SKM Dressage

09/06/2024

Very happy how the new SKM Dressage client wall turned out!! ❤️

08/30/2024

Talented young rider looking for her next horse. Rider is 14yrs old and has been doing dressage since she was 6yrs old. She has shown through 3rd level, She is a C2 in pony club, has participated in 2 USDF regional championships and always in the ribbons. In 2022 she attended festival of champions for dressage seat equitation medal finals. She has been selected to attend the USDF FEI youth clinic the last 2 years with George Williams and Sabine Schut-Kery. Recently she was selected to ride in a Dressage 4 Kids clinic with Lendon Gray. Her goals are to finish her bronze medal, show 3rd level or above next show season, qualify for and attend regional championships, and qualify for NAYC at the FEI junior level. Horse needs to be schooling 3rd level or above. Our budget isn’t big so we are looking for a unique opportunity. Maybe your kid is off to college and their horse is just sitting at home? Maybe you don’t have time to devote to riding and your fancy horse is just sitting? Maybe you want more show miles on your horse, but you don’t want to be the one to get them out there? Maybe you have a schoolmaster that is looking to move on to their next home? Or maybe you just want to help a junior rider realize their dreams?! We are open to lease, lease to own, purchase or an other unique situation that may be available. I am happy to discuss details, answer questions and provide references.

08/28/2024

** VIRTUAL LESSONS AVAILABLE!!**

SKM Dressage offers a comprehensive dressage training program led by owner and trainer Shaun Myers and serving the broader Puget Sound area. At SKM Dressage, we believe in the harmony between horse and rider, where every movement is a testament to the bond created through patience, dedication, and skill. Our programs are tailored to suit the needs of riders at every level. Shaun, with her years of success in the competition ring and extended education brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her clients.
Shaun competition career is marked by years of success in the FEI ring which resulted in her achievement of the USDF Silver Metal and numerous Horse of the Year awards in both the FEI and Sporthorse Breeding rings.

Shaun consistently strives to further her own abilities in effort to better serve her clients and her own personal growth. She has developed many horses into Grand Prix horses, and equally, developed many riders into FEI competitors and dressage professionals. Shaun success and reputation allowed her to train extensively with Olympic Gold Medalist and U.S. Chef d'Equipe Christine Traurig as well Raphael Heiligers from the Dutch National Team. Shaun strives to not only be a dedicated and conscientious instructor, but to also continues to learn and develop herself and her students to be better athletes, competitors and partners.

Embark on a journey of unparalleled dressage instruction with SKM Dressage. Whether you're a seasoned competitor aiming for the podium or an aspiring enthusiast seeking to deepen your connection with your horse, our programs offer a pathway to greatness. Contact us today to discover how we can help you reach new heights in your equestrian journey.

**extensive experience with non-traditional dressage breeds**

www.skmdressage.com

08/28/2024

**VIRTUAL LESSONS AVAILABLE!!***

SKM Dressage offers a comprehensive dressage training program led by owner and trainer Shaun Myers and serving the broader Puget Sound area. At SKM Dressage, we believe in the harmony between horse and rider, where every movement is a testament to the bond created through patience, dedication, and skill. Our programs are tailored to suit the needs of riders at every level. Shaun, with her years of success in the competition ring and extended education brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her clients.
Shaun competition career is marked by years of success in the FEI ring which resulted in her achievement of the USDF Silver Metal and numerous Horse of the Year awards in both the FEI and Sporthorse Breeding rings.

Shaun consistently strives to further her own abilities in effort to better serve her clients and her own personal growth. She has developed many horses into Grand Prix horses, and equally, developed many riders into FEI competitors and dressage professionals. Shaun success and reputation allowed her to train extensively with Olympic Gold Medalist and U.S. Chef d'Equipe Christine Traurig as well Raphael Heiligers from the Dutch National Team. Shaun strives to not only be a dedicated and conscientious instructor, but to also continues to learn and develop herself and her students to be better athletes, competitors and partners.

