Sitting astride her first horse at the tender age of 14 months, and beginning her riding career in earnest by age 5, Carolyn boasts more than 30 years of experience riding, training, and showing horses in various disciplines, including Thoroughbred race jockeying, western pleasure & horsemanship, huntseat, halter, trail riding, and more. Carolyn has spent the last 12 years of her riding career enjoying the art of classical dressage and truly believes it to be the best foundational beginning for any horse and rider.

“For me, horsemanship is all about achieving a fluid connection of both mind and body between the horse and rider, and developing a subtlety of aids that allows the horse to perform to his best potential without negative influence from the rider. This same tenet holds true whether you want to pursue dressage as a sport, if you want to compete in western performance or speed events, or if you simply prefer going out for a hack on your trail horse.”

Carolyn is a member of Marshfield Saddle Club where, for the last three years, she has chaired their dressage schooling shows, providing a low-cost, low-stress, supportive and learning environment for people wanting to gain some exposure to the world of dressage. She is also a member of the Northern Chapter of Wisconsin Dressage & Combined Training Association (WDCTA) and attends clinics and lessons with USDF-rated instructors as often as possible to further enhance her dressage education.

Additionally, Carolyn is a member of the American Riding Instructors Association (ARIA) and enjoys sharing her horse-related experience with young, 4-H, and beginning adult riders through lessons and clinics. Over the years Carolyn has hosted a number of clinics and other events in the local community to introduce participants to the fundamentals of dressage and help build an appreciation for the sport.