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Wooltorton, S. and Marinova, D. (Eds) Sharing wisdom for our future. Environmental education inaction: Proceedings of the 2006 Conference of the Australian Association of Environmental Education

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Chapter 9The Importance of Traditional Knowledge for Sustainability:

An Analysis of Equitation

Margaret Gollagher

Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy, Murdoch University

1. Introduction

The political rhetoric of sustainability can act as a barrier to broad publicengagement, even though many at the grassroots empathize with its common senseimperatives. Furthermore, the ethical, ontological and epistemological aspects ofsustainability require sophisticated analyses, undertaken in a way that providesspace for all stakeholders to participate meaningfully. It is therefore vital toincorporate widely accessible, interesting models and stories in the process ofseeking sustainability.

This paper considers the art of classical equitation1 as an appealing model oftraditional knowledge that can be used to illustrate possible ways of imagining andorganising relationships between the human and the more-than-human worlds. Usingequitation as a metaphor, differences between relations based on power and controland those based on more patient and traditional forms of engagement can beexplored, in terms of their role in sustainability. Equitation can also be examined inthe context of sustainability in order to consider the importance of enduring forms ofknowledge as complements to progressive ways of knowing.

2. Sustainability

Issues relating to sustainability are often outlined in terms of their ecological, socialand economic aspects a rudimentary attempt to highlight the need to promotesustainability by seeking heterogeneous responses to problems, which arethemselves heterogeneous. Sustainability is a contested concept (Davison, 2001;Irwin, 2001; Jacobs, 1999) and as such must be dealt with in a democratic manner(Barns, 1999). These attributes must all be considered as part of the process ofattaining sustainability.

The dominant discourse of sustainability is heavily influenced by the views of theglobal elite (Davison, 2001, 4). Modernist understandings of sustainable developmentare informed by an underlying faith in the emancipatory capabilities of progress anddevelopment (Sachs, 1996). They focus on market based strategies, relying on eco-efficiency and technological progress (WBCSD, 2001). They advocate the use ofscientific and technological power in the name of sustainability, informed by aninstrumental view of nature that maintains the ontological distinction between peopleand nature.

This approach can result in substantial benefits in terms of reduced and moreappropriate resource use (WBCSD, 2001). However, this orientation is criticized for

1In this chapter I use the terms classical equitation or equitation to refer to the classical art of horse

training, as practiced by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. I am not referring to horse riding andtraining in general. See Podhajsky (1967, 1991) or Mairinger (1984) for fuller descriptions of theclassical art of equitation.


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being ethnocentric and lacking universal appeal. Furthermore, critics argue that itdoes not bring us closer to reality or affirm a sense of place, rhythm, duration andculture, as traditional knowledge does it deifies a world of abstractions, a non-world - of homogenous space, linear time, science and money (Sbert, 1996: 201).

3. Traditional KnowledgeAs a counterbalance to the hegemonic discourse of sustainability, with its dominatingendorsement of the virtues of progress, some theorists turn to traditional knowledge.Many indigenous cultures, for example, rely heavily on traditional forms of knowledgethat exist as an embodiment of sustaining practices in ways that are relevant to thecontemporary discourse:

Sustainable developmentis not an idea, let alone a white mans idea imposedon indigenous peoples or their territories - it is a daily lived reality, an organicpart of evolved and evolving indigenous economies, societies, cultures, and

self-identifying political communities. Sustainable development...(is) integral toindigenous oral knowledge and sheer survival (Jull, 2002: 18).

The traditional knowledge that helps indigenous and other cultures to endure isdesigned to preserve or sustain, rather than promoting constant transformation(Pocock, 1989). Shifts in perspectives do occur in traditional knowledge, but this is acapacity not a primary aim. Such tried and tested knowledge is itself desired to besustained in essence, and its permanence is seen as a source of security to assistand sustain people facing challenges. Attention to morality is an inbuilt feature oftraditional knowledge systems (Pocock, 1989). In the context of this paper it isimportant to note that traditional knowledge can coexist with progressive knowledge.

These knowledge forms interact, and may support or undermine one another incomplex ways (Pocock, 1989).

Traditional knowledge endures because it embodies the lived experiences of manygenerations, each having had the chance to grapple with the same issues. Thiscontrasts with the modernist necessity to rapidly come to terms with artifacts ofprogress which may occupy centre stage only fleetingly before being replaced by thelatest innovation. The scientific knowledge base of progress is tried and tested, buteach step is assessed according to very different criteria over a much shorter timespan. It is intrinsically formulated to expand, provide novel information and diversifyand does so at an ever increasing rate. It therefore has a transient aspect, although

scientists build cumulatively on the knowledge of their predecessors, incorporating orsuperseding it where appropriate. Where traditional knowledge relies on stability as asurvival tactic (Pocock, 1989), progressive knowledge operates under theassumption that innovation is humanitys best source of resilience. It assumes thateach successive generation of people can benefit from a constant improvement inknowledge, an attitude which implies that newer knowledge is better and morecomplete than older knowledge. This may lead to the assumption that progressiveknowledge is superior to traditional. However, ways of knowing which are designedto progress are not necessarily superior per se, they merely serve a differentpurpose.