Embark on a journey of unparalleled dressage instruction with SKM Dressage. Whether you're a seasoned competitor aiming for the podium or an aspiring enthusiast seeking to deepen your connection with your horse, our programs offer a pathway to greatness. Contact us today to discover how we can help you reach new heights in your equestrian journey.

**extensive experience with non-traditional dressage breeds!**

Shaun's patient training yields results! Shaun's approach to training provides a learning environment where the horse and rider thrive at home and achieve success in the show ring.

08/27/2024

Started as a Fresian cart horse….beame a winning dressage competitor!

08/21/2024

From intro and learning posting diagonals to competing at Festival of Champions!!

08/10/2024

As we close out the 2024 show season here is a little show season recap from the SKM team! Congratulations everyone 🙌💖

08/10/2024

From an unstarted broodmare to getting scores up to 77% and multiple high point awards with multiple students! 🏆.

08/05/2024

How they started vs the pair they became! Hard work and dedication, with an unconventional dressage breed no less! Super proud of this pair!!

08/01/2024

From baby to FEI. 😍 Vogue is bred, owned and ridden by Laurie McLauglin. She was born right here at Tower Lane Farm and I have gotten the pleasure to train them up the levels! 💕

07/15/2024

Join us at Tower Lane Farm with a rare opening to work with trainer, Shaun Myers (SKM Dresssage). A USEF Silver Metalist and FEI rider, Shaun has developed many horses to be successful Grand Prix competitors, bringing many of them along from young, lower level horses. She has achieved many local championships as well as received multiple national all-breed and Horse of the Year awards. She has trained with Christine Traurig and Raphael Heiligers among others, and has cliniced as well with many international dressage riders and trainers. Shaun has also trained many riders to both local and national competitions and awards, and many students have received high point awards at various shows. She is patient and positive, while still producing improvements and results in the horses and riders. The focus of Shaun’s training program is to develop an enjoyable partnership between the horse and rider, creating achievable goals, building confident riders and happy horses. Whether for the show ring or just riding at home, each horse and each rider take advantage of Shaun’s expansive use of exercises tailored to bring out the best in each pair.

Stall Board is available for Dressage enthusiasts in Auburn, WA (Enumclaw Plateau). Tower Lane Farm takes pride in providing the optimum care for your equine partners offering a quiet, professional, friendly atmosphere to riders of all levels of dressage. The farm is situated on 20 lush acres of fenced pastures and paddocks. The barn has 17 matted 11x12 inside stalls and 12 matted outdoor stalls with individual paddocks for 24/7 access to turn out. A combination of pasture and paddock turnout is provided 6 days per week, hay fed 2-3 x daily, grain fed 2 x daily, and 2 wash racks. For riding and training the farm has a 59’x120’ fully enclosed indoor arena with mirrors, 90’x218’ outdoor arena, both with premium footing, aisleways between pastures for hacking and trails nearby.

Please PM for more info.

01/02/2024

Join us at Tower Lane Farm with a rare opening to work with trainer, Shaun Myers (SKM Dresssage). A USEF Silver Metalist and FEI rider, Shaun has developed many horses to be successful Grand Prix competitors, bringing many of them along from young, lower level horses. She has achieved many local championships as well as received multiple national all-breed and Horse of the Year awards. She has trained with Christine Traurig and Raphael Heiligers among others, and has cliniced as well with many international dressage riders and trainers. Shaun has also trained many riders to both local and national competitions and awards, and many students have received high point awards at various shows. She is patient and positive, while still producing improvements and results in the horses and riders. The focus of Shaun’s training program is to develop an enjoyable partnership between the horse and rider, creating achievable goals, building confident riders and happy horses. Whether for the show ring or just riding at home, each horse and each rider take advantage of Shaun’s expansive use of exercises tailored to bring out the best in each pair.

Stall Board is available for Dressage enthusiasts in Auburn, WA (Enumclaw Plateau). Tower Lane Farm takes pride in providing the optimum care for your equine partners offering a quiet, professional, friendly atmosphere to riders of all levels of dressage. The farm is situated on 20 lush acres of fenced pastures and paddocks. The barn has 17 matted 11x12 inside stalls and 12 matted outdoor stalls with individual paddocks for 24/7 access to turn out. A combination of pasture and paddock turnout is provided 6 days per week, hay fed 2-3 x daily, grain fed 2 x daily, and 2 wash racks. For riding and training the farm has a 59’x120’ fully enclosed indoor arena with mirrors, 90’x218’ outdoor arena, both with premium footing, aisleways between pastures for hacking and trails nearby.

