Paula Paglia Dressage Newsletter
February 2017
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With Valentine's Day right around the  corner,
I'm reminded of all the people and animals that I love. You too, I'm sure! I'm inspired to find a moment each day to tell those we love how grateful we are that they are in our lives. One of my favorite ways to show my love to my horses is with a good scrubby bubble bath and extensive curry - basically a full spa day for them! The time and energy you spend doting on the horse is really just as good as the spa treatment itself! They just want to know that they are loved and special to someone. And don't we all?!
Paula Paglia
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Barn News & Updates
 I am THRILLED to launch my new & improved Unisit Strap System. I developed this product many years ago and dressage riders and trainers from all over the world have enjoyed better riding and "ah-ha" moments with this training device. Guaranteed to teach riders to sit in unison with their horses, this tool improves muscle memory and seat development, consequently enhancing the horse's performance. Use of this system will bridge the gap between the description of a correct seat and actually feeling it by using a non-verbal, kinesthetic approach.
I'd had a lapse in production of the Unisit for several years, as I was searching for just the right manufacturer. Safety and quality are of the utmost importance and I simply didn't have faith in anyone to manufacture them up until now. Now, with my relaunch, the Unisits are being created by a man that is a retired firefighter and designs and develops rescue equipment for emergency crews. My Unisit devices are hand-made with the utmost care and thought - all driven by safety, safety, safety!
The Unisit will work for you whether you are a world class trainer, judge and FEI competitor, an amateur, therapeutic riding instructor, young rider or aspiring upper level athlete.
"In my over 30 years of training horses and riders, from Training Level to Grand Prix, I have never seen a more valuable training aid as the Unisit. It will teach the rider to sit with the horse and in rhythm, also the rider will feel how the horse benefits from a
seat which stays with the horse. If you want to be able to control the movements of the horse, you first have to be able to follow that movement! The Unisit teaches you what following the movement really means, no matter what level you are." Gerrit-Claes Bierenbroodspot - former head instructor of the National Dutch school for instructors, and former trainer/coach of the Dutch Junior and Young Rider Event team.
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Dressage Training
Tips to Memorize Your Dressage Tests
By: Heather Mason
www.PracticalHorseman.com
 There are many different methods for memorizing dressage tests. Choosing the most effective one for you depends on how you learn best: by watching, doing, writing down, etc. If you're not sure of your specific learning style, you may have to discover it through trial and error. (Just be sure to make the "errors" at home, not in the show ring.) Before I explain these different methods, here are some general tips to keep in mind:
When you read a new test, try to understand the logic of its organization. Ask yourself, "Why does this movement come before the next one?" The more sense the tests make to you, the less likely you are to skip movements, ride them out of sequence or ride them at the wrong letter. For example, in USEF First Level, Test 4, the 10-meter circle before the leg-yield helps to balance your horse and improve the bending. The 12 meters of straightness on the center line between the circle at L and the start of the leg yield at X shows that your horse isn't falling sideways into the leg yield.
Be familiar with the locations of the letters around the arena, especially C, A, B and E, which can be a good reference if you blank out halfway through the test. Rather than trying to memorize your test word-for-word, try to learn the pattern of the movements, simplifying the terminology in your mind. For example, instead of memorizing, "HXF, lengthen stride in trot," say to yourself, "Lengthen across the diagonal." Here are some other typical phrases: Canter in the first corner, trot at the end, circle in the middle, free walk across the short diagonal.
As you read the new test, break it down into sections. Since the walk movements are usually in the middle of the test, I find it easiest to break the test into two parts: the work before the walk and the work afterward. Many movements are repeated in both directions, so check to see if they appear back-to-back in the same section or with one in the pre-walk section and the other in the post-walk section.
After you've read through the test several times and thought about its logical organization, try one or more of these techniques to commit it to memory:
- Practice riding the test. Give a copy of the test to your trainer or a friend and ask her to correct you if you make any mistakes. If no ground help is available, carry the test in your pocket while you ride, and stop to refer to it if you get lost. (Only do this with a safe horse that won't spook when he hears you unfold the paper.) You can practice your test in any size arena, so long as you're aware of which dimensions are inaccurate--and you remember to correct any modifications you had to make when you enter the actual show ring!
One drawback of practicing a test repeatedly is that some horses learn to anticipate the movements. In these cases, using one of the following unmounted techniques is preferable:
- Draw the test. Sketch the rectangle and letters of the arena on a whiteboard, chalkboard or piece of paper. Then draw the test pattern, making note of particular movements and transitions between the gaits. Repeat this until you can do it without referring to the printed test.
