Kermit the frog once famously lamented that it's not easy being green. Do you agree?
In equestrianism, "greenness" does not represent the color, or a penchant for environmental awareness. It is a state of learning; the state in which the subject can be considered a blank slate, primed and ready for the first layers of education. It is this quality that I find most compelling in a horse, because it offers nothing but untapped potential.
So, is it easy being green? If you asked one of my project horses, Abigail, she'd probably offer you an emphatic "no!" and an indignant head-toss, for good measure. She's never liked learning much, always preferring to stand knee-high in lush grass or sleep next to her best friend Theodora. As gently as I try to persuade her, she is sure that nothing good can come of being educated. Abigail is Huck Finn in equine form; as she gallops away from me in the field, I can almost hear her complaining about being 'sivilized.'
"I can't stand it!" she seems to cry out to her placid friends, "I been there before!"
Dante would tell you that being green isn't that bad. After all, you're never asked to do anything very difficult, and you're always forgiven for your "green moments." Dante likes to use this as an excuse to occasionally cavort and gallop off as I cling to his back. When he stops, he feigns sheepishness.
"But mom," he explains, "it was just a learning moment. I just didn't know what you were asking!" To Dante, greenness is wonderful fun - in fact, he may stay green forever!
There have been a few sensible souls who have struck a fine balance in their approach to being green. I'm sure these individuals are mocked mercilessly by the wild-at-heart and the 'evergreens' in the field, but I appreciate them. One memorable mount was Black Racehorse #1, who listened carefully, gave his best effort, and then waited to see whether he'd done it right. I'm sure he was relatively ambiguous to the idea of being green, viewing it as a necessary step to bigger things. I can't be sure, because he wasn't quite as vocal in his opinions as Abigail and Dante. He ended up moving up the training scale quite quickly, and may even have a name by now.
The consensus? If greenness is a state of learning, then its ease is determined by the approach you take to it. An open mind and a hunger for knowledge make it very easy to be green!
In equestrianism, "greenness" does not represent the color, or a penchant for environmental awareness. It is a state of learning; the state in which the subject can be considered a blank slate, primed and ready for the first layers of education. It is this quality that I find most compelling in a horse, because it offers nothing but untapped potential.
So, is it easy being green? If you asked one of my project horses, Abigail, she'd probably offer you an emphatic "no!" and an indignant head-toss, for good measure. She's never liked learning much, always preferring to stand knee-high in lush grass or sleep next to her best friend Theodora. As gently as I try to persuade her, she is sure that nothing good can come of being educated. Abigail is Huck Finn in equine form; as she gallops away from me in the field, I can almost hear her complaining about being 'sivilized.'
"I can't stand it!" she seems to cry out to her placid friends, "I been there before!"
Dante would tell you that being green isn't that bad. After all, you're never asked to do anything very difficult, and you're always forgiven for your "green moments." Dante likes to use this as an excuse to occasionally cavort and gallop off as I cling to his back. When he stops, he feigns sheepishness.
"But mom," he explains, "it was just a learning moment. I just didn't know what you were asking!" To Dante, greenness is wonderful fun - in fact, he may stay green forever!
There have been a few sensible souls who have struck a fine balance in their approach to being green. I'm sure these individuals are mocked mercilessly by the wild-at-heart and the 'evergreens' in the field, but I appreciate them. One memorable mount was Black Racehorse #1, who listened carefully, gave his best effort, and then waited to see whether he'd done it right. I'm sure he was relatively ambiguous to the idea of being green, viewing it as a necessary step to bigger things. I can't be sure, because he wasn't quite as vocal in his opinions as Abigail and Dante. He ended up moving up the training scale quite quickly, and may even have a name by now.
The consensus? If greenness is a state of learning, then its ease is determined by the approach you take to it. An open mind and a hunger for knowledge make it very easy to be green!