Please PM for more info.

12/29/2023

Size 8 with weighted tails. Get ready to steal the show with this stunning Pikeur Dressage Shadbelly. Made in Germany, this coat is perfect for any equestrian event. The tailored fit and elegant design make it an ideal choice for women who want to look their best in the show ring. Th...

12/29/2023

Used JRD dressage saddle. Lots of miles left. In good shape but need a new home.

12/29/2023

This JRD 17.5” Dressage Saddle is perfect for riders who are looking for a comfortable and reliable saddle to use during their training or competition. With its high-quality craftsmanship and superior design, this saddle is sure to provide you with the comfort and support you need to perform yo...

10/13/2023

Championships 2023 is a wrap! So proud of my amazing students and how hard they’ve worked! Their dedication paid off with a stellar outing!! Blue ribbons and great scores!! Amanda Panno and Heather Krist’s Izzy won their first outing at the show in a very competitive class!! They put in another solid ride for the first level championships, but finished just out of the ribbons. Audrey Panno and her pony Fergus were very competitive all weekend! They finished 2nd in their warm-up class with a super solid test!! The rest of the weekend they were consistently in the ribbons with a 5th place finish in the huge 1st level class, 3rd with a 70% in the dressage seat equitation class and a 4th place for her freestyle!! Alina Cierkowski and Choppy did super and I’m so happy they are a new addition to the SKM team! They put in a solid 2nd level championship test and received 3rd and the two of them presented themselves beautifully in the dressage seat equitation finals! Looking forward to exciting things for their future show season!! Cadence Welch and Dakota showed us all how it’s done! She had a tough first test and rallied like nobody’s business! She won her next 1st level test, got 4th place in a super competitive 1st level championship and got 6th in the huge dressage seat equitation class!! So impressed with her determination and dedication!! Danielle Welch and Vested have come so far since she bought him as a youngster and has done nearly all of the training herself!! Their first full show season out as a team and they received a 3rd in their warm-up class, 4th in their 2nd level championship class and even received an invitation to nationals!!! So proud of this pair!! Finally, my mom, Laurie McLaughlin and Vogue made my heart full. She has worked so hard with this talented but tricky horse and her hard work has paid off in abundance. Not only did she put together a beautiful PSG test, but she won reserve champion in an extremely competitive class!! I am so proud of her as both her trainer and her daughter!! She’s a rockstar!!
Thank you to my wonderful clients for making my job so rewarding!! I’m truly appreciative and proud of all of you!!

07/23/2023

Dressage at Devonwood! Super fun weekend with a super fun group!

Danielle and Vested had a super successful weekend, culminating with winning BOTH of their second level classes on Sunday!

Cadence and Dakota gained lots of show miles for this new partnership. They won both of their Equitation classes with scores to 80%!!

Audrey and Fergus put in solid tests all weekend and continued to perform their lovely 1st level freestyle! They were super competitive in all of their classes, even against professionals.

Amanda and Izzy went down centerline for the first time together this weekend! They put in solid tests and even won their 1st level class on Saturday!

Laurie and Vogue continues to refine their PSG test. They were second in nearly every class this weekend and some of their trickier movements were consistently improved with higher scores!

Kent and Jazzmeyer achieved their huge goal for the year this weekend! They achieved all of their bronze medal scores, through all three needed levels, in one season. SUPER impressive!!! They also put together some lovely tests and qualified for championships.

So proud of this awesome group of humans and horses!! All of their hard work paid off this weekend and I couldn’t be more proud!! 💕💕

07/03/2023

Congratulations to Laurie McLaughlin and Vogue!! You’ve worked so hard and deserve this High Point!

