Hadrian HVH & Head Young Horse Trainer, Ashley Marascalco

As the head trainer for High Valley Hanoverians, I have the pleasure and responsibility to develop all of the High Valley Hanoverian young horses from ground handling the very young horses through backing and putting an excellent foundation on the under saddle horses.  As one of my responsibilities, I was asked to recommend which High Valley Hanoverian horses will be campaigned through the 2012 dressage show season.  I also have the honor of riding the horses selected for dressage competition.

I would like to introduce you to Hadrian HVH, one of the young horses selected by High Valley Hanoverians for 2012 competition. Hadrian HVH is a bay 17H 2008 Hanoverian gelding by Hotline x EM Whitney (Welser) bred and owned by High Valley Hanoverians.  I recommended Hadrian as a 4 year old dressage prospect due to the quality of all 3 gaits, his willing temperament, trainability and killer work ethic.   For a young horse he is extremely focused and truly enjoys his  5x per week combined training which including dressage flat work, cross country, mountain trails and gymnastics over cavaletti.   Since we plan to enter Hadrian in 4 year old Young Horse competitions, a US Equestrian Federation national competition, we were thrilled to be selected to train with Scott Hassler, the USEF Young Horse Dressage Coach at a Markel / USEF Young Horse Training Session that was held at Shannondale Farm in Alpharetta, Georgia on Feb.18-19.2012.   I was already familiar with Scott Hassler’s coaching style through the Hassler Dressage Young Horse Dressage Trainer Symposium that I attended in Nov.2011 and had already implemented many of his Young Horse training concepts with Hadrian.  I felt like Hadrian was ready and prepared for the challenge of his first public outing under saddle and I was anxious to get Scott’s perspective on Hadrian and how I had trained him thus far.   Did Hadrian have what it takes to be competitive in the Young Horse Classes?   Was Hadrian physically and mentally ready for the challenge?  What should I add to the training schedule?   Did Hadrian and I have the chemistry to be successful?   Had I missed something completely?   You know… the hundreds of questions that go through your mind before you train with someone you highly respect.   I was really nervous and excited!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to experience Scott Hassler’s coaching style, he is truly inspiring.   He has a way of quickly engaging with the rider, putting the rider at ease and asking the rider for input into the strengths and weaknesses of the horse.   From that point forward, Scott remains supportive, coaches the rider to get the horse relaxed and supple and helps the rider focus on techniques to resolve a few problem areas and get brilliance from their horse…. this method develops confidence in both the rider and the horse.   Scott is a big proponent of not getting “caught up in the love factor.”  As riders and trainers we must be aware of our horses weaknesses and praise the horse when it is truly deserved.  He also emphasizes setting the horse up for success, by asking the horse to do “more” only when the horse is demonstrating the right energy, suppleness, and balance.   Hadrian’s strengths are the quality and consistency of all three gaits plus his elegance, composure and confidence.  Hadrian’s weakness is that he is still building muscle and fitness and needs to be able to demonstrate more energy or “spark” to be competitive.   In preparation for the Young Horse Training Session I had asked Hadrian to show me a little of that spark.  I knew it was IN there and was pretty sure Hadrian would give me access to it.  I wanted to be careful though… The last thing we wanted to do was “pick” on him all the time. I just needed to have periods where I could make him fancy.  So I picked up the reins and inspired Hadrian to be a “Rock Star”! I helped him realize my leg was there to show him how to free up his back. I would add leg pressure and then take it off. I was careful not to ever hold that aid. He needed to feel the pressure change. Then when he was really responding and “dancing” I would whisper to him with my leg to make sure he was still with me. I encouraged him to carry me forward in a free, energetic, and fancy way. I never wanted to work for it or feel like I was pushing him. We quickly found his special trot and canter. Each time Hadrian would improve on something, only then would I change direction or make a transition. I always set him up for a positive experience. If something improved I made sure I went to do something different as a reward. If the horse improves, you leave it. If I also leave something when it is good, not only because it is a reward, but I may go back to something a little easier to regain confidence in the horse.    Hadrian impressed both Scott and me with his moments of brilliance.  Scott’s  suggestion was that it was time to increase Hadrian’s energy level  by asking for 5 minutes of spark every working day… asking for truly special and brilliant gaits not just “nice” elegant gaits. I agreed that Hadrian was ready for this new training challenge.

