A is for Affluenza,and an Ode to George Carlin

This particular post has also been bubbling in my brain stem for some time. Years ago, I watched a PBS special called Affluenza. It was (to me) a fascinating documentary about how our society has reached a point where it cannot be satisfied without a constant influx of newer, better, more amazing stuff. Ever heard of (recently sadly deceased) comedian George Carlin? He did a monologue on "Stuff" that can still make me roar with laughter. He was doing a riff on Affluenza, in my opinion.
Google "George Carlin Stuff". He'll make you laugh. Especially his earliest bits. He is the most intelligent comic ever born, IMO. He got angrier and more abrasive, as he got older. I don't blame him. He understood where comedy comes from.

Affluenza is the definition of lower vs. middle vs. upper financial class, really. All of the financial classes have Affluenza. ALL of them.

The Upper Class are rarely, if ever, satisfied with their impressive accumulation of stuff. They always have the newest, best stuff. Cars, houses, clothes, gadgets, cottages, boats, etc. etc. But the Upper Class are always unhappy, unless they're getting more stuff, or feeling superior to people who don't have as much stuff as they do. I've known many wealthy people, and unless they're getting more stuff, they really have nothing to talk about. The wealthy people that I've known, anyway, are not nearly as happy as they should be, considering how much stuff they have. But when is enough, enough? That's Affluenza. They NEVER have enough.

The Middle Class have way more stuff than the Lower Class, but way, way less than the Uppers. They suffer from lack of wealthy stuff, but they can afford enough stuff to allow them to sneer upon the Lower Class's lack of any stuff at all. They love to talk about their stuff, and how much they paid for the stuff, and what a good deal they got on their stuff. The Middle Classes are really the strongest driving force behind stuff. They want more stuff. They work hard to get more stuff, but they never really have enough stuff. The government takes back lots of their stuff, through taxes, and gives it to the Lower Class.

Yeah, SURE, they do. The Government has the worst case of Affluenza, but that's another post.

The Lower Class have no stuff at all. They wish for stuff. They need stuff. The government gives them stuff. They usually don't take good care of their stuff, because it is given for free. If a Lower Class person wins the Lottery, they spend it all on stuff, and then wonder how they got to be so broke, again. They don't know what to do with stuff. They've never had it before. The Lower Class never has enough stuff either.

Any of this remind you of the horse world? It sure does for me. Horses are luxury stuff. They used to be a farmer's stuff. Farmers never suffer from Affluenza, unless they started out super wealthy, and allow themselves to feel the pang of "not enough stuff". You know the type of "Farmer" I mean. They really shouldn't be called Farmers. Land Barons, maybe. Stewards of the Land, no.

Sons/daughters of wealthy people. They are often the worst sufferers of Affluenza.
I have only my experience to go on, people.

I'm adding below some of the comments I deleted from mugs. Horses will benefit, the more we talk about how to ride them, not how "they are supposed to" be ridden.
Me: "I get so frustrated watching novices with a miserable, dead mouthed horse, thinking they've collected their horse. No-one seems to ride forward, into their hand, any more. It is backwards. I think the forward ideal has been superseded by the "collection ideal". I agree, of course, collection is much more demanding of the horse. But lengthening helps to loosen the spring:) You can't collect, without having a really good forward button, first.
Very few novices are taught forward first, IMO. Not having been in the ring for some years, can you tell me, are lengthenings required before shortenings, in lower level tests? Or are both expected? The "Training Scale" of dressage, asks for forward and working first, yes?"

Here's the training scale, with the DQ's comments.
"The German training scale is:
Relaxation
Rhythm
Contact
Impulsion
Straightness
Collection
But actually, they are entwined and depending on each other.
The first three are what you are aiming for when starting the horse."

And that's where I started to disagree, AGAIN. Oh, well. Because by entwining them, you confuse the heck out of the horse. The first three have to be absolutely safe, and perfectly understood, in the horse's tiny, flighty mind. Christilot's description of the training scale, at the clinic I audited, mentioned balance and FORWARD. DQ's did not.

Me: "Thanks for the training scale. It is exactly what every rider needs to learn first. It's like a pyramid, yes? I think there are too many people jumping, before they understand the flat work that is so necessary, for the horse's comfort. I don't think people feel dressage is scary, just boring:) And unnecessary, which it is NOT. It is training, pure and simple. Not that I find dressage boring, but even I started to get sleepy after 4.5 hours of Olympic TV Dressage Coverage. I agree, the notes of the training scale are intertwined, to a degree. BUT, many many novice people entirely skip those first three notes. Collection is the highest note, but many riders just pretend they are playing that music:)"

The DQ never mentioned extensions in her description of dressage, ever. That is the biggest error riders of ALL disciplines are making, today. In my ever so humble, cowering, grovelling opinion.

To Horses that listen to our music, and gladly play it with us.

And to the abolishment of Affluenza. You can't take stuff with you.

Do I make any sense, at all? Oh, well. I really am designed for the mature audience, aren't I.