04/20/2023

🌟🥇𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝑹𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒔??🥇🌟

📣🐴Before we get into this week's video, I wanted to remind you about my FREE Rider Position Webinar happening this Sunday, April 23rd, at 12:00 noon PT. https://amelianewcombdressage.com/free-rider-position-webinar-23/📣🐴

✅Rider position is SO important, and often, many training issues can be traced down to problems with rider position! In this webinar, we will be covering all aspects of your rider position and how it affects your riding and training. Save your seat now - we have a limited number of seats available! This webinar is going to be epic!

👂🐎Have you ever heard Charlotte Dujardin’s famous quote “Short reins win gold medals”? Ever wondered why you should ride with short reins? Do you find that your reins keep getting too long when you're riding?

🎬🐎❤In this week’s video, we will be covering all these topics! First, let’s discuss why it is important to ride with short reins. Find the full post and video here: https://amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/short-reins-win-gold-medals/

When your reins are too long:
1. 🤝 😱 You can’t establish a steady contact.
2. 💔 Therefore, your connection is broken and it is nearly impossible to get your horse round and on the bit!
3. ⚖️😲 When your reins are too long, your balance is thrown off because you have to work harder to get your horse to turn, be round, stop, etc. Plus, your inconsistency can be annoying to the horse!

Short reins allow you to:
1. 🤝😎Maintain a steady contact and get your horse round and connected.
2. ⚖️🤩Have more stability in your seat, which allows you to be more organized and in control.
3. 🤫🦄Use subtle aids keep your horse organized and to turn, become round, stop, back up, etc.

🐎🥇Riding with shorter reins will allow you to have a better rider position, and allow you to carry your hands, use smaller aids, and be more effective in getting your horse round. Try these tips in your rides this week and see what happens! I know it will help you in your next steps to finding that ride you love! Full post and video can be found here: https://amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/short-reins-win-gold-medals/

Happy Riding!
Amelia

02/25/2023

LOVE this!!!

Training tips, strategies and philosophies from this five-time Olympian and world-class horseman

02/23/2023

A conversation about baby horse riding with a student prompted me to look through old photos of the babies I’ve developed over the years. This is Vyshauna at three years old. 💕💕. Such a talented girl and Horse of the year in 2014!! I also found a picture of our “loot” (lol) from the USDF convention that year for the four babies we showed under saddle and their all-breed and HOY prizes. So grateful for the opportunity and experience to develop these horses over the years.

02/21/2023

“Short reins win gold medals.” -Charlotte Dujardin

Do you struggle to keep a steady contact? Are your reins always getting too long? Does your horse constantly pull the reins out of your hands? As Charlotte Dujardin famously said “Short reins win gold medals”, and she’d know right!? The right rein length is crucial for us to be able to communi...

02/05/2023

Great words 😍
credits: Gatsby Quality Products

01/17/2023

Let’s talk arena etiquette…

All barns are different for different reasons. Each barn does the best they can with what they have. Indoor, outdoor, round pen, whatever they have available.

Yes, as a boarder, trainer, trailer in student you are paying to have use of the facility. However, your barn and arena are a community. Therefore if one wrecks it for others… either all have to work around it or all help fix it.

Some days you may have the arena completely to yourself and other days it may be filled and hard to use… a few pieces of advice to ensure you get the most use out of the arenas you rent.

TALK!!
-Talk or look at your trainers teaching schedule
-Talk as you enter AND leave the arena
-Ask where the best place to lunge may be if there are others riding
-Talk as your ride. Telling others inside or outside, diagonal, circle, etc
-Talk if your horse makes manure AND return to retrieve it
-Don’t talk to a trainer as they teach unless it’s your lesson
-Don’t talk if you audit a lesson/clinic. Become literally a fly on the wall.

Your arenas are a community. Take care of it and respect the others who share it with you. How do you want your arena left if you owned it? How do want your lessons to go if you were paying to participate in one?

-Fill in any holes your horse makes
-Retrieve and remove manure
-Avoid only riding the rail… unless you enjoy raking it back in
-If you break it, you buy it
-If you move it, move it back
-If you turn it on, turn it off

You are RENTING the facility. It is NOT yours. Owners, Managers and Trainers are not in the horse business to make millions. The amount of time and money that is spent on footing, dragging, electricity, etc is so often over looked. As a boarder, a trainer, a trainer in student you do NOT own the arenas. Please, respect the time and money spent we take to keep these arenas a community. Clean, bright, level… As they may not always be there to share.