Another issue Scott and I discussed was Hadrian’s balance in turns especially to the right. We made sure he was supple and I had access to his back then I prepared every turn, especially to the right. I coached his right shoulder, made sure I had his right eye, and when I needed to I turned early off the long side and yielded to the next long side away from the right leg. This exercise helped me gain correct balance and access to his right shoulder. Regaining balance in a young horse is almost impossible once you have lost it. So the best solution is to never lose it. If I did lose his balance we coached him through it and didn’t try to fix it instantly. Taking 10-12 strides to fix something is no big deal for a young horse. As riders we have to be careful we don’t rush the correction or only ride reactions to the aids. Scott is very good at helping the rider coach the horse through an issue and be patient. Scott reminded the auditors that riding true “throughness” is a positive conversation of questions and answers from your horse, not riding a bunch of reactions to the aids. Throughout both rides in the weekend Training Session my conversation with Hadrian became more fluid and harmonious. I felt like I had a true dancing partner. We felt like “Rock Stars” and I couldn’t have been more proud.

Here are links to video highlights of my Saturday and Sunday rides on Hadrian under the skillful coaching of Scott Hassler.

• Day 1 Markel / USEF Training Session Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eun5IFy0XiM
• Day 2 Markel / USEF Training Session Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWib0pwsDOk
• Hadrian’s personal web page:  http://www.HighValleyHanoverians.net/horses/Hadrian.htm

Hadrian HVH enjoying some loving attention from Head Young Horse Trainer, Ashley Marascalco

I will continue to train Hadrian towards the goal of competing in 4 year old Young Horse classes by early summer.   I plan to provide an update of his progress on this blog site every few weeks.    If you have any questions, I will be happy to try to answer them.   If you have any recommendations and tips I would love to hear them.   Please join us on our journey by becoming a subscriber to this blog site.

Radiance HVH with Head Young Horse Trainer, Ashley Marascalco

I introduced you to Radiance HVH, a 2007 Hanoverian mare in previous posts.  Radiance and I experienced a spectacular 2011 show season, during my first year as Head Young Horse Trainer for High Valley Hanoverians.   During 2011, Radiance topped the charts of her Hanoverian Mare Performance Test with an overall score of 8.78, was the Region 1 Mare Champion (in-hand), won the 4-5 year old Mare Materiale Class at Dressage at Devon, and placed in USDF Horse of the Year rankings, for materiale and in-hand.   She also completed her dressage debut at Training Level where she received several 9′s for gaits, although in some of those same tests she was distracted by photographers, spectators and her general enthusiasm about being in the arena.   So….  we knew we had work to do to get her ready for 2012 competition.

As part of my responsibilities at High Valley Hanoverians, I am asked to provide recommendations regarding which horses should be campaigned and at what levels.  Radiance has exceptional movement, trainability and presence.   And, although she has a beautiful jump and a type that are desireable in the hunter world, I think she has true potential to reach the upper levels of Dressage.  So, for 2012 we are preparing Radiance for the 5 year old FEI competition where she will compete at an international pace and compete against hundreds of other 5 year olds for one of 15 slots in the USA National Finals.  Having seen some of the horses that make it to the National Young Horse Finals, the competition is truly intense.   Radiance has the gaits and the presence for the competition, but needs much more consistency & focus / less distraction during her tests.   She is also very talented and can demonstrate excellent gaits even when she does not have her back fully engaged…. but when her back IS fully engaged, her gaits are brilliant.

I was thrilled to learn that Radiance and I were selected to train with Scott Hassler, the USEF Young Horse Dressage Coach at the Markel / USEF Young Horse Dressage Training Session that was held at Shannondale Farm in Alpharetta, Georgia on Feb.18-19.2012.   (In fact Radiance’s half brother, Hadrian was also selected for this Training Session… you are welcome to read my blog post on Hadrian separately on the blog site.)  I was already familiar with Scott Hassler’s coaching style through the Hassler Dressage Young Horse Dressage Trainers Symposium that I attended in Nov.2011 and had already implemented many of his Young Horse training concepts.   Now was the time to see if my training efforts with Radiance over the past year were ready for Young Horse competition.  I was confident that Scott would help me inspire her.

