Well apparently , taking time to rest and recuperate , gets me thinking . Hope you all can bear with me and follow this tangled ramble
"In order to truly learn all you can , you need to listen with an open mind, and a closed mouth.
Remember every voice in your world has merit, and no matter how young, old, silly or inexperienced you think they are , you can learn something from them, maybe even something about yourself"
I posted this on Facebook the other day .it is a compilation of statements I have heard in the past ,and what my own thoughts were, so not a direct quote , but certainly a familiar message .
And something I believe very strongly to be true. Regardless of your level of education , or experience , there is always more to learn.
Be it with your job, or your day to day life . And of course working with animals . We , who have been at it a while , are often quick to judge the "newbies " in the industry and deny them credibility. That is wrong, because while we very well may have something to teach them, they may also have something to teach us ,if we let them . And I believe the key to the industry coming back is the new folk. They need support and mentoring, but they also deserve, and demand our respect!
I read an article written by a large scale breeder the other day, rather than bashing the small breeder she was congratulating us/them on sticking with it in the horse industry , her take is that it is us the smaller breeder who are keeping the industry afloat, raising one or 2 -4 really good quality horse a year, with a clear eye on the needs and wants of the industry, working hard to produce the very best we can.
Small breeders are often the first place a new horse buyer goes to find their first horse, and we are the gateway to the horse industry in a way. We need to be ambassadors in a way to get them not only involved in the industry , but to keep them happy and wanting to stay.
One thing , among the very many things we can learn from new folk, is to regain our joy .That spark of pure happiness when we got our first horse, our first successful canter and on and on . They will if we let them refresh us and teach us to let go of the rope and bit and get back to enjoying our horses. And for that they deserve our thanks and respect.
Thanks for all the sweet comments on my last post, I am fine , just think the weather and time of year knocked the wind out of my sails.
Will be out today hopefully even taking some pics , though it is still pretty white so...
Stay safe and Warm!
9 comments:
Some good points. I was a newbie once, and like everyone else, made plenty of mistakes- I wish I would have had a mentor at first, it was only after about a dozen years of owning horses that I found a mentor.
One of the things I enjoy most is giving children their first ride on a horse- and yes, they get to do it on a black stallion- the gentlest, kindest horse ever with little children, my Beamer. He's a great ambassador for the breed, and his great disposition is why I keep making that 1 or 2 quality horse babies every year.
Good post ! I find that when idustries get to big they are to competative and forget the importants of how and why they are in the buisness for in the first place Like Alan Jacksons song" God bless the little man" ! With out the smaller industries Ma and Pop stores small ranchers and farmers etc this country and other countrys would be run down to the ground because they would forget the importance of it all ! Have a good day !
Also you learn a new thing every day be it from youngins or elderly ! Life in its self is a learning experiance !
That's a big roadblock that needs cleared, for sure, and I for one am glad you're pounding it down. Horses need more people like you, FV.
'specially in Ontario!!
:)
Hey, just sayin'!
If it wasnt for small breeders, I wouldnt have my Emma.
I think most small breeders care more about their animals and find them good homes.
I try to listen to everyone and not make judgments and take what works for me and keep on learning.
Great subject.
Very well written and good to remember no matter what a person does for a living. We can all take away something from every encounter we have in life.
Great post FV!
~Lisa
I love this post! It is so true. I learn something new from any horse person, regardless of their level of experience. Even a timid anxious child can teach you as you help THEM become more confident. It is helping your skills, helping you know what you know, by teaching what you know, you know? LOL!! I am going to post that quote on my FB, too! Thank you for your comments on my blog I always appreciate your insight!
Well stated Sherry. I've always been open to learn new things and a daily goal has always been to learn at least one new thing. An old gentleman told me years ago "the day you stop learning, is the day you may as well die". Young and old, rich or poor, male or female...no matter their walks of live, they do have something to teach!
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