Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff
A few days ago I posted "A fresh start, please?" to Tom Ivers, with a
copy to ridecamp, requesting that he and I try again with our
discussions on physiology, information which in the past, alot of people
seemed to find useful. I put alot of thought and effort into that post,
and into figuring out why Tom and I have had a hard time
communicating---as it turns out, 90% of the problem was misunderstanding
rather than hostility or close-mindedness on either of our parts. Yes,
the first part of this post was off-topic, followed by (I thought)
relevant discussion of glycogen-loading, but I obviously erroneously
thought some people might like to know that Tom and I could work out our
"style" differences like, oh I don't know, grownups? rather than simply
avoid the topic(s) or continue with the rangewars. Tom was willing to
meet me halfway, too, so in my mind, we had made great strides forward
and now we could really get down to business. As a matter-of-fact, when
I turned on the computer today, I was all excited about asking questions
and offering alternative theories on some of the things Tom has posted,
because
1) Both Tom and I have a lot we personally can learn from each other's
knowledge and experience,
2) Often by discussing and sometimes discarding current theories on
cause and effect, you can come up with better theories, sometimes even
the right one, or even just better questions, which leads to better
horse management, and
3) from what I was led to believe, there seemed to be, on occasion, alot
of appreciation for the information both Tom and I had to offer, from
people on the list who didn't happen to have either several decades of
racehorse experience and/or a graduate degree in equine exercise
physiology. Neither Tom or I are uniquely gifted, we just happen to be
willing to answer questions.
I won't stay on my soapbox too much longer, but I spend about 8-12 hours
a week answering people's questions about nutrition or physiology, and I
don't begrudge it a bit. There are alot of better-qualified people on
the list than me, but they prefer to lurk and if I CAN answer a
question, then I do. I always thought education was a pretty important
thing. I don't do this for a living, I don't sell anything and I don't
make a dime off of it. I just liked answering questions if I could
because it benefits the horses and the sport, hopefully. This is not
self-pity or blowing my own horn, I'm just utterly baffled by this
morning's response.
So kindly understand why I'm now pretty upset to find out that, after
trying to be constructive for the sake of the Big Picture, instead I/we
are getting called pseudo-academic, sophomoric, vitriolic, children in
Romper Room, immature and having no credibility. Not to mention getting
slammed for posting my letter publicly (fine, my fault) instead of
privately, though I notice there's no problem with calling me/us names
in public. Where were all these opinions and protestations (with a few
exceptions) when I've gotten personally and publicly slammed, sometimes
pretty viciously, in the past (I won't speak for Tom, he can do that for
himself)? Why is it, in the past, there have been multiple posts saying
how much they enjoyed the "spirited debates" but now some pretty
spiteful names when we're trying to, excuse me, act like grownups and
get on with the business at hand? If the credibility is so shaky on
both our parts, why do the questions and requests for advice keep coming
so fast and furious to both of us?
Truly, I am completely thunderstruck at the response to this.
Susan Evans
Events
Groups
Rider Directory
Market
RideCamp
Stuff