Operating Systems
I got a new computer. Or a new Operating system at least.
My husband is a brilliant computer guy. My words not his. Like anyone who is truly skilled at their trade he will never be the one to tell you he is an expert. The really good ones know how much they don’t know. Aware of how much is out there yet to learn an expert will usually rank themselves as mid level or beginner. A beginner will often tell you they don’t need lessons, they know everything. But I digress.
My brilliant husband was tired of the limits of my former operating system and so he installed Linux. Linux is free. It’s infinitely customize-able. It is complicated and most people don’t want to mess with the learning curve because it’s different and an unknown even though it is vastly superior to what they are using.. Most people haven’t even heard of it.
Of course I immediately saw the similarities to clicker training. Infinitely customize-able and allows training to reach a level never dreamed of. Changes are required though. We have to learn to do things differently than what we’ve always done and change is hard. Breaking old habits, creating new connections in our brains, it all takes effort. Besides who’s even heard of that weird stuff.
Can I say that my switch to Linux has been without difficulty? No I can not. I have to break old habits. Things aren’t where I’m used to them being. Getting to the things I want, my pictures and the like, requires movements that I’m not used to. Even though I can see where it will be much easier and more efficient once I’m used to it, it requires me to stop and think and try to figure out where things are. To remember how to do the things that are different.
What is the point of all that? Am I trying to convince people to switch to Linux or clicker training? Not really no. I don’t care if people still want to use window, even if I never will understand why 😉 And as long as your horse is happy I don’t care what training style people use. What I am saying is that we shouldn’t be afraid to try new things even when they are a little difficult. I don’t spend enough time using a computer for it to be worth becoming fluent in Linux. That doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying trying to figure out my new computer, just that I will not be doing any programming. If I used one regularly it would be well worth it. Some people don’t ride enough for it to be worth it for them to learn a whole new training style. They may not be using it to train horses but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t add to the experience. We should be gathering tools and knowledge everywhere we go and in everything we do. Just because something is different and a little difficult doesn’t mean it’s not worth it!
And here is a video of Harvey saying he is not interested in fetching a rubber chicken, just so there’s something besides words to look at.