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In This Issue
Barn News & Updates
Dressage Training: Leg Movers vs. Back Movers
Dressage Training: Rule Your Ride with Your Visual Powerline
Horse Care Tip of the Month: Horses and the Heat - Fact vs. Fiction
Recipe of the Month: Herb Butter Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packs
Paula's Pearls: "Ah Ha!" Moments in Riding
A Little Inspiration
Paula Recommends: Tea Tree Oil
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Tucson's Road Runner II Dressage Show
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Sandra Luebbe, Meghan Manning, Paula Paglia and Maren Cochran are "in the blues"
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We had a great show mid-July in Tucson although it was very hot! Maren got a 74 in training as a big highlight on HRH Desire Ablaze (Harry). Sandy got a 67.5 in Intermediare I on Fetiche which is her all time highest score. Myself on Slipstream (Lucy) got a 68 + in 4-2 and 67. 6 in 4-3, not our highest scores but she had more power and we had a weekend of great focus on her part. Megan got a 65.9 in her first 4-2 test and Ssavant was such a good boy! We won the team competition which the show sponsored winning a little $$ and bottle of wine!
We're heading up to Flagstaff this month for the ADA show August 12th and 13th. And, we're looking forward to road-tripping it to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, California August 24th - August 27th for the Cool August Nights show. Wish us luck!
We're a Crafty Bunch!
When it's 115 degrees, sometimes you just need to grab your barn friends and
take it inside! Our new group member and crafter extraordinaire Karen Carns headed up our summer art project. She helped us design a pillow front with a variety of fabrics. Here is our project under construction.
Karen's horse is finished and mounted on barn board as a wall hanging. This is all done by cutting out parts of patterns on fabric and using an iron on backing. So clever!
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Dressage Training
Leg Movers vs. Back Movers
The terms "leg mover" and "back mover" have begun to be thrown about over the past decade, but what exactly do these terms mean, how can you tell the difference and does is really matter?
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Picture of a leg mover. See how the angle of the off side foreleg is completely different to the angle of the diagonally opposite hind (near side hind). The hind legs are trailing and the back is clearly "dropped" or "hollow" rather than raised and engaged. The neck is cramped and the nose is slightly behind the vertical.
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A leg mover is a horse whose head-neck axis is raised higher and the neck made shorter than the horse's level of training. Dr. Gerd Heuschmann calls this, "absolute elevation". Effectively, shortcuts have been taken with the horse's training and the result is a dropping of the back, a loss of connection between the forelegs and hindquarters and poor basic gaits. The horse is tense, unwilling and resistant.
How can you spot a leg mover?
A leg mover will demonstrate the following:
- High, cramped neck
- Tense back
- Tail swishing
- Flashy, big movement with the front legs
- Hind legs that are left behind / working behind rather than under the horse
- The front and hind legs are not working parallel, with the front legs reaching longer and higher than the hinds, resulting in an odd, disunited gait 81.
In a nutshell:
The leg mover has all the appearance of flashiness, but the body of the horse tells a different story. Look for unparallel hind and front legs as a first point of reference.
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Picture of a back mover. See how the angle of the off side foreleg is the same as the diagonally opposite hind (near side hind). The back is engaged and the horse's head and neck position are relative to the horse's level of training.
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A back mover is a horse who is engaged, forward moving and using their whole body correctly for their level of training. Dr. Gerd Heuschmann refers to this state as "relative elevation". A back mover has been trained in such a way that their head-neck position has been allowed to reflect the horses' training level and progress, rather than rushing and taking shortcuts.
How can you spot a back mover?
A back mover will demonstrate the following:
- Free moving back (seen / felt as a swinging motion)
- Head and neck position are relative to the horse's training
- A well-muscled back, as opposed to a back that is "dropped"
- The front and hind legs are united and the angle of the legs is parallel
In a nutshell:
The back mover may have what appears to be a less "flashy" leg movement, but the horse is actually working biomechanically appropriately. The horse is not tense and they are happier in their work. The reach and angle of the front and hind legs are parallel.
Why Does It Matter?
There are three fundamentally important reasons why you want to buy a back mover, or train your horse to be a back mover, as opposed to a leg mover.
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Longevity
Leg movers work in a biomechanically inappropriate manner. As with the human body, when the horse does not engage its body in a safe and appropriate manner, degeneration occurs at a faster rate, meaning that the working life of the horse is significantly reduced.Back movers are more likely to have a longer working life due to the fact that their bodies have been trained and effectively "set-up" for the work that they are being asked to perform. Like a well-trained athlete, they can have a long and successful career, often well into their 20's.
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Ethics
A leg mover is a horse who has been trained using shortcuts. They are being asked to hold a frame beyond their training and physical capacity. The result is a horse that is stressed and sore. The leg movers that I treat have recurring tight, sore spots in the same muscle groups every time that I treat them and the fact is this, prevention is better than cure (or rehabilitation).On the other hand, a back mover has been trained to use its body properly. Its training has been graduated and it is more confident to undertake its work. It also has the strength and suppleness to undertake the work that it is asked to perform so it is less likely to hold pain and tension in its body.