01/17/2023

LETS TALK ABOUT ULCERS AND ALFALFA!!!!

Thought this was neat and worth sharing🤔

Alfalfa and horses with ulcers
Research from Texas A&M University shows that feeding alfalfa to horses with the potential to be high performers either prevents or is therapeutic in treating stomach ulcers.

Something in alfalfa hay tends to buffer acid production, said Dr. Pete Gibbs, Extension horse specialist. Feeding grain, confinement, exercise and overall environmental stress factors are thought to cause ulcers, he said. Studies have shown that horses will heal if provided less acidic diets.

In the research, 24 quarter horses from 12-16 months old were separated into two treatment groups. One group was fed Bermuda grass hay and the other fed alfalfa hay to meet the daily roughage needs. The yearlings received forced exercise during the study. The horses were examined internally with an endoscope at the beginning and end of two 28-day trials.

It's commonly thought that horses turned out on pastures are better off than those that are confined. However, if grass hay is the only hay they are fed, horses can still get gastric ulcers, he said.

In this study, ulcer scores increased when alfalfa was removed from the horses diets, and they were turned out on pasture. Under the ulcer-scoring system, 0 signified no ulcers, with severity increasing to level 4.

Further work is needed to look at horses with varying degrees of ulceration to better determine the full extent to which alfalfa or alfalfa-based products might help from a feeding management standpoint.

Based on what we know right now, for horses that are kept in confinement, eating feed and getting forced exercise, it makes sense to consider some alfalfa as part of their diet, he said.

Until further research is done, he recommends, horses weighing between 1,000-1,300 pounds should be fed about 1 pound of alfalfa after a grain meal.

Follow this link: http://agnews.tamu.edu/showstory.php?id=224

12/22/2022

10/19/2022

Carl Hester’s Tip on Riding Piaffe:"I was told when you go forward you bring your body forward and when you want to come back, you bring your body back. And it is amazing how most of us do the opposite to that. He always said to me, when you piaffe, you should be sitting over your knee, not sitting on your backside.” Read more wisdom from Carl: https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2021/04/top-tip-on-riding-piaffe-with-carl-hester/

10/11/2022

Love this!!

I was scared today.

I was scared to get on, scared to walk out the yard because I had a bad ride the day before. One bad ride, and it made me scared.

I didn’t know why. I’ve had 1000 bad rides. I’ve had 1000 falls. I’ve broken bones and bruised my pride on countless occasions, but today I was scared.

Why? Because confidence is fragile. It takes months and years to build and seconds to lose and yet we are so careless with it.

When we get on a horse, we wear a hat to protect our head. We wear body protectors, gloves, boots...

We pay so much attention to protecting ourselves physically, we forget that our minds are not invincible, and our confidence certainly is not.

Your bank of confidence needs regular deposits, not just from others... but from you. Self confidence is the most valuable currency in life.

When you go to get on, and you hesitate, you falter and you start to ask yourself “can I do this?”, chances are, your account is almost empty.

Every time you laugh and say “oh no, I’m no good” or “so and so is 10x better than me”, you make a withdrawal from that account, and before you know it, your account is empty and you’re scared to get on.

But every time you say “I’m really pleased with how that went” or “I think I rode that really well”, your balance increases.

We need to learn to give ourselves a break, pat ourselves on the back and allow ourselves to feel proud of where we are - after all, most of the time we’ve worked bloody hard to get there!

Recognising your strengths is just as important as recognising your weaknesses. Never allow yourself or anyone else to empty that account.

Confidence is valuable, don’t bankrupt yourself.

09/03/2022

Not a bad haul!! Showed four baby horses this year (2014) and they were all champion or reserve champion nationally in their divisions, with one even being Horse of the Year!! I’m so excited to bring along another baby!! Can’t wait for Daydream’s next kiddo!! ❤️❤️