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4. Equitation as Traditional Knowledge

Classical equitation is one of the forms of traditional knowledge that Pocock (1989)notes coexist with progressive forms of knowledge in certain societies. In fact, horseculture, including classical equitation, is inseparably linked with Western Europeanculture and development, to the extent that one cannot be completely understoodwithout appreciation of the other (Podhajsky, 1991; Raber and Tucker, 2005: 4).

Equitation provides an example of traditional knowledge that is sustaining, both of thehorse as a nature/culture hybrid and of the human culture it is linked with. It is anappropriate metaphor for sustainability because, as Colonel Alois Podhajsky

1noted,

Equestrian art, perhaps more than any other, is closely related to the wisdomof life. Many of the same principles may be applied as a line of conduct tofollow. The horse teaches us self-control, constancy and the ability tounderstand what goes on in the mind and the feelings of another creature,

qualities that are important throughout our lives. Moreover, from thisrelationship with (his/her) horse the rider will learn that only kindness andmutual understanding will bring about achievements of highest perfection([1967] 1991: 20).

Meticulous attention to sustaining practices forms an integral part of classicalequitation. Training of horse and rider takes many years. In the riders case it isdeemed to be a lifelong process that never reaches an end (Mairinger, 1984).Importantly, equitation is founded on respect for the horse, and aims to enhancehis/her mental and physical well-being over the long term (Podhajsky, 1967, 1991;Mairinger, 1984).

The classical art of equitation was established in Europe in the early modern period.Core elements of this tradition can be traced back to Xenophon, a Greek cavalrycommander, who expounded his theories some 2400 years ago in his Treatise onHorsemanship2 (Clutton-Brock, 1999). Xenophon advocated working with the horsewith an attitude of respect, compassion and patience, rather than misguidedlyattempting to dominate him/her by the use of force. Xenophons empathetic attitudewas revived in the sixteenth century by Grisone, an Italian nobleman, and has beenretained at the heart of classical equitation (Podhajsky, [1967] 1991: 18).

Gradually, experience led to a natural method of horse training which (built) on a

sympathetic connection between horse and rider and which (diminished) theimportance of the riders control of and dominance over his mount (Raber andTucker, 2005: 14). Experience gradually revealed that empathy, patience andunderstanding produced far better results than efforts to dominate the horse. In thiscontext, naturalness is deemed to be found by moving away from notions of humansuperiority and separation, and encouraging empathy with the non-human world.

1Colonel Podhajsky was one of classical equitations most famous practitioners. He was appointed as

the Director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna in 1939, and remained in that position for morethan 25 years. He lead a quadrille (team) of riders and their horses in a performance before GeneralPatton in 1945, successfully persuading the American leader to assist in saving the white stallions at

the end of the war (Podhajsky, 1967,1991).2Xenophon lived from 430 to 354 BC. Alexander the Greats father, Philip of Macedon, followed

Xenophons teachings when he trained and equipped his cavalry (Clutton-Brock, 1999: 109).


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Classical equitation has abandoned the simplistic conflation of discipline withcoercion that remains symptomatic of the troubled relationship of the twenty-firstcentury West to ideas such as freedom and wildness, obedience and command(LeGuin, 2005: 194).

As a form of traditional practice, classical equitation illustrates sustaining connectionsthat may exist between the technological cleverness which drives human progressand traditional knowledge. Sometimes focus on both forms of knowledge is requiredsimultaneously and sometimes their conclusions coincide. In the case of equitation,scientific and technological innovations in veterinary science, husbandry techniques,equipment and other areas are embraced by riders and trainers, but remainperipheral to core activities. They enhance traditional practice.

