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In This Issue
Barn News & Updates
FREE Clinic with Paula Paglia November 11th: There Are Still Spots Left!
You're Invited!
Dressage Training: Brilliant Basics with Ingrid Klimke
Horse Care Tip of the Month:
Rehabbing the Injured Dressage Horse
Recipe of the Month: Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
Paula's Pearls: "Ah Ha!" Moments in Riding
A Little Inspiration: Chester the Clever Donkey
Paula Recommends: Horseware Rambo Optimo Stable Blanket
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FREE Unisit Clinic
Saturday, November 11th at Paula Paglia Dressage
We have a few spots left - come on out!
The Unisit strap is an ingenious 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. It
will bridge the gap between the
description
of a correct seat and
actually feeling it
by using a non-verbal, kinesthetic approach.
Even advanced riders will benefit from this tool to take their riding to the next level.
Curious if the Unisit would work wonders for you and your horse too?
Trailer in for a free lesson and demonstration!
Riders will receive a 30-minute lesson with Paula Paglia, USDF Gold Medalist and Head Trainer at Paula Paglia Dressage in Scottsdale, Arizona. Paula invented the Unisit device 17 years ago and has helped thousands of riders improve their seat and find that "ah ha!" inspiration in their riding.
Email [email protected] or call Shelle at 602.321.9871 to sign up for your ride time or to get more information. Auditors are welcome!
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Janet Foy Clinic on October 14th and 15th
The clinic with Janet Foy was fantastic. I rode Sherrill Tripp's Slipstream (Lucy) and learned so much. Michell Combs made some excellent notes and takeaways from the clinic. I'll share some here:
Shoulder-in is good for a spooky horse.
There is a different half-halt for every movement. A half-halt is the perfect combination of driving, bending and connection to the outside rein.
No grey areas for the walk. Free walk or on-the-bit walk otherwise you ruin the walk.
Never punish while in a half-pass.
In the tempi changes, if the horse makes a mistake, don't make the aid bigger. Make a correction to the aid he's ignoring. That's the difference between being a rider and being a trainer.
Click here for dozens more!
Tucson Fall Festival Hunter/Jumper Show
Assistant trainer, Ali Stephens, made a last-minute trip to the Tucson Fall Festival hunter/jumper show. Stylishly outfitted by Halo Horses Boutique, she placed FIRST in both the hunter and jumper arenas! Congrats Ali - you are a superstar!
Please Welcome Little Enzo!
Tom and I brought our new puppy home last weekend. Enzo is a golden retriever and is 10 weeks old. He already knows many commands and is fitting right into our household! We are in love!
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Dressage Training
Brilliant Basics with Ingrid Klimke: The Young Horse
The Horse Magazine Sporthorse tour was very privileged to see Ingrid Klimke prepare Damon's Divene, her ride in the Young Riding Horse class at this year's Bundeschampionate, the German Young Horse Championships. If you wanted to see a four-year-old ridden correctly, this was it. The mare was just so forward, it was the perfect example of how not to become obsessed with what you can see in front of you - ride from the hindquarters into the hand, and maybe at times forget about what you can see: as everyone tells us, ride from behind into the hand.
HM: Looking at the training session at home:
"At first it is important that you do rising trot and always try to keep contact - an active, normal working trot and ride her from behind, stretching into your hand and guide her and show her that the way is free to take her neck down and stretch her nose forward. Step by step, you always try to go on long lines, and big circles, come with your leg, give again, she gives, you give, pat her and explain to her - yes, that is the way, now try to stretch more and give your back."
HM: A couple of times in the class at the Championships she became distracted and looked around... but you didn't correct her strongly, just kept riding...
"She was looking at the people, reacting to the strange noise, because at home, she usually feels very safe in her routine. She is only young, and I haven't done very much with her, but at home she knows exactly her schedule - but when she heard the loud speakers and all the other horses, she was looking, and I said, come on, trust me. It is just important to keep her forward, from behind into your hand, that's very important, don't start just trying to pull her neck down, it is more important that she stays in rhythm, and into your hand. And you hope that with the forwardness she feels, oh ah, I get the rhythm and she starts to feel secure and starts to stretch again."
HM: Here when we were watching you work her at home, it's the beginning of the working session and she is a little deeper...
"From the stretching this is the best, there she is really round with her nose as far as possible, this would be in the stretching in the beginning - more when you want her to really stretch much more down.
Later you try to take her up and bit and ride her a little more in self carriage. If you only canter her in the light seat and only ask her to stretch, you must be careful that you don't do it too long so she falls on the forehand, because she needs to learn to stay in her natural uphill balance. First you try to make her back very round and supple, and when you feel, oh now she is loosened up, then you can sit. Try to sit not too heavy, try to sit in the middle in balance with her, and feel that she has the chance to carry herself and her canter stride is big and not too much on the forehand."
