Something Every Successful Horseperson Knows...

[Frank B]

...or any successful person, for that matter.
...We all believe that the world's best performers are different than us. And that perhaps unfortunately is true. However, you might be surprised at exactly how they are different and what truly accounts for their success. Conventional wisdom would explain that the super-human performers came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what they ended up doing and that they had the good fortune to discover their gift early in life. But as Geoff Colvin, Senior Editor at Large with Fortune Magazine puts forth in his ground-breaking new book, Talent is Overrated, it turns out that "great performance is in our hands far more than most of us ever suspected."

...Contrary to popular belief, what makes certain people great is not inborn talent. Rather, it is something called "deliberate practice," a sustained, often life-long, period of purposeful effort designed to improve performance in a specific domain. This turns out to be just as true in business as it is in sports, music, medicine, chess, science, and mathematics...

...The fact is that great performers are different from everybody else. But the key points to recognize are, one that they didn't start out that way, and two, that the transformations didn't happen by themselves...

... If you are motivated to achieve, the fact that deliberate practice is extremely difficult is actually good news. Why? Most people don't do it or stick with it, so your commitment to do so will distinguish you. What makes deliberate practice so powerful is that it pushes you beyond what you can currently do and enables you perceive more, to know more, and to remember more than most other people...

Talent is Overrated (http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/leadership/123955)

[pintopiaffe]

Interesting. I have always said, when watching Tiger Woods, that I suspected if he had loved baseball or soccer, he would be just as good. It's his body awareness & control. I don't like golf, find it mind numbing to watch on TV, but when I see him, I see how *deliberately trained* his body is. He has an additional... grace? elegance?.... that I think does separate him from the masses, but the actual WINNING I think is about the body awareness and control.

I tend to disagree slightly though... at some point riding takes some talent. If it were abotu discipline, dedication and desire, I'd be Grand Prix by now. :yes: But at some point, those who have better hand-eye coordination, timing, feel, balance, proprioception, or... grace and elegance... are going to rise above those of us who are clunky and have little of the above. Not saying we can't IMPROVE... but really, at some point, it DOES take feel and talent... something beyond mechanical skill and dedication...

Just my thoughts now... I might have to get the book and see if it changes my mind. ;)

[pines4equines]

Persistence is #1 over talent.

You can be extremely talented but if you have no drive, you'll never get to the Olympics. You have to be extremely persistent...

[pintopiaffe]

Ah... but you can be perfectly persistent and not make it either.

It's the *combination* which puts someone over the top.

[pines4equines]

Agreed...

[goodhors]

In the athletic world, starting with a good basic body for the sport, then I would go with the persistance over talent.

Folks with talent usually "Know it" and depend on the better body skills to take care of them in situations. Having lots of self confidence, they usually are not as self-driven.

Folks with the adequate but not superior body, work MUCH harder. Concentrate on the details, practice endlessly. Self drive keeps going toward perfection in training that body. I have been there, and worked all those hours, year round, to attain a high level of skill. Didn't aim for the Olympics, but wanted to be the very best I could, within my means. I had the talented friends, with the talented horses, and they sure didn't put in the hours I did. Took several years, daily practices, constant self evaluation, showing EVERY weekend from Spring to Fall. There was not much else going on in my life except that daily job to pay for the horse stuff.

I got better, slowly, over time. Had a nice horse, but she was trained along with me, beyond her basic body abilities. Constant practice, teaching the body muscles to be automatic, correct in responses, allowed her to be a much better performer than you would ever guess looking at her.

I was lucky enough not to be too small, too tall, or short legged, had good balance, rhythm, and that persistance needed to raise above my lack of natural superior talent. My daily rides year round made me a better, consistant rider than my more talented friends with their talented horses that rode sometimes, usually short works. My horse and I thought together with our hours of work, just out-rode them in all catagories as time went on. And I LOVED IT!! Winning spurred me on to harder work, new goals.

I was not ambitious enough to cut loose, go for the glory at the top. Not ready to dump my horse, leave home and the good job w/benefits for ribbon chasing in famous places. I watched those folks trying to get up in the "rare air" and it was not nice. Made me reassess my goals, and be happy with what I had done from nothing.

So I would say it is VERY POSSIBLE to achieve great things if you want to work that hard. Blaming it on "lack of talent" is a way of avoiding the issue. No big-name winner ever got everything their own way, no hard times along the road to the top. Yes, luck plays a part at times, but those hard workers often "make your own luck" in many cases. Saw a shirt that said "The harder I work, the luckier I get", which pretty much sums it up.

I sure have fun thinking back to those times, but don't have the drive now, to do it again. It was a LOT of hours, with nose to the riding grindstone. I didn't ride in the ring all the time, which sure helped keep it fresher. Being perfect at all times took some of the fun out over the years. I finally just burned out. Maybe starting again with the young horse out in the barn....

[pines4equines]

Another way to take this thread...


Something every successful horse person knows...

1. Never use bungies or stretchy ropes around horses...that is if you like your teeth

Anyone else?

[Chief2]

In music, the axiom is 2 percent talent and 98 percent hard work. And that's just about right. There are also factors of luck and connections that play into it, but if you want a student to work hard you don't tell them about the luck. :D

[TouchMeKnot]

There is a similar book that I've found inspiring by John Maxwell "Talent is Never Enough." He devotes chapters to passion, initiative, focus, practice--and the basic idea is the same, that the high performers are energizing and applying themselves.

[wateryglen]

Something they know?!!!

Horses = They can always hurt you more.

Think about it....physically, mentally, financially, emotionally, spiritually!!!

[Cherry]

Yes, don't forget money in this talent versus persistence argument.... ;)

In order to get where you're going it's helpful if all your needs are met--then you can afford the luxury of being persistent without having to worry about making money so you can survive!!!! ;)

I used to think the Olympians were there because they had more talent than the rest of it but it finally occurred to me they were there because most of them came from privilege and knew one another from coming up in the ranks.... :yes:

Plenty of money makes everything easier.... :winkgrin:

[Foxtrot's]

You are partly right, Cherry, but often the privileged do not have the drive. They have had things too easy for them. In Canada, I often say it is not the best athletes that go to the Olympics but the best wealthy athletes. Yet some make it from very humble beginnings through a lot of sacrifice, work and strokes of good luck.

[pines4equines]

Cherry said: "Plenty of money makes everything easier...."

So true!!!