5. The Notion of Development in Equitation

In contrast to modernist notions of development and progress, the aim of classical

equitation is to respect and enhance the horses natural abilities. This resonates withsustainability practitioner Ernesto Sirollis (1999) notion of development as aprocess of revealing what is already there and nurturing it, rather than attempting tocontort it into a form fundamentally out of tune with its character. The primary aim ofequitation is to

restore to the mounted horse the gracefulness of attitudes and movementswhich he possessed when he was free, but which becomes marred by theweight and interference of the rider. (General Decarpentry, 1977: 3)

Similarly, Franz Mairinger, who was a Bereiter (Senior Rider) at the Spanish Riding

School, said

if you want to know how a horse should be ridden, see how he moves byhimself when free....Because that is the way you should ride your horse. Therein a few words is all the knowledge of the world, and your training goal! (1984:16)

Mairinger (1984) constantly emphasized the need to respect the innate nature andrights of the horse. This attitude can inspire reflective questions about instrumentalistunderstandings of nature that surface in the discourse of sustainability. Does thebiosphere exist primarily as a resource designed to support the cultural ambitions of

the human population or does it have intrinsic worth? In order to engage sustainablywith a part of the more-than-human world, should we begin by developing an intimateappreciation of its intrinsic qualities and proceed with a commitment to preserve andenhance those qualities in the hope of paralleling the successes achieved byclassically trained riders?

Mairinger (1984) maintained that horses are willing partners in equitation as ademocratic process one that is based on acceptance of reciprocal rights andresponsibilities rather than expectations of absolute freedom. He saw democracy asnatural. Practitioners of the classical art of equitation such as Mairinger reject theuse of dictatorial force as a training strategy, not just on ethical grounds, but also

because experience had shown that it simply does not work. Mairinger maintained


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that the necessary understanding is promoted by patient, communicativeengagement, not by applications of force to resistant subjects.

6. Ethics

Important discussions about ethics accompany the discourse of sustainability. Thecall to consider future generations, a foundational requirement of sustainability(WCED, 1990), is essentially ethically based. Furthermore, radical environmentalperspectives, such as those portrayed in deep ecology (Naess, 1988; Sessions,1995), social ecology (Bookchin, 1981) and ecofeminism (Plumwood, 1993; Hallen,1987) challenge the ethical foundations of modernist approaches to ecologicalproblems.

Classical equitation can be used to demonstrate the need to engage with ethicalconsiderations as an essential and integral component of sustaining praxis, ratherthan as an optional extra. Equitation carries an implicit requirement for ethical

consideration of the horses rights and well-being. In contrast to less effective,dominating methods of horse training, the classical art requires ethical reflection frommoment to moment. In equitation, morality is not a choice but an inevitablecompliment to the physicality of artistic vigilance. Classically trained riders focusevery step, considering whether they have asked the horse an appropriate question,whether it was the best or right question, whether they have asked it well, whetherthey have been understood and why, how this will influence their next action and soon. In order to perfect their art, riders must listen and try to comprehend their equinepartners, judging the effect of every interaction as it happens. Riders must also besensitive to the questions horses ask of them. Arts such as music and equitation,says LeGuin, resemble one another intrinsically in that they depend and in the end,

depend absolutely for the possibility of their continuation on the incorporation oflistening into the process of command (2005: 194). So does sustainability.

7. Ontology

Equitation neatly illustrates the ontological difficulties inherent in the modernist desireto identify distinct natural and human realities. The liberation of subjects fromontological dichotomies such as natural and social, human and non-human isimportant in sustainability where acute sensitivity to relationships withinheterogeneous reality, and ways of knowing about them, is essential. Habitually usedontological categories limit understandings of, and therefore responses to,unsustainable practice.

The modernist suggestion that humanity can think of itself as separate from andabove the non-human world is challenged by equitation. To begin with, domesticanimals such as horses cannot be easily classified as either completely natural oran artifact of human culture. They are simultaneously a product of nature and culture.Horses are hybrids, crossing the boundaries between categories. In doing so, theychallenge the validity of the categories themselves. Furthermore, evidence suggeststhat domestication was not a human invention but rather a long, slow process ofmutual adaptation, of co-evolution, in which those animals that began to hangaround the first permanent human settlements gained more than they lost

(Budiansky, 2002: 9).


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8. Epistemology

As explained, equitation can be used as a model to illustrate the importance oftraditional knowledge. It also highlights the importance of non-human ways ofknowing to human survival and to the survival of life on Earth in general. The art ofriding involves various knowledge systems:

there has been a strong oral tradition for thousands of years; some knowledge is written with quantifiable aspects; there is an experiential transfer of knowledge, involving generations of riders,

trainers and horses; horses are themselves keepers of knowledge they are active participants

rather than passive recipients in the creation and perpetuation of theknowledge base of equitation.

The last point is a highly significant aspect of equitation as traditional knowledge,particularly in relation to sustainabilitys attention to the non-human. Horses

themselves are keepers of knowledge, which they impart to trainee riders and toother horses. For instance, trainee riders cannot fully understand the nuances ofclassical equitation without riding trained horses who understand the signals anexperienced rider would give. The trainee is therefore able to feel when he/she isdoing the right thing it is not enough to simply be told by another rider. Thissuggests that human knowledge is not the only one that counts a valuable point toconsider for sustainability.

