Living in the Information Age is glorious! It’s also maddening to no end! Instant information is always available and always on. Communication is global. There has never been so much opportunity, nor has there ever been so much confusion. It’s hard to keep up sometimes. It is like drinking from a fire hose.

We all get overloaded with information. Take a break if you need to, but don’t unplug. Don’t stick your head in the ground. You see, if you do that, your butt is up in the air, and if your butt is up in the air, I can’t think of anything good happening with that.

Fake news, social media gossip and drama, internet trolls and keyboard warriors are all 24/7. It can be absolute warfare sometimes. The horse industry is no different. In fact, I have found the insane wickedness of gossip and backbiting is pitifully bad in the horse industry. I endeavor to be kinder and stand taller when it comes to the affairs of others. I sure hope you are like-minded that way. It is good to want others to be successful. It is good for the soul to wish others well.

When it comes to your horse business or hobby, make sure you become a sponge for learning. There is no path to success clearer than an education to get you there. It equips you with the tools necessary to pull the trigger when you need to. Education can come from books, it can come from a teacher, it can come from hard work like time in the saddle, it can come from all of the above and more. Education isn’t free; it comes through blood, sweat or treasure. Education is necessary, but it does not give you wisdom. Wisdom only comes through experience, and experience only comes from actually doing something. Sit on your butt all day and you will no doubt be the wisest butt-sitter around.

Beware of false prophets, though. I have come in contact with “experts” of this or that, too many times. You want to be successful? Find someone that IS successful and learn from them. We SDPs have a simple philosophy: Don’t take advice from someone that doesn’t make a living doing it. That isn’t meant to be offensive or arrogant; it’s just truth.

I hope to model my entire life after a man that walked in Judea 2,000 years ago. He said, “Come follow me.” He didn’t say, “I’m going to sit over here, and I want you to go do X, Y and Z.” By their fruits ye shall know them…

My college professors were great, but I’ve learned more about business from successful business people than I ever did from the folks paid to teach me. It’s just true. My business is stallions and breeding. I invest my own money in this, and it’s how I feed my kids. I’ve become unique in my level of success with it. I’m good at it.

Better horses and more horsepower is always wanted and needed in this game we play. What a ride it is! Partnering with other like-minded people, such as our stallion owners, has brought me more happiness and success than I previously imagined. I have never been more optimistic about the future than I am now.

Like I said, get your education any way you can, through people or the great technology we have available today. Facebook has brought the world together in ways that was unimaginable just 10 years ago. I read something last week to the effect of: I don’t know who my neighbors are but some of my best friends live on the other side of the world. Strange times indeed! But it is the time in which we live. Embrace it and adapt as fast as you can. But…go meet your neighbors, please. Don’t be a weirdo.

One of the best tools for those passionate about the sport of cutting is www.cuttinghorsetrainingonline.com. You want to learn about this sport, this recourse is amazing, truly amazing. Access to the best trainers in the business gives you real information that can help you in the saddle.

New and innovative medias for the sport of cutting have popped up to get us instant information, the Cutting Futurity progressive web app at cuttingfuturity.ihubapp.org. These resources are superb. I expect resources like this to pop up for reining, reined cow horse, barrel racing, roping – you name it. It’s just the Information Age we live in.

The needs will be met with aspiring people filling the need. That is awesome. Of course, I love Quarter Horse News and their multi-discipline coverage.

Be a sponge. Don’t stick your head in the ground. Find someone successful and learn. Do things. If it’s not working, stop and do something different. Be kind. Enjoy every minute. We are all in this together.