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Attitude
A leg mover often works well for its rider out of fear of pain. They may take less enjoyment out of their work. In many cases, the horse will turn sour and / or become dangerous to ride, resulting in the end of their working life and early destruction.
A horse that has been trained in a graduated manner, such as the back mover, is more confident in their work and less anxious around their human handlers. Less fear results in greater trainability and a more positive working relationship.
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Dressage Training
Rule Your Ride with Your Visual Powerline
Excerpted from the book: WHEN TWO SPINES ALIGN: DRESSAGE DYNAMICS by Beth Baumert
In
WHEN TWO SPINES ALIGN: DRESSAGE DYNAMICS author Beth Baumert explains the four physical "Powerlines"-Vertical, Connecting, Spiraling, and Visual-that she says enable us to become balanced and effective in the saddle. The Visual Powerline influences the horse's balance, as well as his line of travel.
The trajectory of the rider's eyes is a Visual Powerline that goes out from your body-that is, outside the physical system. It connects you and your horse to the outside world. Your body spirals onto your line of travel, and your eyes focus on a point-a dressage letter, tree, fencepost, or a jump-and use it as a frame of reference so the horse can be directed on a planned course.
The rider who is constantly looking at her horse's neck has a problem similar to the one who clutches the saddle with her legs. She will always be in her horse's balance; she uses her horse's balance as a frame of reference because she never looks outside it. The rider who stares at her horse's neck is committed to being "on the forehand" and can't influence her horse otherwise. Some riders have nervous eyes; they furtively glance here and there. The horse might experience this behavior in the same way a rider experiences a horse that is always looking this way and that. Maybe it's distracting; it surely can't help.
The trajectory of the rider's eyes has amazing influence over the horse's balance. It can help put horse and rider in a downhill, horizontal, or uphill balance. The angle of the floor of your seat in relation to the ground and your torso's position is determined by the horse's balance, but it is influenced by the trajectory of your eyes. When the trajectory is in a downhill balance, your seat is not only inclined to be downhill, but it actually can't follow the horse's back.
When the trajectory of the eyes is horizontal, the floor of your seat offers the possibility of a horizontal frame for the "downhill" horse. It influences the horse's spine to...Click here for the rest of the article.
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Horse Care Tip of the Month
Horses and the Heat: Fact vs. Fiction
Working horses in summer heat creates some significant welfare issues with consequences as severe as death. Research has provided some very valuable information but despite this there are still many myths and misconceptions. It isn't only upper level performance/racing horses that are at risk. Serious dehydration and overheating can happen to any horse, especially with some of the misinformation out there.
"Never let a hot horse drink all they want, or drink cold water."
Consequences are said to range from colic to founder.
This is false. The horse needs to drink as much as desired as soon as possible for maximal rehydration effect. Hot horses will drink from 2 to 5 gallons. If you restrict intake, they will lose some of the drive and will drink less overall.
"Never hose the horse with cold water." or "Never put cold water over the large muscles."
Consequences are said to range from cramping or tying up to heart attack. Again,
this is completely false. Body heat is quickly transferred to the water. The colder the wash water, the quicker the horse will cool down.
"Grain makes horses hotter (literally)."
In other words, horses fed grain will overheat easier. The truth is that
diet influences body temperature through the heat generated when foods are fermented in the large intestine. Since grains are primarily digested by enzymes in the small intestine, horses fed reasonable amounts of grain and therefore less hay will do less large intestinal fermentation and generate less heat in the intestinal tract.
"Only very fast/hard work can cause dangerous overheating."
Not quite. Heavy muscular activity does generate more heat but an important factor is how efficient the energy generation is. A fit horse can perform work generating much less heat that the same level of work would cause when unfit. A fat, unfit horse trotting up a long steep hill could be at more risk of overheating than a racehorse.
"In hot weather you should switch from salt to an electrolyte supplement."
Wrong, and potentially dangerous. Sodium and chloride, which is salt, are the major electrolytes lost in sweat, followed by potassium. However, the horse has a baseline requirement for salt that is about 1 ounce (28.4 grams) per day even without sweating. This needs to be met first and a typical dose or serving of many electrolyte products does not supply even that much, let alone the baseline plus sweat losses.
Unlimited water both inside and out, lots of salt and care not to work the horse beyond his level of fitness will help you successfully avoid the danger zone in hot weather.
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Recipe of the Month
Herb Butter Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packs
"Easy, healthy, garlic herb butter salmon and asparagus foil packs are a quick and tasty 30 minute meal for summer nights, camping, and cookouts. The flaky salmon and tender asparagus will melt in your mouth!" - Paula
4 boneless skinless salmon fillets
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
1 lemon, thinly sliced, (plus additional wedges for garnish)
½ cup butter, at room temperature
3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 teaspoons minced garlic
fresh thyme or parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Season salmon generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Arrange one salmon fillet and ¼ of the asparagus in the center of one 12x12 inch piece of foil. Repeat with remaining salmon and asparagus on 3 other pieces of foil. Slide lemon slices under the salmon and asparagus.
- In a small bowl mix butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Drop large dollops of the herb butter on top of the salmon and asparagus.
