Merrilee Thoresen
Growing up in New England my early riding
experiences included summers spent in Vermont at Merry Meadow Farm where
instruction was focused on US Pony Club basics and I was introduced
to the sport of combined training. As a teenager in the mid-1980s
I was a working student for Rebecca Coffin at Coffin Sport Horse Training
Center in Dover Plains, NY. Summers with Rebecca revolved around
a busy showing schedule that included Area I horse trials such as: Groton
House, Hamilton, MA; GMHA, Woodstock, VT; Huntington Farm, South Stratford,
VT; and many others. As a student at the University of New Hampshire
I began to develop new interests and wanted to travel and it was time
to take a break from riding. Upon graduating I moved out west
and after several years skiing, mountain biking and hiking in Montana,
an interest in aquatic ecology brought about a return to academics and
ultimately led to a doctoral degree in Marine Sciences here in Athens
at UGA. With the move back east I left behind the Rocky Mountains
and returned to riding horses in 1997, bought a young Thoroughbred in
2000 and purchased the farm in 2001.
In recent years I have benefited from
instruction over fences with Emma Winter (see Clinics) and dressage
with Anke Boersma (Veritas Farm) who visits neighboring Somerset Farm
on a monthly basis. My interest in pilates and experiences as
a rider and skier have taught me the importance of body alignment, core
strength, biomechanics and the mind-body connection. These fundamental
concepts, among many others, have been related to horse and rider in
the writing of both Sally Swift (Centered Riding) and Mary Wanless (For the Good of the Rider, For the Good of the Horse etc.). The excellent
visual and descriptive images provided in these books coupled with my
riding experience, my interest in pilates and its application to sports
as well as our everyday lives have all greatly influenced and helped
me develop my current teaching style.
For more information on lessons and opportunities
for riding students at SSSH-LLC, please refer to Training/Instruction.
Thanks for your interest.