We Ride Sport and Trail Magazine July 2019 | Page 48

BAREFOOT

BOOTED

By Carole Herder

President of Cavallo Horse & Rider

The Trusted Authority in barefoot

and booting.

If you would like to send us your horse’s hoof measurements, we would be happy to help you choose the best size and style. Please call Cavallo Customer Service at 1-877-818-0037 or email [email protected].

Adventure or Obedience

&

48 / Sport and Trail Magazine

Do you Follow?

Which do you choose? Adventure or obedience? Psychologist Solomon Asch called his experiment a ‘vision test.‘ Of the eight men in the room at Pennsylvania’s Swarthmore College, only one was the real test subject. The others were told precisely how to answer the test questions. The subject believed the others were also involved as testing participants and remained unaware of the ruse. This is a famous experiment, used to study conformity in groups. Overall, 50 students were used.

The ‘vision study‘ participants were shown a series of lines and asked which ones were the same. The real participant did not know that the others were instructed to answer the question incorrectly. Even though the answer was wrong, 75% of the test subjects conformed to that group answer at least once.

There are two main reasons for going along with a group answer. Firstly, people seem to want to fit in and fear to appear different, standing out or being ridiculed. Secondly, a person may believe that the group knows more about something or understands it better than they do. They don’t trust their own conclusions when the group is saying something different. It takes courage to be true to your own beliefs and stand up for what you know is right. It takes courage to do something different with your horse when everyone else in your barn is doing the same thing. There is a lot of pressure to stay the same as the group.

“Opt-in” or “Opinions”

Today, Google is the most potent overall influencer. It can influence our purchasing habits, our healthcare protocols, and even our voting choices. Sure, it can play a valuable role in helping to make choices and channeling our behavior, but we should always know that investigation into the real facts might uncover something completely different. This means it’s entirely our own responsibility to learn and find what really resonates with us – that we know from a deep place in our hearts to be true. Consider the numerous requests to opt-in, provide your contact details, and receive marketing or educational information. ‘Opt-in’ is a shortened version of the word ‘opinion.’ Opinion on the internet is rampant, contagious, and often disguised as fact.

answer. Firstly, people seem to want to fit in and fear to appear different, standing out or being ridiculed. Secondly, a person may believe that the group knows more about something or understands it better than they do. They don’t trust their own conclusions when the group is saying something different. It takes courage to be true to your own beliefs and stand up for what you know is right. It takes courage to do something different with your horse when everyone else in your barn is doing the same thing. There is a lot of pressure to stay the same as the group.

“Opt-in” or “Opinions”

Today, Google is the most potent overall influencer. It can influence our purchasing habits, our healthcare protocols, and even our voting choices. Sure, it can play a valuable role in helping to make choices and channeling our behavior, but we should always know that investigation into the real facts might uncover something completely different. This means it’s entirely our own responsibility to learn and find what really resonates with us – that we know from a deep place in our hearts to be true. Consider the numerous requests to opt-in, provide your contact details, and receive marketing or educational information. ‘Opt-in’ is a shortened version of the word ‘opinion.’ Opinion on the internet is rampant, contagious, and often disguised as fact.