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Horse Care Tip of the Month
Tips for Rehabbing Soft Tissue Injuries in Horses
"Prevention is the best treatment" for any horse health issue, said Andris J. Kaneps, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, ACVSMR. "But we all know that we can put a horse in a padded room, wrapped in bubble wrap, and we'll still have issues that we'll need to address."
Yes, horses are incredibly skilled at injuring themselves, and some of the most common ailments include soft tissues like tendons and ligaments. That's why veterinarians must be well-versed at treating and rehabilitating such issues.
At the 2016 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 3-7 in Orlando, Florida, Kaneps, who owns Kaneps Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery, in Beverly, Massachusetts, reviewed best practices for rehabilitating soft tissue injuries.
In a healthy tendon or ligament, "there are even, organized fiber patterns," he said. "When the injury occurs, the fibers tear, hemorrhage, and go through an inflammatory process. The goal with treatment is to take the problem area and return it to a normal structure."
First Aid
The first step is recognizing that there's a problem, he said, which is often evidenced by pain, swelling, and response to palpation.
Then comes the most important step: Stop the horse from exercising.
"This can be challenging for a mild swelling that turns up at a big competition, but we have to put the brakes on," Kaneps stressed.
The next goal should be to reduce inflammation in the affected area, which will make it easier to diagnose. He suggested using cold therapy (more on this in a moment) and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Additionally, apply a support bandage to keep the injured area stable.
Kaneps said to aim to reach a diagnosis within a day or two of when the injury appears. With soft-tissue injuries, ultrasound is often the most useful imaging modality. He encouraged attendees to record outcome measures (such as lameness grades and tissue dimensions) at all exams, as these can help track the horse's progress.
Rehabilitation Techniques
Once you've reached a diagnosis, it's time to begin rehabilitating the injury. Kaneps reviewed several options veterinarians can use in concert to help achieve the best result possible.
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In This Issue
- Barn News & Updates: New Launch of the Unisit Device
- Dressage Training: Tips to Memorize Your Dressage Tests
- Horse Care Tip of the Month: Rehabbing Soft Tissue Injuries
- Paula's Favorite Recipe of the Month: Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast
- Paula's Pearls: "A Ha!" Moments in Riding
- A Little Inspiration
- Paula Recommends
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Paula Paglia Dressage
Services
- Boarding/Training
- Lessons
- Showing
- Purchase/Sale
- Clinics
- International Equine Procurement
Amenities
- Regulation arena with premium footing
- Over-sized stalls, cleaned multiple times daily with premium shavings
- Fly misting system and cooling misting system
- Three all-weather turnouts
- Medical, shaded turnout
- Premium hay feed 5x a day
- Personalized grain/supplement feedings 2-3x a day
- Automatic waterers/outside tubs and interior buckets cleaned daily
- Hot water wash racks
- Locked tack rooms
- Laundry rooms
- Blanketing/final night check
- Caveletti course
- Access to Equine Corridor trails
- Regularly scheduled on-site clinics
- Trailering to shows available
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Paula's Recipe of the Month
Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast
"Start your Valentine's Day right with this sweet and delicious breakfast. Your loved ones will be impressed!" Paula
Ingredients
- 1/2 chopped strawberries
- 8 ounces cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, cut into chunks
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 loaf bread thick sliced (four to six slices)
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- spray oil
- Puree strawberries and powder sugar together in a food processor. Add cream cheese and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Whisk together eggs and half and half. Coat each side of bread with egg mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Fry bread on hot greased griddle until golden brown.
- Spread strawberry cream cheese on one side and top with another slice.
- Serve with your favorite maple syrup or strawberry glaze.
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Paula's Pearls
"Ah ha!" Moments in Riding
When riding a leg yield, be sure that the amount of impulsion from your outside leg that pushes the horse forward is equal to your inside leg that pushes the horse's inside hind leg under and to the side. Some riders focus too much on the push "over" and get stalled out mid-arena. You should be alternating "over" and "forward" throughout the entire leg yield.
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A Little Inspiration
I have taken to walking, trotting and cantering on a trampoline. It will help your balance and increase your fitness - but most of all, it will improve your riding.
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Paula Recommends
The Jr. Grooma Curry Comb
Of all the curry combs out there, I love the way this gives your horse a deep-down curry and massage. Plus, it's ergonomically great for smaller hands.
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