Born and raised in Vermont, Michelle has never known a life without horses. “Horse taught” is probably more accurate than “self taught,” but from a childhood of riding, to starting her first baby before she could drive a car, to completing her USDF gold medal on a horse she brought the whole way up, her career is built on putting in the work and always, always, listening to the horses.

Michelle’s mom had a horse before Michelle was born, and Michelle got her first pony, Bucky, when she was 4 years old. She did 4-H and pleasure shows with him, and on her 10th birthday her parents got her an 8 month old paint, Saber (Briars Delight). As she outgrew her pony she began to start Saber, admittedly not knowing at all what she was doing. But they both survived.

She did 4-H and English and Western pleasure with a QH named Artoo while Saber was in training. Once he was ready they did more of the same and began to dabble in jumping.

In 2000 Michelle attended the University of New Hampshire for equine studies and Animal Science. That’s where she discovered eventing; Saber went to school with her and was boarded at an eventing barn. Together they learned how to event, and she made it to beginner novice with the little paint horse she started herself as a teen.

In 2001 she bought a 2 year old Trakehner named See Breeze, with dreams of him becoming her eventing horse. Training him herself with lessons when she could pick them up, they made it to preliminary and competed in a half star event. He retired in 2011 after a pasture injury.

In 2010 Michelle was gifted Roxy Harte, an unbroken 6 year old Hanoverian by Rotspon, by an elderly neighbor who was moving south to retire. She calls this “one of the two most generous acts of kindness that changed my life.” She rode Roxy and competed her in dressage until she was spooked by dogs during a training session in 2012 and injured her suspensory. Michelle decided to breed Roxy while she rehabbed.

That baby is Izzy, who was born in 2013 (Negro x Rotspon). Everyone who knows Izzy and Michelle knows that Izzy is a mare who very few people could have developed. She is not for the faint of heart, but she is incredibly talented and now schooling Prix St George.

The same year Michelle first met Izzy she began riding Laurie for his owner, Ron Kubica, who was out with an injury. Ron let Michelle ride Laurie for 2 years, and in 2015 the second “most generous, most life-changing act of kindness” happened to Michelle when Ron and Christine (Campbell) gifted Laurie to her. That same day, Sarah Hall was handed the challenge of turning Michelle (still eventing) into a full blown dressage rider.

In 2018, with Laurie, Michelle earned her USDF Bronze Medal. In 2019 they earned their Silver. And on July 20, 2021, Michelle earned her Gold Medal.

It was a dream come true for Michelle to earn all of her medals on one horse, especially one she trained from training level the whole way to Grand Prix. She describes Laurie as a horse with “the patience to allow me to make a million mistakes” and “the most genuine heart of any being I’ve known.”

In 2020 during the pandemic Michelle reached out and began training with Heather Mason, who she trains with today. Michelle’s current string of horses includes Izzy, P13 “Pie” (2020 Everdale x Rotspon), Stormdale “Twig” (2022 Everdale x Sinatra Song), and To Feel the Rhythm “Beats” (2023 Latino x Fairytail, co-owned).

Michelle’s number one priority in teaching and training is that the horse understand what’s being asked. If they don’t, she slows things down to explain it better. She never pushes a horse beyond their capacity to learn, and never brings an agenda but instead works at the horse’s pace. Her horses, particularly Izzy, have taught her that ultimately, that’s the fastest path forward!

When asked what they’d want to share about Michelle, one of her students summarized their perspective with “she is one of the rare professionals who can both do AND teach,” and noted that her patience, thoughtfulness and skill as a teacher with the horses extends to them as well.

Michelle teaches and trains at Northern Lights Stables in Danville and is currently building her own training facility in Cabot, to open fall of 2024.