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Horse Care Tip of the Month
Rehabilitation Basics for the Dressage Horse
Help your horse return to work and prevent future injuries with advice from leaders in the sport.
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Credit: Lara Ceppi. According to Dr. Hilary Clayton, cavalletti and pole work are great tools because they require a horse to use his full range of motion without increasing the strain on his legs.
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Your horse's health and fitness play a critical role in his happiness and performance. When it comes to injuries, rehabilitating a horse involves strategic planning and a consistent adherence to a program. The process can be time-consuming and overwhelming, especially with the goal of avoiding re-injury. However, there are certain measures you can take to ensure that your horse's rehabilitation process goes as smoothly as possible and future injuries are prevented.
Beginning the Rehab Process
USEF Youth Coach George Williams emphasized that teamwork is a large part of rehabilitating a horse. He believes the veterinarian, farrier, dentist, saddle fitter, nutritionist and any masseuse, chiropractor, acupuncturist and trainer should all work together, with you, the rider and the horse's owner. "You, as the rider, are the team leader," he said. "The initial steps of this process can be some of the most important that you follow. They serve as a building block for the progress you hope to reach in the future. You, the rider and team leader, should be at the heart of every decision made on your horse's behalf. No one knows your horse better than you."
Dr. Hilary Clayton was the dressage chair at Michigan State University and an active researcher and teacher at the Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Center, a cutting-edge lameness and equine sports facility. She stressed that the beginning stages of rehabilitation are vital and must be carefully approached. People often try to accelerate the horse's recovery too quickly, and that is how many horses end up never healing properly and, more often than not, face re-injury.
Depending on the injury, its location, the horse and his overall situation, each rehabilitation process can vary in more ways than one. Dr. Clayton's approach involves a gradual and progressive increase in the amount of exercise with hill work. In addition, she uses dressage exercises in an interval-training format. For instance, rather than one long workout, she works the horse for perhaps two to four minutes and then takes a break for one to two minutes, and then returns to work, allowing the horse's muscles to work in increments. Depending on where the horse is in his beginning stages of rehabilitation, the time taken for active work versus short walk breaks depends on his injuries and fitness level and should be decided with the help of your veterinarian. Once the riding process has begun, typically Dr. Clayton dedicates three days a week to conditioning and one day to increasing the...
click here for the rest of the article.
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Recipe of the Month
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada
"So, you have a houseful of guests and some leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Solution: try this EASY recipe but replace the chicken breasts with shredded turkey and reduce your cooking time." - Paula
1.5 lbs. boneless skinless raw chicken breasts
1 28 ounce can Red Enchilada Sauce (I use El Pato Brand)
Add these ingredients at the end:
10 corn tortillas (I used an entire 11.7 ounce bag)
3 cups grated cheddar cheese (divided)
1 3.8 ounce can black olives (divided)
Directions
1. Put the chicken breasts and the enchilada sauce in your slow cooker.
2. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.
3. Shred the chicken with 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
4. Cut the tortillas in to strips, add to chicken and sauce.
5. Stir.
6. Add 1 cup of cheese and half the olives into the sauce and chicken mixture.
7. Stir again.
8. Flatten the mixture slightly.
9. Add the rest of the cheese and the olives on top.
10. Cook on low for about 40 - 60 minutes longer.
11. Top with sour cream (optional)
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Paula's Pearls
"Ah ha!" Moments in Riding
One of my takeaways from lessoning with Janet Foy is that of the "pendulum concept." In the canter and the trot, you can achieve a better movement with expression by alternating from "big" to "little." As soon as the horse loses balance or is not under you, bring your stride from big to little and then back again.
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Paula Recommends
Horseware Rambo Optimo Stable Blanket
You may know I'm a big fan of this brand. A couple of months ago I wrote about my affinity for the Optimo Sheet. Now that the weather is cooling even more, I also wanted to recommend their medium-weight blanket.
Horseware Rambo Optimo Stable Blanket
A strong and durable breathable blanket with a 1000D ripstop polyester outer and thermo-bonded fibrefill will keep your horse warm and protected. The blanket features a surefit neck with V front closure and adjustable front piece to prevent rubbing.
Optimo Stable Blanket Medium Features:
- Medium weight 200g
- 1000D ripstop polyester outer
- Polyester lining with thermos-bonded fibrefill
- Breathable
- Liner system
- Surefit neck design with V front closure
- Split technology- prevents rubbing on the neck
- Straight surcingles
- Adjustable front piece
- Padding on withers
- Wipe clean tail cord
There are many places to order it, here's just one link to assist you:
https://www.horse.com/item/horseware-rambo-optimo-stable-blanket-200g/E014425/
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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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