Post by horseguy on Aug 1, 2017 18:23:50 GMT
July has been a very trying month. Karen and I, both life long horse owners, have decided to call it quits, at least for a while. Jimmy posted a poem or song about a old something trying to adjust. That's me and I am not adjusting. I have been doing a lot of reflecting on it all. I have been thinking of parallel occurrences in my life. When I was young I was a very intense skier. I competed in many ski sports from jumping to downhill racing and had some success. And then one day years later I was doing some recreational skiing during an outing with some friends and it seemed pointless, no clock, no challenge really. I never skied again and didn't miss it.
Then after two and a half decades playing polo almost exclusively, I got hurt badly and had to quit. I tried coming back but I was 53 then and found I could play half a game. Several teams offered to have me play half the game and have another player play the other half, but that was not real for me so I quit playing. I missed polo enough for a while to attempt being an announcer but I was awful at it. I umpired for a while but got frustrated. A couple years later I disappeared from the sport.
But this is the end of it all I believe. I'm not good at dabbling. I tend to be in or out. Feels strange.
I have a friend who is a real computer expert. He started a long time ago and became an expert in a computer language called Fortran. Apparently this language was very powerful but a real challenge to learn and awkward to use. Fortran was eventually replaced and is never used anymore. I thought of my friend. He was a virtuoso in Fortran but that skill is now totally useless. That's me, I think, a skilled rider in the Military Seat, something that like Fortran people do not want to take the time to learn. I do think the difference is that Fortran was ineffective and deserved to die out. I do not think the Military Seat is at all ineffective and in fact still the most balanced and powerful method of riding for the most extreme equestrian sports.
Anyway, I am thinking and trying to be open. Four barns in two years pretty much have worn me out on today's "professionals" and barn managers. I am thinking of getting our dog therapy certified and doing something with him. I ran an equine therapy program for four years following my polo accident in a locked facility for boys. I worked with a great psychologist who taught me about how animals give abused kids a second chance to try to learn how to form relationships. It seems these kids who get locked up fell down deep it their fault and blame themselves for being failures at socialization (something I never learned and always think it's the other guy's problem) and animals offer these failed and feeling guilty kids some hope. I did it with horses. I might try it with my dog. And I am in the perfect spot. This city where we moved has a murder rate over 4 times the national average and one of the highest child abuse rates in the State.
Thanks for listening.
Then after two and a half decades playing polo almost exclusively, I got hurt badly and had to quit. I tried coming back but I was 53 then and found I could play half a game. Several teams offered to have me play half the game and have another player play the other half, but that was not real for me so I quit playing. I missed polo enough for a while to attempt being an announcer but I was awful at it. I umpired for a while but got frustrated. A couple years later I disappeared from the sport.
But this is the end of it all I believe. I'm not good at dabbling. I tend to be in or out. Feels strange.
I have a friend who is a real computer expert. He started a long time ago and became an expert in a computer language called Fortran. Apparently this language was very powerful but a real challenge to learn and awkward to use. Fortran was eventually replaced and is never used anymore. I thought of my friend. He was a virtuoso in Fortran but that skill is now totally useless. That's me, I think, a skilled rider in the Military Seat, something that like Fortran people do not want to take the time to learn. I do think the difference is that Fortran was ineffective and deserved to die out. I do not think the Military Seat is at all ineffective and in fact still the most balanced and powerful method of riding for the most extreme equestrian sports.
Anyway, I am thinking and trying to be open. Four barns in two years pretty much have worn me out on today's "professionals" and barn managers. I am thinking of getting our dog therapy certified and doing something with him. I ran an equine therapy program for four years following my polo accident in a locked facility for boys. I worked with a great psychologist who taught me about how animals give abused kids a second chance to try to learn how to form relationships. It seems these kids who get locked up fell down deep it their fault and blame themselves for being failures at socialization (something I never learned and always think it's the other guy's problem) and animals offer these failed and feeling guilty kids some hope. I did it with horses. I might try it with my dog. And I am in the perfect spot. This city where we moved has a murder rate over 4 times the national average and one of the highest child abuse rates in the State.
Thanks for listening.