- Fold the foil tightly around the salmon and asparagus, being sure to seal the ends together tightly so the juices and butter doesn't run out while cooking. Grill over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes on each side, OR bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, until asparagus is tender and salmon is flaky.
- Drizzle fresh lemon juice over the top and serve immediately.
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Change the Way You Ride!
The Unisit Sit Strap System
Accolades for The Unisit keep rolling in! My training device guaranteed to teach riders to sit in unison with their horses and improve muscle memory and seat development; thus consequently enhancing the horse's performance has been reviewed by the well-regarded Atlanta Horse Connections magazine.
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.
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.
From Trainer Shea Johnson:
"Wow, the strap really put my rider in a great place! Once she just kind of let the strap do what it's supposed to and not brace against it, she really looked great! I'm hoping it will help her find her seat a bit and get stronger in her core! Wonderful product!"
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A Little Inspiration
"The Dressage Lesson" - A Poem by Stephen Forbes
Contact, oh contact, what does it mean?
Trying to figure this out makes me want to scream
Too light, too soft, too hard, too strong
My instructor yells that it's always wrong
They say it means whats going on in the back
This Dressage thing I can't seem to get the knack
"The hindelgs the hindlegs they are too out behind!"
Trying to get this horse straight has got me in a bind
I kick and sit and close and I pray
There has got to be a much easier way
I'm drenched in sweat and haven't left the walk
I felt it, I felt it! I engaged his hock!!
Tears of joy stream from my face
Until my instructor puts me back in my place
His back is round and he's finally coming through
Oh wait, never mind he's just taking a poo
We are trotting now and this is much better
The contact is perfect and he's a light as a feather
It's not so hard, dressage has become clear
Until I trot by and look in the mirror
My horse is as long as a two story train
Why do a sport that drives me insane?
I bend I flex I click and I cluck
My horse decides that's the cue for buck.
We fly through the air in a moment's flash
I swear I felt something leak from my ass.
I ride it out and act like I'm fine
I think the universe just sent me a sign
I reposition: legs, seat, check!
A little squeeze and he starts to collect!
He picks up the cadence and starts to prance
Me and my horse are doing a dance!
The bills, the pain, the horror all fade
I pet my horse for a ride well played.
I walk back to the barn with a grin far and wide
I can't wait for tomorrow I'm gonna learn how to ride!
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Paula's Pearls
"Ah ha!" Moments in Riding
As riders, we must strive to always "ask" and "show" our horses what we want from them. Once the use of force begins, the horse immediately gets tense and that tension breaks up the horse's energy cycle which in turn ruins rhythm and the horse's overall performance. Always work to give your aids in a kind, clear and consistent manner. It will help to create a positive vibe with your horse and he'll move much better for you.
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Paula Recommends
Tea Tree Oil
I
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m sure that you have heard of tea tree oil, but do you know how to use it? What is it and where does it come from? Let me start by telling you that tea tree oil may actually be the
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cure all
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of essential oils. It can be found in everything from toothpaste to household cleaners. It
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s available as oil, as a diluted water
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miscible preparation, and in soaps, salves, and creams. Click here to read all about the amazing uses of this natural hard-working oil!
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About Paula Paglia
Paula Paglia, owner and head trainer of Paula Paglia Dressage in North Scottsdale, Arizona began her professional training career in 1979. Paula is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist and has been named ADA Rider of the Year numerous times through 2014. Paula has been an integral part of the training and success of her clients. She is credited with creating numerous winning horse and rider combinations through the FEI levels. She has developed Regional Winners and sent many students to the National Junior Young Riders Championships, the North American Young Riders Championships and the National Dressage Seat Equitation Finals.
Formerly the head trainer at Dynamite Dressage, and the head trainer at Los Cedros, she is thrilled to now offer her own niche to her clients: a full educational program based on dressage, developing amateurs, young riders and other professionals to their fullest potential. As owner of Paula Paglia Dressage, she has taken the best of training practices used throughout her career to offer a specialized experience for her clients. She considers her facility to be "heaven for horses." Owning her own facility allows her to cater to every horse's special needs.
Paula has trained with some of the most successful trainers and riders in the world, including Debbie McDonald, Leslie Reid, Christine Traurig, and Conrad Schumacher.
In 1992, Paula began importing warmbloods from Holland, Poland and Germany. Presently, Paula conducts personalized buying trips abroad for her clients, as she has extensive experience selecting and starting young horses and developing them up the levels.
Philosophy
The Paula Paglia Dressage philosophy is to develop a partnership between horse and rider. The well-being of the horse is the primary consideration. Paula evaluates each horse and rider individually and will design a program appropriate to their ability, yet focused on the long-term goals of upper-level classical dressage. Each horse and rider is developed at their own pace, allowing each team to be mentally and physically strong at each level of competition.
Paula believes that a successful training regimen is a logical, step-by-step process that utilized the horse's natural intelligence, his loyalty, his goodwill, and his honesty. A sensible, kind and structured training program will produce a horse with a strong muscle structure and a sharp working mind. Both are necessary to compete at the national and international levels of dressage.
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Paula Paglia Dressage Services
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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