9. Negative Aspects of Equitation

Despite its inherent focus on ethical standards and empathy, equitation hasdeveloped in the context of complex and often bloody processes, and has at times

been associated with acts that are not in keeping with the ideals of sustainability. Theattitudes developed in the intimate microcosm of the training arena are notnecessarily extended into the political contexts that surround them. Xenophonhimself noted a conjunction of martial heroism, horsemanship, and social privilegethat would continue to exist throughout the centuries of classical Rome and then oninto the medieval and early modern periods (Raber and Tucker, 2005: 8).Xenophons quote touches on three issues which have accompanied equitation forthousands of years:

power and conflict; patriarchy; and elitism.

Equitation has a long history of association with military organisations. Its gifts havebeen misused in power struggles. Many of the movements taught in the classicalhigh school of dressage such as the capriole, a movement where the horse leapshigh into the air and kicks backwards with both hind legs have been used to killsoldiers on battlefields.

Like sustainability, equitation has patriarchal influences that reflect the culturalcontexts practitioners are immersed in. Philosophers of equitation such as Mairinger(1984) display a patriarchal bias that exists within equitation riders, trainers and

even horses are commonly referred to as male. As a residual effect of its longassociation with the male-dominated domains of war and industry, equitation retains


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horsemanship as its standard reference, although horsewomen or horse people aresometimes talked about.

Equitation has often been the province of the elite, and continues to be so. Horsesare high maintenance, requiring large investments in time and money to ensure that

they are satisfactorily fed, housed, and their veterinary and husbandry needsattended to. It takes a great deal of time over many years to train a horse and rider,and teachers can be very expensive. The classic texts of the early modern era whichform the basis of contemporary high school dressage were written by Europeannoblemen, and the art of riding that their texts describe clearly was something thatcould be attractive only to those with time and money on their hands (Raber andTucker, 2005: 8).

However, there is nothing inherent in the teachings of classical equitation thatinevitably leads to such misuse of its gifts. Taken to their logical conclusion, thelessons of equitation contradict the logic of political domination and control.

10. Patience and Power

Albert Borgmann (1992) interprets horse riding (although he is not specificallyreferring to the classical equitation of European origin) as a focal practice undertakenby artisans. He describes the focal area of the horse as a charmed island floating ina universe of technology, as part of a focal practice grounded in underlying realityas heirs to immemorial traditions (1992: 122). Borgmann refers to such artisans aspractitioners of post-modern patience.

Power, such as that exercised by actors in the global economy, is related to

progress, development, control and competitiveness. The patience of artisans, on theother hand, is related to endurance and the strength drawn from it, tradition, humility,respect, self-discipline and maturity. Artisans work with nature in a relationship ofrespect rather than trying to dominate it (Borgmann, 1992: 124) (see Table 1).

Borgmanns evaluation of the attributes of power and patience provide valuable foodfor thought. He maintains that both power and patience are legitimate parts of post-modern experience. However, he considers patience to be stronger and moreenduring than power (1992: 124). He suggests that patience has time and strengthto recognize complicated conditions and difficult people, to engage them incooperation and conversation (Borgmann, 1992: 124). Borgmann says that the task

of post-modern patience is to endure the limits of the land (1992: 124).

11. Conclusion

Classical equitation in its pure form is a powerful metaphor for sustainability. Thestudy of equitation shows that traditional forms of knowledge are preserved evenwithin modern industrial society. Equitation can be used as a model to illustrate someof the benefits of traditional knowledge. A study of the notions such as permanence,endurance and maturity that lie at the heart of classical equitation can provide newperspectives on the onward and upward notions of progress that have gainedascendancy within sustainability. This analysis can be used to inform discussions of

how to synergistically embrace both power and patience to enhance sustainability.Awareness of negative aspects of the use of equitation can also shed light on the


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complex relationship between such traditional practices and the wider culturalcontexts in which they are embedded, catalyzing important discussions in relation tosustainability.

Table 1: Some characteristics of traditional and progressive knowledge

Traditional knowledgeProgressive, science-based

knowledge

relatively permanent lived experience/practised by artisans endurance/resilience diversity deals with fallibility via trial and error over the long term

informed by the need to survive

associated with temporary,transient

and evolving forms of power can be used to promote comfort

not just survival underpins capitalist expansion

promoted by corporations (and others) in the globaleconomy

eurocentric linear geometry of thought

Patience/endurance promotes respect, understanding and empathy

Power dominates

Intimate, respectful relationships

form the basis of grassroots action require deep engagement and commitment

Superficial relationships

inevitable and essential parts of human interaction form the basis of market

interaction

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