Starting Over (and Over and Over)

There’s a reason why the idiom “changing horses in midstream” has a negative connotation. Every horse is different, and every time a rider or handler meets one for the first time, a whole new set of parameters comes into play.

Of course there are common factors and ranges of approach that work for various horses, and the more experienced a trainer or handler is, the wider the range of options becomes. But it’s never as simple as just walking up to the new guy, giving him a once-over, and apply...