112 SIDELINES APRIL 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
if the surgery had worked. In the meantime, she had to keep her
arm immobilized against her torso with an elastic stabilizer around
her waist.
“The surgery had been so hard on my body and my nervous
system, that it set off my leg spasticity again and I had to learn
to walk for a second time,” said Lara. “When I could finally let my
arm down in April 2007, I had therapy to train the nerve by breath-
ing in or bearing down. When it moved a little bit, it was like a
miracle. For a long time after I regretted the surgery but now that I
can lift my arm up to the side about as high as my shoulder, and I
can bend my arm at the elbow, it was worth it. Even that reduced
range of motion is better than having a floppy uncontrollable arm
hanging out of my shoulder socket. I can now lift my arm up to
put my seatbelt on, put my own jacket on, carry small things up
against my body, shut my car door, and use it to help bridle my
horse. My hand is still completely paralyzed and floppy and gets
in the way, but I wear a wrist brace to stabilize it. Often strangers
start a conversation asking me if I have carpel tunnel, and I just
say, ‘I wish!’”
After a year, Lara returned to work while continuing to go to
physical therapy. “It took me several years before I could really
embrace the fact of how lucky it was that I could even walk at all.
Just an inch either way, and I could have been a paraplegic, quad-
riplegic or even dead,” expressed Lara. She also continued to ride
and found a therapeutic riding instructor to help her with her goals.
In 2010, Lara attended the World Equestri-
an Games in Lexington, Kentucky where she
watched the para-dressage freestyle compe-
tition. “Those amazing athletes inspired me to
try dressage again,” said Lara. Unfortunately,
the town she lived in had no indoor arena
and no local dressage instructors. As luck
would have it, the closest barn that offered
dressage lessons was the National Ability
Center (NAC) in Park City, Utah. Since they
specialize in adaptive riding, it was a perfect
place for Lara to begin riding dressage again.
After a year of riding at the NAC, Lara was
nominated for an award with the Professional
Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship In-
ternational (PATH). When I was selected as
PATH’s “Independent Adult Equestrian of the
Year” I got an all-expenses paid trip back to
Lexington, Kentucky to accept my award in
November 2011. After the ceremony, a wom-
an from the Carlisle Academy in Maine in-
vited me to attend their U.S. Para-Equestrian
Dressage Training Camp in April 2012.
When Lara started training to compete at
the FEI Para-Dressage level in 2012, she had
to drive two hours each way for her lessons
with trainer Annie Sweet in Heber City, Utah.
“I used to drive down Friday afternoon, take
a lesson, stay overnight at a friend’s house,
take a lesson on Saturday, and drive home,”
Lara said. Knowing that wasn’t sustainable,
Dan and Lara applied and were offered jobs
in Salt Lake City. The husband and wife duo and their horses
moved within three miles of her dressage barn in June 2012, giv-
ing Lara a chance to train five days a week.
While riding a friend’s horse with trainer Annie Sweet, Annie ex-
plained to Lara that if she wanted to be competitive at the national
level and eventually the international level she would need a com-
petitive horse. Annie and Lara found uniqueness in a registered
AQHA Quarter Horse at their farm. The horse was a great mover,
easy on the bit, and could collect with a push of a button. Since
he had neck-reining training from years ago, Lara found this horse
perfect for her one-handed riding while being sensitive enough to
listen to her individual fingers, her seat and leg for steering.
Team Lara began to progress at a rapid rate and in May 2013,
Lara and Slate entered a USEF/USDF recognized show where
they earned multiple scores between 64-70%. For Lara and Annie
this was the validation they needed to continue their training. In
June 2013, Team Lara headed to California for their first CPE-
DI3*, which was also a World Equestrian Games qualifier. At the
FEI jog, which occurs the day before competition, a stone bruise
would curtail their plans of competing over the weekend. “It was
very disheartening and very expensive,” noted Lara. “If Slate had
behaved as well during the show as he did that day, I believe
we would have gotten a qualifying score for the World Equestrian
Games. We drove home very sad, tired and broke. On the bright
Continued on page 114
Lara and Slate at the 2013 U.S Para-
Equestrian Dressage Symposium.
Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall
Lara and Dan and their son at Senior
Appreciation Day.
Photo Courtesy of Lara Oles.