A jockey is getting ready to race on a new horse when the trainer pulls him aside.
“Listen carefully,” the trainer says. “This horse has one special rule—before every jump, you need to yell ‘HOP-HOP!’ loud and clear into his ear. If you do that, he’ll clear every hurdle just fine.”
The jockey raises an eyebrow, thinking the trainer has lost his mind, but agrees anyway.
The race begins, and as they approach the first jump, the jockey decides to ignore the ridiculous advice. The horse barrels straight into the hurdle, knocking it down completely.
At the next jump, feeling slightly uneasy, the jockey mutters “Hop-hop” under his breath. No luck—the horse smashes right through the obstacle again.
By the third jump, the jockey gives in and shouts “HOP-HOP!” at the top of his lungs. Sure enough, the horse effortlessly clears the hurdle.
The pattern continues for the rest of the race, but after the rough start, they only manage to finish in third place.
Furious, the trainer storms over and demands, “What happened out there?”
The jockey throws up his hands. “What do you mean, what happened? It’s this ridiculous horse! Is he deaf or something?”
The trainer glares at him. “Deaf?! DEAF?! No, you idiot—he’s blind!”