Meet Michelle Coad
Michelle had her first horse-human interaction on a trail ride at Pike’s Peak in Colorado, at age 5. Like most childhood experiences, there are few specifics about the ride that she recalls, but the sense of connection and community forged between her and her trail partner,“Ol’ Judge”, remains strong and at the core her equine relationships today.
At 10, her family moved to central Maine, and she was fortunate to take up her dedicated riding education just as Michael and Thomas Poulin started their new “American School of Dressage.” Although owning a horse was out of reach for Michelle’s family, she pursued every opportunity to learn and grow as a rider: she was a committed student of Michael’s wife Sharon Poulin, a member of the local 4H club, exchanged babysitting for showing opportunities, and worked summers at Mike and Tom’s brother Bill Poulin’s Montsweag Bay Farm in Wiscasset, Maine. The benefit of not owning a horse as a youth was the opportunity to take lessons and ride many different horses. This broadened her skills from dressage to road hack and trail riding, jumping and vaulting.
After college, Michelle continued to seek out equestrian educational experiences and bought her first horse, Docksider Dan, training him through 4th level dressage. Through the years, Michelle and Dan learned from some of Maine’s most prominent trainers, principally:
- USDF Certified Instructor and FEI competitor Judy Westlake
- USDF L judge and FEI competitor Christine Joost
- gymnastic, stadium and cross-country jumping with BHS-trained and international competitor Mary (Guenzel) O’Rourke
To further her equestrian education she has attended USDF National Symposiums, Olympic Selection Trials, Instructor Certification Workshops and USDF Judging programs. From observing and listening to accomplished masters of classical dressage, Michelle is convinced that the refinement and subtlety of the aids are paramount to clear communication and the development of a sensitive and responsive partner. A highlight of her equestrian experiences was meeting Dr. Reiner Klimke in Cologne, Germany, where she watched him school and compete young horses at a two-day M level show.