Amatuer standards at any competitions?  If so please tell me!    I am not
condemning amatuers or anyone else.  Simply pointing out that talking/shoeing
(lameness or corrective)  for people that are not full time hor*** making a
daily living through the years successfully, assuming  that they have a
complete understanding of the horse's anatomy, legs, treatments etc., the
attitude I take may take in a professional situation, is not producing
harmonious communications here.  Therefore one must try to speak to each person
based on the info they have and from there share the info I may have that is in
addition to theirs.  There are those amateurs that may have at one time or
another chosen to be a professional horseman and are highly educated, these
people tend to be very easy to talk to and help as they are not afraid to try
something different.  There are those backyard people that have spent years
learning and educating themselves as if to become a professional, it is also
easy to talk to and help them as they also are not afraid to try a different
route.  The ones that are totally dependant on an outside source based on a so
called Authority are most difficult to help.  Unless a person's  (Vet or
Farrier) methods agree 100% and is in harmony to the Authority they have
chosen, they most often reject and condemn methods that may be successful just
not heavily publicized.  They lean very heavily on opinions and ideas of
certain Authorities and reject all others because of fear of failure.  Not all
Farriers or Vets have the same methodology or ideas.  Many are very intelligent
and have much to offer simply from experience through the years.  Their methods
or ideas are not necessarily found in books or agreed to by others a person may
have in association. That fact does not make their methods any less successful.
 A College education does not guarantee that any one  individual can apply book
learning in every situation.  In real life things are many times different than
in the lab.  Many times it takes a creative open mind for all involved, both
Vets or Farriers, to take the accepted treatment methods and adapt or change
them to the situation bringing success to the situation.  If something is
successful it is successful.  If it is not then it is not and is not used
again.  Very successful Vets or Farriers are continually striving to better
themselves and their methods, looking for fresh ideas and methods to old
problems!

Jerry
Professional Horseman of 41 years by choice

Helping many amateurs to succeed daily!

Best of luck!

 
 
 

Horse People on the board

Post by SHODHOR » Sun, 15 Feb 1998 04:00:00

Quote:
>As I say, research has shown
>that professionals are the group MOST resistant to learning - the
>serious, competitive hobbyist is the least resistant.

Dear Jackie,

Only experience not research in my life has taught me.  In the area I am from
it has been the opposite.  The hobbyist is and continues to be most resistant
to learning and trying fresh approaches.  That does not necessarily mean that
this is the norm in other places.  It is interesting to note to me that
research says that the Professional is most resistant to change though.

Jerry Linker
41 Years Professional Horseman, 35 years Farrier

Best of Luck