Diana Stewart's Letter:
The epitome of an unsung hero for this magnificent breed is an amazing
trainer of both children and adults who is self taught but now an accomplished
and respected horsewoman, Karen Bragg in Sherwood
Oregon. Karen started out as a young girl with a passion for horses but no
access to them. She read everything she could find, talked with everyone
she could meet, saved all her allowance and money she could earn and bought her
own first horse for which she paid all expenses while teaching herself to ride
while in her early teens. She worked all the grunt horsy jobs, stable
hand, groom, rider, cooler while going through college and then decided that her
future was with horses - particularly Arabs. Since then, over the last 30
years, Karen has built her own respected stable of 30-40 horses, including her
family's private mounts and lesson horses - all Arabs and the aprox 20 horses
who board with her.
While other Arab breeders and trainers focus solely on the show
ring and flaunt their expertise with more advanced riders, Karen has built a
reputation as the person to go to if you want your child to know and appreciate
the basic foundations of dressage influenced English riding, care for horses,
and how to train your own horse to better and better levels of skill and
performance. You never see a trainer mounting one of Karen's student's
horses at a horse show to correct behavior to get the horse "whipped into
shape" for the rider to mount and take into the ring seconds later.
Rather, you see Karen in the ring explaining for the 5 th time what the student
needs to do to correct themselves and the horse. My own daughter began
with Karen when she was 8 buying her own Anglo-Arab at 12 and training him to
Western (he'd never had a Western saddle on his back), successfully showing him
in Regionals this summer in Level One Dressage, and competing in 3 day eventing
classes...all this on a green broke horse when we bought him.
Karen has amazing ability as a teacher. She can explain a
difficult concept clearly, simply, using analogies and then coming up with other
analogies when the first doesn't sink in. Children adore her while
respecting and wanting to please. Adults keep coming back for more and
more. Praise from Karen isn't easily earned and when received is prized.
My daughter, now 20, joins Karen occasionally from college with
her horse at local shows. While wanting me to appreciate the well executed
dressage movement or well taken jump, she still is eager to know if Karen was in
the stands and wants her feedback and approval - years after ending lessons with
her.
Karen began, built and sustained a large and success 4-H horse
club for over 18 years to allow her students an additional opportunity to learn
about horses beyond what the restrictions of a class time would permit.
Karen developed a curriculum that is still used by the club now that it's
leadership has passed to parents. The members cycle through a 4 year
curriculum learning horse anatomy, faults, diseases, horse conformation judging,
tack, bits and their proper use, feed and nutrition, and how to buy a horse and
what considerations should be in play. Karen has also instituted with her
students, their families, and friends an annual horse camping trip taking 18-20
horses into the mountains of central Oregon to camp and trail ride.
Karen's own family inspires all who
know them with their annual trail rides into the high
mountains, packing all of their needs onto their own horses and respecting the
natural ecology to do no trace camping.
It is the experience of many families who have never owned a
horse, that the experience of 4-H and their varied experiences in the class
room, show ring, and mountain trails with Karen have made the ownership of a
horse seem possible. Karen goes with prospective families to look at new
horse, judge the fit of the horse to the child and help with the negotiation and
transportation home. Knowing that Karen is there to come to with the
insecurities of having a new horse and being ignorant - has given countless
families the willingness to buy that purchase for themselves or their child.
Karen clearly knows her stuff. She approaches the care of the horses under
her care with the right priorities - nutrition is carefully thought out and
money is put into animals mouths with the kind of quality groceries and
supplements that leave her barns filled with beautiful sleek animals no matter
the age. She discourages owners from spending money needlessly on the
latest gimmicks - whether tack or supplements - that do not directly contribute
to a healthy, happy horse.
Karen is a great role model and constant advocate for the Arab.
She taught herself the breeding and bloodlines of the Arab back to the desert.
Many of us have had the pleasure of having Karen draw our pedigrees and then
tell us the stories of each of the famous sires and dams. In fact, some of
my favorite times with Karen have been around the trail ride camp fire with the
girls begging Karen to tell more stories of a famous war mares or of famous
studs and how their blood lines reached Oregon.
The lessons learned by children and adults who are not handed a
finished product but rather learn to ride and train from Karen last a lifetime.
Lessons in horsemanship to be sure, but also lessons in humility, patience,
perseverance, and commitment.
And over and over, I've seen the varied experiences what children and adults
have had with Karen create a bond between owner and Arab that is unrivaled
anywhere.
You can see more about Karen from her website - www.paintedvalley.com.
I guess I didn't mention that she is a judge, has written several books on
pedigrees and articles about training, care, etc., teaches a series of community
education courses on horse training, horse nutrition, and high country no trace
horse camping. And certainly not less, she has begun a second and third
generation of Arab lovers and horse professionals in her own family. As
you can see from her website, Karen's own daughter, Katie, is now the farm
trainer and works with students of all levels. Her two year old son is
fast on her heals.
Karen is certainly an unsung hero, passing on her unending
enthusiasm and passion for the Arab in multiple ways to countless