horse that I could tell him 50 percent of the information, and he would literally fill in the rest. He likes to work. He has no other agenda.” In a new environment, no matter how electric it may
be, neither horse nor rider feed off of that atmosphere. Heather has confidence in him and he has confidence in the world. Paragon does tell her, however, that he wants to ride the trails—every day in fact. “He would go 100 miles and never turn back. He literally goes ‘aww’ when we go home. I love that about him.” Stamina is his weak point because of his size and
northern climate genes. “There’s a lot of blood to pump through that big body. That’s a challenge living in the south. But he never wants to tell me he’s tired,” she remarks.
Te Heather-Paragon Bond “Our personalities and physical characteristics are very
similar—it’s like we’re made from the same skin.” And for that reason Heather demands of herself that she put out as much as her horse does. Riding Paragon at this level might have once been a
dream, but the reality is that it’s hard work. “It’s like I’m riding the crest of a 20-foot tidal wave. I am breathing hard when I’m done riding, not because I have to push him, but because of how much movement he has. I can’t cruise. I have to be right there in the moment with him. There is a serious commitment between the two of us,” she explains. Heather continues to build on that relationship for his
benefit as a super athlete and as a healthy horse. A recent YouTube video shows the pair warming up at Dressage at Devon. At the start Paragon is a normal mover, but a bit ordinary as he trots and canters, blending into the crowded arena. Then, after about five minutes, he is elastic, ground- covering and expressive, as everyone else fades into the background, out-shown by his movement and athleticism. The video closes in on a horse that has been quite a
flamboyant mover from an early age. At times, however, this gift can be problematic. Tempting as it may be to show off his best gaits when the warm up fence is lined with people who hope to see a horse like Paragon strut his stuff, it’s a temptation better resisted. “You can get caught up only doing the flamboyant
movements. It’s more exciting and impressive, but you have to keep this kind of horse normal and turn it on only when you want to. I can make him so normal that no one would take a second look. A really talented horse can become very flamboyant when he chooses his way of getting off the aids. You have to be able to reliably tap into that flamboyancy when you want, and turn it off when you want. Otherwise who’s making the decisions here?” Heather feels an equal obligation to scrutinize her own
riding. Her years of study with Mary Wanlass, international coach and author of Ride With Your Mind, has given her the laser awareness of the effects her body has on her horse and how to control minute parts of her body. “There is so much going on in riding that it’s a challenge for some riders to really zero in on certain things without other things taking center stage. I think body awareness is my biggest strength as a rider.” These days riding leaves her little time for much else in
her life. She doesn’t leave town often because she doesn’t like leaving Paragon for more than two days in a row. “Right now, I don’t do anything for fun,” she laughs. “It’s just the sacrifice you make. Last November I had 13 horses a day either in lessons or to ride. That took 15 pounds off of me. During the season in Florida, I work sun up to sun down. Then you just go to bed. As the season quiets down I add exercise to my regime. I benefit from spin classes, weight lifting, stomach and back exercises and stretch classes.” Clearly, she and Paragon are both focused on success.
According to Merriam-Webster, the word paragon is defined as “a model of excellence or perfection.” Heather’s Paragon is aptly named given his breeding, athleticism, trainability and record of success. He has all the attributes of a top dressage horse. Thanks to Heather’s training and hard work, Paragon truly is a paragon: a wonderful example of Warmblood breeding in North America.
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Left: The pair competed in Wellington at the World Dressage Masters in January coming in second in the Grand Prix Special.
Warmbloods Today 21
Photos by Kim MacMillan / MacMillan Photography
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