Radiance HVH with Head Young Horse Trainer, Ashley Marascalco

On Day 1 of the Training Session, Radiance had a serious spook during warm up from a well-intentioned photographer, planted all four feet and spun around.   And yup… I’m on my rear and my horse is having a party without me! “Great!” I thought…. Just what I need… to fall off in front of all these auditors AND Scott Hassler… Deep breath, shake it off… and get back on. Honestly… It turned into a good thing by providing a very valuable coaching moment for me to fully understand the physical and mental process of this talented mare that I need to coach her through.  Radiance doesn’t demonstrate any mean or hormonal tendencies,  but does have exceptional athletic talent (for movement AND spinning!) and a tendency to hold tension in her back when she is not totally relaxed.  Scott helped me understand that 90% of what I was dealing with was tightness of the back. The other 10% was maturity of mind.  So there it was… the answer that made sense to me.  Suddenly it all clicked in my mind.  The tension in the back is what I had been feeling all last year.  I had worked on this issue, but apparently the work wasn’t completed.  The solution was to coach Radiance and teach her how to use her back even more effectively.  When I had ” access to her back” completely and not just half way…she was happy and she “had no games!” More importantly once I uncovered the “layers of her back” as Scott puts it… I had a PHENOMENAL ride!

Another highlight of my training session with Scott was that he helped me learn how to ride from a perspective of being “proactive” not “reactive.” So often I would get a good result with a horse and think I had “done it,” fixed it, or made it better, and I was satisfied. Scott taught me that if I was satisfied with those good moments and stopped, I was missing the invitation to have “access to more.”  He coached me to ride what feels good, and then ask for a little more. I took risks.  He coached me to never be satisfied with just “elegant or nice”.  I needed to ask for “special.”  The trick is knowing when your horse is ready for this communication, and executing your aids with precise timing so that you always set the horse up for a positive experience. What great advice for Radiance and me !!

Here are links to video highlights of my Saturday and Sunday rides on Radiance under the skillful coaching of Scott Hassler.

• Day 1 Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krpPkgrxLuo
• Day 2 Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55k8ovvRl80
• Radiance’s web page: http://highvalleyhanoverians.net/horses/Radiance.htm

Radiance HVH getting some love from Young Horse Trainer, Ashley Marascalco

Since the clinic I have been able to get access to Radiances back MUCH sooner than ever before. She is more energetic, has more “spark” and is definitely happier! I can’t wait to see how she does in our first Young Horse class late Spring. I plan to provide an update of her progress on this blog site every few weeks.   If you have any questions, I will be happy to try to answer them.   If you have any recommendations and tips I would love to hear them.  Please join us on our journey by becoming a subscriber to this blog site.

Dressage at Lexington VA, where Radiance HVH was the Champion Mare in Hand, winner of the 4-5 year old Materiale, and 2nd place in Hanoverian IBC (bumped out by her sister Rebellienne).

knowledge of horses, a few tidbits of information, some conflicting ideas, and a twelve hundred pound animal at the end of the reins.  I watched one handler face plant in the dirt as the horse knocked her off balance around a turn.  “Great” I thought, “I hope I don’t bust it at Devon”.

They enjoyed stretching their legs after 12 hours in the trailer.

