BOOK LEARNING

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Fr Bob mentioned religions needing to ease up on fundamentalism, and it reminded me of Buddha saying, “When you know the rules, burn the books.”
*Allegory - no one advocates burning any books.

This story is ‘based on fact’, (poetic license inferred) but here’s my understanding of this process.

When I was little I loved horses. I rode them, I drew them, and I read about them. The kids at school who went to pony club wore Jodhpurs, stack hats and RM Williams leather knee boots to ride. They discussed rising trots, cruppers, bell boots and breastplates.

I rode barefoot in whatever I was wearing that day. I told them I had a screwball pony and they laughed and laughed. He was a skewball, but I should call him a pinto or a painted horse.

I couldn’t afford pony club, but I read and read and studied and studied horses.

Then one day I went mustering. An old ringer there said, “You catch that creamy horse.”

Full to brimming with booklearning, I suggested, “That is a palomino.” And I was right.

But the old bloke smiled and said, “Is it, mate? Well, I just call him creamy and he knows who I’m talking to.”

Years later, working in western Queensland, I heard horses referred to as a red ‘orse, yella ‘orse, brown ‘orse, mangey ‘orse, bally ‘orse and wally ‘orse. I never once heard a ringer comment on his mate’s rising trot – his head “like a dropped pie,” yes - but never his scuffed boots or bell covers.

The point being that pony club is a wonderful hobby, and dressage a beautiful sport, but when people are horsemen by day and night, they seem to have less to say about the rules.

It seems true of everything in life, that the people who know best what they are talking about, do less of the talking.

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