"Get your opinions to match the facts.....

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....of what you've done with your horse".

~ Pat Parelli


Sky
 

The above quote is from the Savvy Club DVD Issue number 43 and is in the context of balance exercises. 

I found it, like so many gems that come from Pat, to be such a powerful statement.

Get your opinions to match the facts.

Oh boy.

How many times my opinions did NOT match the facts.

My horse accepts all the points of the skeleton of being rideable for one.

I shouldn't see problems with saddling and then expect that I'll go on to have a flawless ride.  Facts vs. opinion.

And yet, how many times have I allowed opinion to be the determining factor of what I do?

I believe that each and every problem, wreck, upset or other issue I have had with my horses has been when I have been in a situation that I had not adequately prepared for in some way.

That could include not preparing my horse well enough for what was going to be asked, or failure to develop enough savvy to recognize the signs of approaching problems, or failure to have a plan for when/if things do go awry....even failure to develop myself physically enough, in the proper ways, to be a strong enough & balanced rider to handle the horse that shows up.

It's all there:

Get your opinions to match the facts.

Of course, like all great truths, this statement is infinitely applicable to life as well.

We can judge based on our opinions and not take the time to get the facts.

Right now I believe (i.e. have the opinion) that I am progressing well enough with my LBI mare, Dani, to begin to think about starting Freestyle.  We are solidly working in Level 2 On-line and I can make the call to move into Freestyle or go onto On-line Level 3, or do both even.

I keep telling myself, but I rode her last fall no problem....but I also can think of several spooks and situations that happened then where I was not confident at all. 

In starting over at square one, I wanted to completely fill in all holes and take the time it takes.  The overwhelming urge to ride is probably a good sign of my psychological healing, but it is also my tendency to get some confidence back and then jump ahead about 35 steps, attempt something I am not ready for (or the horse is not ready for), get hurt, and then suffer an even bigger set back of loss of confidence.

It's hard to still be using training wheels knowing that the big kids are zooming around the block.

But, this is my journey and no one else can take it but me.  That will likely be my biggest test, learning to evaluate where I am and having the discipline to only take the next correct step when I am ready.

I believe I'll take a bit more time to get the facts and see that they match my opinions.

Sue, fact-checking, in Ohio

Dani


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