I devised a plan, and I hoped it would work.  The plan was, to try numerous different styles of handling with both horses, and “feel” for the best response.  This plan works for riding, why should this be any different?  For me it’s about finding that “sweet spot” where everything just “clicks.”   For 2 months I worked both Radiance and Rebellienne in hand.  Radiance and I already had established a “sweet spot” in our riding so it was much easier to transfer that to the ground.  It wasn’t until the week before Devon when I finally felt Rebellienne and I “clicked.”  The owner would stand on the rail and say two words, “yes!” or “no”.  If she said no, I pushed harder.  Finally…  I had found our run.  Would I be able to recreate our best runs with both horses at Devon? I mostly prayed at that point.  I prayed I wouldn’t face plant.     I must say, to have never handled before, still have so many questions, and to “go out” at Devon, was nerve-racking.  However, I felt like I knew our horses better than anyone, they were comfortable with me and had all been working really hard.  I was physically prepared to stretch my legs as far as they could take me.  I schooled Radiance under saddle and in-hand the day before we left.  She was a busy girl.  Radiance had 5 events withing the next 6 weeks.  Her training included arena work, free jumping, and riding mountain trails.  Most of her training was straightforward and went smoothly.  Well…  almost smoothly…  There were those 2 weeks where I couldn’t ride her at all.  One Friday we had our best ride ever.  Saturday she would NOT cooperate.  I thought, “Great, she’s hit a wall.  She’s done.  She’s been working so hard and now she is shutting down? Or she is just being bad?”  If either of these were the case I would have been very surprised.  She never once seemed unhappy, I was never too hard on her, and her routine was so varied.  I tried very hard to “work” while she thought she was “playing.”  We had 5 events coming up!!!  This was not good.  All I kept thinking was, “NOT NOW! C’mon girl, pull through this.”  I prayed and prayed.  I even had my friends and family praying.  I was so excited to campaign her after all we had overcome.  We had been working so hard.   I wanted her to have the chance to go out there and be the horse I knew she was.  Fortunately…  My prayers were answered.  It was all hormone related.  This was an easy fix.  One vet visit, one chiropractor, one massage and 1 week later…   We were back in business. Our time was up.  The busy part of the year was here.  It was one show or clinic right after the other. Two dressage shows in,  we came home with 9’s on gaits from both shows.  We had done it.  We had accomplished our goal at the shows.  We had gone, made a good impression, and everything went smoothly. We  now only had one week until Devon.  I kept her happy and willing that week.  There was some fear she would be unrideable again.  Despite the fear I was hopeful. I was praying she would “come alive” at Devon.  I was hoping I could pull this off.

Our first in hand class. Dr. Ludwig Christmann judging.

Devon was not the place for it.  I harnessed my confidence and went in.  Everyone at past breed shows raved about Radiance’s walk, so I paid close attention to detail in the walk triangle.  A quick snap of the whip to get her “up” for the trot triangle and she was off!  The run felt really great!

I was honestly too overwhelmed to really “feel” much of anything.  It all happened so fast. I stood her square one last time for the judge and it was over.  That was it.  I wonder what they thought of her?  I looked to the owner for something, she didn’t have much of an expression.  I wasn’t sure if that was bad, but I didn’t feel like it was good either.  I took deep breaths, I rubbed my hand down Radiances neck, and just began to talk to her as if we were back home.  I was trying to remember my expectations.  She seemed very happy to just be standing there with me.  And for the moment that was perfect.  I continued to talk to her and tell her how great she was as we walked back to her stall.  I put her up and just sat down.  At this point I was battling with myself.  I should have done this, that, or not so much of this…  I took a few more deep breaths and tried to relax while we waited for the “call backs.”  If you got called back that meant you had placed in the top of the class.  The announcement was made.  We heard “Radiance HVH” over the loud speakers.  She was competing against 19 other mares and was in the top 6!  I smiled at the thought, grabbed her bridle, threw it on her and went back in the arena.  We all lined up.  As the announcer called out the ribbons, I couldn’t believe what I was NOT hearing.  They were not calling her name!   Radiance HVH was called last.  We stood alone.  She won!!!

Standing with Dr. Christmann after our first in hand class.

We accepted her blue ribbon, the judge, Dr. Ludwig Christmann, congratulated us and told me, “That mare has a walk like I’ve never seen.”  I nodded my head, said thank you, and still in slight shock, I left the Dixon Oval with a huge smile, and a few tears.    The tears were coming from a place that had nothing to do with the color of the ribbon.  I had always believed in Radiance.  Despite her occasional unwillingness, fiery attitude, and small stature…  I believed in her.  Not only does she have great bloodlines, talent, and athleticism.  To me she is smart, particular, positively sensitive, and has just enough fire to make her stand out.  I had to ride this mare for her future, not live in her past mistakes or inadequacies.  I could feel she was beginning to believe in herself.  For me as a trainer, this was the greatest reward.  We had survived our first in-hand class, and I managed to stay on both feet and my face out of the dirt.  Could we pull off an under-saddle class with great results?  I felt more confident now.  I knew how she “turned on” when I rode her.  I knew she would move even better.  I was ready for her materiale class.

