Training in the Right Way: Limited Knowledge Is Limited Judgement

Because although everyone is entitled to their opinion, some opinions are of more objective value.

Dressage training is supposed to be the process of training ANY horse to be a better riding horse. The more the horse learns, in theory, the easier it is to communicate with and therefore complete more complex tasks with. Although competition dressage training often is more focused on training for the dressage test, that is not what the original intention (and original judging requirements) were for competitive dressage. Initially, it was designed to give riders and trainers a way to determine how their training measured up to the theoretical ideal of the training process. That said, it is critically important to understand the meanings and reasons for some of the terms we use to describe dressage training and what to look for when observing training and competition (and videos and photos), regardless of whether you intend to compete or just train your horse to be a better whatever you do with him. That, ultimately, is the main purpose of my articles. To provide education and knowledge for riders to understand and improve their eye and understanding of what dressage training is supposed to be. While there will always be some differences in practice and theory, good horse training is always recognizable to the educated eye. That said, it absolutely is necessary that we remember and understand that limited knowledge is limited judgment.

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Picking up where I left off in my last article and given the large amount of discussion currently swirling around the dressage community, I just wanted to touch on a couple points that seem important to bear in mind as we work to improve our sport.

Training is a process. Force begins where knowledge ends. Photo (c) Gwyneth McPherson.

In the current climate of scrutinizing dressage riders on social media, it is extremely important to remember that limited knowledge is limited judgement. What this means is that when a person who has limited education and experience starts criticizing people who have a much greater wealth of education and experience, they devalue any constructive criticism that might actually help solve the problem.

Now, before you come at me, this is not the same as simply saying that someone must have competed at grand prix in order to recognize poor training, or that someone must have trained horses to the grand prix level to recognize that a blue tongue is probably a bad sign. Some things are straightforward and require less breadth and depth of knowledge to understand. That said, the issues we’re going to need to tackle in our sport are much more nuanced than that.

Consider this, if you were diagnosed with a rare form of autoimmune mediated uveitis (an eye condition that often leads to blindness if improperly treated), would you consider the opinion of your buddy who had pink eye once to be as useful to creating your treatment plan? Less snarkily, would you consider the opinion of a general practitioner to be of the same value as the uveitis specialist who has operated on 1000s of cases and written the textbooks on it? While your buddy may have some good points and your general practitioner can give you an idea of what’s going on, you’ll probably get the best course of action from the specialist who has the appropriate knowledge. It doesn’t mean the other opinions don’t have some merit, but they’re not equal. Similarly, someone who has trained horses to the grand prix, IN THE RIGHT WAY (which is its own discussion), is going to come at the issues with more background knowledge with which to offer constructive criticism than someone who has not.

We need to keep this in mind as we push through the upcoming conversations.

Secondly, criticizing people publicly, by name, indiscriminately and without knowledge is abusive. While we absolutely need to call out abusive training practices, we need to do so from a place of knowledge and with an eye towards solving a problem, not vilifying someone. The key words there are indiscriminately and without knowledge. Knowing someone is abusive and calling them out is one thing, assuming they are from a 10 second clip out of context is presumptuous and damaging.

Given the murkiness around having enough knowledge to appropriately criticize in most situations, it seems obvious that in order to solve the problems in the sport of dressage, we must instead focus on who is doing it right. We also must talk publicly about what is being done right and why. Elevating those who are legitimate examples of training in the right way will serve to help to promote what the sport should be about, rather than simply devolving into negative chaos.

Conversely, if we give all critics a forum, in spite of their lack of education, we will never improve our sport, we will only cause it to implode.

Remember: Limited knowledge is limited judgment.

Gwyneth and Flair in competition at Grand Prix. (c) flatlandsfoto.

Gwyneth McPherson has over 35 years experience competing, training, and teaching dressage.  She began her education in in the late 1970s, riding in her backyard on an 11 hh pony. Her first instructor introduced her to Lendon Gray (1980 and 1988 Olympian). who mentored Gwyneth for a decade during which she achieved her first National Championship in 1984, and her Team and Individual Young Rider Gold Medals in1987.

In 1990 Gwyneth began training with Carol Lavell (1992 Olympian) who further developed Gwyneth as an FEI rider and competitor. Gwyneth achieved a Team Bronze in 1991 and a Team Silver in 1992 in the North American Young Riders Championships, and trained her stallion G’Dur to do all the Grand Prix movements while riding with Carol.

In 2008, while Head Trainer at Pineland Farms, Gwyneth began training with Michael Poulin (Olympian 1992). Michael was trained by Franz Rochowansky (Chief Rider for the Spanish Riding School 1937-1955). Michael has shared much of Rochowansky’s knowledge and wisdom with Gwyneth, completing her education as a Grand Prix rider, trainer, and competitor.

Gwyneth’s teaching and training business, Forward Thinking Dressage,is based in Williston, FL. In addition to teaching riders and training, Gwyneth also loves sharing her knowledge of the sport and art of dressage as well as discussing relevant topics pertaining to the training itself and the current competitive landscape.