Susanne Winslade, a New England native, currently operates Meridian Farm in the Wolfeboro area of New Hampshire. In her youth she participated in United States Pony Club, fox hunting with Wentworth and Timberlane Hunt Clubs and Evented through Preliminary level. While still in her teens she was riding a successful string of clients horses on the New England Hunter Jumper Circuit. Soon after graduating from High School she completed a rigorous instructors program sponsored by the British Horse Society in Cornwall England.
As a young adult she discovered the art of Dressage and has worked to unlock it's mysteries ever since. Her innovative, yet classical style of teaching is in part a result of her many years with two of the most respected dressage instructors in the country: Michael Poulin and Kathy Connelly. Under the tutelage of the latter, Sue competed and trained to F.E.I. on the Westfalian stallion, North Star. In 1982 she was one of three equestrians from New England to be selected for the Violet Hopkins Instructors Clinic at the Violet Hopkins Dressage Institute in Michigan. Susanne is a Level IV National Examiner for United States Pony Club, a position she has held for over 30 years. Recently she became one of the first Dressage Specialty Examiners in the country.
Over the years Susanne has filled many roles as a member of the equestrian community. Some large, some small, some public, others quite private. But as the heart of it all is her deep love for the dance of dressage and her commitment to passing down the art. With a little luck and good timing, you will most often find her in an arena somewhere in the U.S. with an eager horse and rider wrapping colorful, right brained images around very difficult, classical concepts. Understanding very clearly that not everyone learns in the same way, Sue's gift is the ability to peel back the layers to the root of the problem, and give each student the tools they need to solve each problem for themselves.
A view of Ham's Bluff on St. Croix
Photo by Leonora Giguere
Over the past several years, Sue has been spending more and more time on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She hopes to make a more permanent move there in the future.
It is a beautiful island filled with sunshine and good people. St. Croix is home to a very active Pony Club and Sue had developed a strong relationship with it's members and leaders.
In March of 2009 she organized and taught an instructors clinic for all of the pony club instructors on the island. It focused on sharpening an instructors eye for correcting body misalignments early in a child's career and expanding on creative approaches to reach all of the different learning styles that instructors must address in their groups. This two part clinic was a great success and could be applied to any group of instructors within or outside of pony club.
Susanne on the Westfalian stallion "North Star" competing on the Florida circuit.
photo by:Laura Strassman
Susanne has trained extensively in the arts of dance, Tai Chi and yoga. She has studied at UNH towards a degree in counseling and guidance. Because of these rich and varied experiences she is able to bring a fresh approach to the many challenges that riders face.
Sue has several different styles of clinics to suit different needs. For a listing of the types of clinics you can attend or host, please visit our "clinic options" page.
photo by: Laura Strassman
Although Sue Winslade has deep roots in the New England area, she travels extensively to teach across the U.S. Her Meridian Farm is located near Wolfeboro N.H., but she also spends time in the U.S. Virgin Islands on the Island of St. Croix.
If you would like to book a clinic with Sue please contact her at (603)986-4059
or email Leonora Giguere at
leo99dav99@charter.net