EMC Phaedra HVH, Champion at Goldsboro, NC Hunter Show

We are very proud of EMC Phaedra HVH, a 2007 Hanoverian mare we bred who is owned by Kathy Gurley of Bass, NC. Phaedra was at our farm for 6 weeks to prepare for her AHS Mare Performance Test. During her visit, her owner rode her in a Training Level Dressage class where she earned a 70% score !! Phaedra returned to her home barn right after the AHS inspection and immediately went back to work schooling both dressage and hunters. Kathy shared the attached picture of Phaedra’s very first hunter show in Goldsboro, NC where she was CHAMPION in one class and RESERVE CHAMPION in another class. Congrats to Phaedra, her owner and her rider, Bob Savage and Young Horse Trainer, Merilee Ventura!!

Leonidas HVH with new owner JD Sosa

Leonidas HVH, a 2007 17H chestnut gelding by Loerka (Lauries Crusador) – EM Fajita (Wertherson) is now settled in his new home with JD Sosa.   Stable Sosa (aka “Cooke Cutter Farm”) is a wonderful home for this gentle giant.   His new ‘parents’ JD and Cristina Sosa have a beautiful 4-horse barn and take the very best of care of their equine family.   In addition to the dressage arena on the Sosa property, JD and Leonidas have access to some lovely trails across the street and a cross-country training field adjacent to their property.  

We are thrilled with Leonidas’ new home and look forward to watching him grow up in JD’s care.   We will also plan to remain #1 fans of JD and Leonidas as they move up the dressage levels. 

Check out this video of JD and Leonidas during their 1st ride together at Leonidas’ new home !  What a great pair!   Video of Leonidas HVH at new home with JD Sosa

Hopefully, JD will pick up this thread and let keep us updated !

Radiance Jul.2011 in Materiale Class with YH Trainer, Ashley Marascalco

Radiance and I began our relationship in March 2011, just a month shy of her 4th birthday.  At that time she had been under saddle for 12 months and was known to be a talented mare, but “quite a handful”.  After a week of “relationship building” ground-work (which I will explain in a future post) I was ready to ride her.  Our 2nd and 3rd weeks together were accomplished with a bitless bridle to focus on relaxation and continuing to build mutual respect.  I wanted her to trust that I was never going to hurt her or force her.   I also wanted to build a relationship that would allow Radiance and I to become “dancing partners”.   Our first attempt at riding a Training Level test, was not a particularly good dance set. I felt like we were stepping on each other’s feet !!  But, with patience and encouragement, Radiance quickly learned to trust me and to respond to my aids.  By the end of the first month of fundamentals and relationship building, Radiance and I were ready to start conditioning her for performance.  In order to achieve this, I needed Radiance to improve in two significant areas, using her back properly and developing more impulsion / “push” from the hind quarters.  Although Radiance is a fancy mare with a natural uphill frame and excellent gaits, she really couldn’t maximize her gaits nor establish good connection without properly developing her back and hind quarters.  

Radiance at the top of Baker Mountain Aug.2011 with Young Horse Trainer Ashley Marascalco

We are improving her use of Radiance’s back via dressage sets done in both a hill work and an arena setting.  The process of teaching dressage fundamentals on the trails can be foreign to some, but for me it has always been a huge part of my education.  It has been my experience that every horse can benefit from having variety in their training.  Coordination, confidence, suppleness, strength, and straightness are just a few positive outcomes of a well-rounded training program. And, in my opinion, trail conditioning is one of the best training tools available.  At Week 4 of our journey, Radiance and I began to venture out on mountain trails.  I kept her on gentle slopes and worked her over her back the whole time.  Keeping the horse “through” while on the trails is essential for building the correct muscles and in turn easier on their joints.  A horse that moves over his back hits the ground much lighter. So this was our starting point.  In the arena we worked on long and low stretching ‘sets’ intermingled with short sets in an uphill frame.   Too long in an  uphill frame caused Radiance to tire and hollow out her back, but since she is naturally uphill inclined, I had to really listen to her to know when she was tiring and needing to transition back to a long and low stretching set.

