Re: RC: how hard is this?

[Tivers@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/7/00 4:42:49 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
horseplay@ratedg.com writes:

<<  have to admit that I am thoroughly intimidated at the care of an
 endurance horse.  All the supplements and special feeds and equipment
 and training.  I know they are serioius athletes and I really do want
 to get involved in this...I have an insatiable appetite for riding and
 for my horse.  I'm really nervous that I am going to hurt him or not
 care for him properly.  How hard is it to get the hang of all of the
 care?  What are the best books on this topic?  Thanks!
 Shannon >>


There is a technique called "immersion learning". It is used in the Berlitz 
School of languages, the Suzuki violin method, and in a lot of 
less-recognized teaching situatons. It works like this:

The fastest and most effective way to learn is to expose the brain to huge 
chunks of data very quickly and from all sides. This forces the brain to turn 
on more neurons and to keep operating well into the night. It's somewhat 
painful and disorienting at first, because you feel overwhelmed and confused. 
But olnce you've been through it a few times, it becomes comfortable because 
you know what your brain is trying to do and you know what the result will 
be. The result is that you learn extremely complicated things very quickly.

To put yourself in an "immersion mode",  you have to focus on exposing 
yourself to as much challenging input as you can, all at once. So, what I 
would do if I were you is to buy Adams' Lameness in horses--the big edition, 
and buy Lewis' Equine Clinical Nutrition, and Wollinsky's Nutrition in 
Exercise and Sport, and all of the Equine Exercise Physiology series from the 
ICEEP, and start reading them all at the same time--when you get bored to 
death with one, switch to the next, then the next. 

And then, as you become confused, keep on reading while asking questions of 
those who have already been through this peculiar kind of pain--Susand, 
Sarah, Beth, myself, and several others on this forum--to claify some of the 
issues. You don't have to ask these questions in public and be embarrassed by 
them. I try to keep at least a dozen of this type of intellect in my back 
pocket at all times--they really come in handy. And you will find them all 
delighted to help, because each of them knows that the exercise of having to 
write out their thoughts gives them a better understanding--they learn as you 
learn. 

So jump right in. Have no fear. It only hurts for a little while. 

ti