After the throughness had improved, I slowly started working on Radiance’s lateral and longitudinal balance while traveling up and down small inclines.  The first time I walked Radiance down a hill I was a bit surprised at how hard it was for her.  I had to remember she was only 4 years old, and was still adapting to the terrain and the weight of the rider on that terrain. After months of hard work on her part she can now climb to the top of Baker Mountain, a rather steep climb of 500′ in altitude above the High Valley Hanoverians property, and back down.  Her balance, strength, and endurance has greatly improved.  Our hill work has added more impulsion, improved straightness and balance in the arena.

The marvelous mountain trails adjacent to the High Valley Hanoverians property have also done wonders for Radiance’s mind.  Where before she was considered a bit “hot” or “wired”, Radiance now approaches most things with confidence, rarely spooks and has a calmness about her.  Most importantly, Radiance is having fun while she is doing her “Dressage Fundamentals on the Trail” and does not realize that she is working.    Now on our scheduled arena days, Radiance demonstrates much better use of her body, but also has the ability to channel her energy for more expression.  Now, after working with Radiance for 5 months, I am proud to say that today Radiance and I are truly looking like dance partners.   I trust her completely and we can ride a relaxed, balanced and  harmonious test.   Since I train so many horses, I never like to choose favorites, but I can tell  you that this mare has stolen my heart and I am honored to know her.   Her sensitive, spirited and playful nature combined with her natural talent make her the ideal mount.

The mountains will continue to bless Radiance’s mind, body, and spirit, as well as my own.   Stay tuned into this blog for upcoming updates on Preparing Radiance for Dressage at Devon !!   You can subscribe to the RSS feed on the side bar of this post if you like or you can subscribe to the High Valley Hanoverians Facebook page which will alert you to new HVHBlog posts.    

Ashley Marascalco
Young Horse Trainer for High Valley Hanoverians

Rebellienne is a 2009 black/bay Hanoverian mare by Rotspon (Rubinstein) out of Elite Mare Whitney.  (Rebellienne is a FULL sister to Radiance who was introduced on the previous post.)  She is currently 16.1H and will certainly grow another couple of inches as she matures during the next few years.  Although Rebellienne is not as feminine looking nor does she have the “show presence” of her full older sister, Rebellienne has phenomenal gaits for a 2 year old and we are anxious to see how she develops. 

Rebellienne Jul.2011 w/ Quinnten Alston

As a 2 year old, Rebellienne is much too young for under saddle work, but in order to keep her in shape for breed shows she needs a regular work out (beyond kicking up her heels in the paddock).   And, as a 2 year old, Rebellienne is also too  young for any serious lunging.   So, Rebellienne’s normal routine includes “free schooling” sessions in our training arena.   (In upcoming posts, we will provide a full lesson on free schooling, but the short version is that she is outfitted with a bit, surcingle and rather loose side reins and worked in a small arena by a grounds person.) Rebellienne has done very well at USDF breed shows this year and was named Champion Filly at two shows, qualified for Regional Championships in two different regions and was Grand Champion at one of the shows.    She will be shown in the 2 year old Filly (in-hand) Class at Dressage at Devon (PA), the most prestigious USDF breed show in the USA, in Sep.2011.     

Rebellienne Jul.2011 w/ Ashley Marascalco

I hope you enjoy reading about Rebellienne during the new few months & years.  She is a sweet and talented mare that we will campaign to her performance peak in dressage.   We will specifically chronicle her ground training for the remainder of the year and the move into the ”backing process” in 2012.  We would enjoy hearing your comments about Rebellienne and encourage you to interact with us on our blog posts about her.

You can also read more about Rebellienne on her web page: http://highvalleyhanoverians.net/horses/Rebellienne.htm