HANA POULIN
3 Towle Road
Epping, New Hampshire 03042
EQUINE EXPEREINCE AND KNOWLEDGE
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Hana learned to ride growing up on her parent’s horse farm, Highland Dressage, in Falmouth, Maine. Hana started riding at around 4 years old and her principal instructors were her mother, Michal Rogers Gould and her father, Lawrence Poulin. Both parents are award winning dressage and driving recipients.... (read more) Hana’s paternal family also includes Michael Poulin, Bronze Medalist for the USA Olympic Team in 1992. Hana’s mother has been the recipient of numerous award for dressage and carriage driving competitions and has guided Hana through her teenage and adult years of dressage and driving competitions.
HANA’S EXPERIENCE
As a child, Hana trained her Welsh Cob pony, Panadama Merry Bell, “Cricket”, in driving and riding. Together they competed in pleasure driving and single pony combined driving in the USA and Canada. The pair was awarded the Canadian classic Best Junior Driver and New England Welsh Cob champion. Cricket and Hana also won the combined driving reserve Champion at the Laurels in Unionville, Pa. Until recently Cricket was with Hana and was used as a school master pony for riding and driving. Unfortunately, Cricket passed away in September of 2020 at the age of 31.
Hana graduated from Unity College in 2006, and considered a career in environmental science but horses were in her blood. In 2011, Hana made her FEI debut earning her United States Dressage Federation, USDF, Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals. In 2012 Hana purchased Agamemnon Da Raposa, ‘Agi’ an 8 year old Lusitano imported from Brazil. New England Dressage Association (NEDA) championship awards with Agi include fifth place at First Level Adult Amateur (AA), sixth place at Second Level Open, second place at Third Level Open, fourth place at Fourth Level NEDA Championships Sweepstakes Open Class. The pair plans to continue to compete in 2021 at the FEI level. To better understand all aspects of dressage both, performance and judging, Hana started the ‘L’ judge program.
In 2014 Hana started working with Sable Oak Equestrian Center and Sherrye Johnson-Trafton. Here Hana worked as an assistant trainer, riding instructor and driving instructor. This ongoing experience has taught her the basics of Western Riding, among many other things. Continuing her passion for dressage Hana trained numerous horses and ponies of various breeds to drive single, as a pair and under saddle in and out of Sable Oak Equestrian Center. Hana competed a 4 year old green broke Fjord gelding, named Brittas Chance, owned by Melanie and Clint Wallace of Whispering Willow Fjords Farm, located in Woolwich Maine. Chance was a pony with little to no training for driving or riding. Under Hana’s tutelage for a period of one month, Chance and Hana were awarded single pony champion at The Maine Event located in Skowhegan Maine in 2015. In Tunica, Mississippi Hana competed with Mimosa and Flirtini, a gypsy pair owned by Bob and Kate Reed of Dungarvan Feather Farm located in Connecticut. The gypsy pair won all classes they were entered in. One class entered was a versatility class. The driving pair versatility challenge included going over a tarp, maneuvering through cones and opening a mailbox.
Hana created her own business Hana Poulin Dressage & Driving LLC in 2016. During this time Hana continued to travel throughout Maine and New England helping clients with riding and driving instruction or other equine assistance. In 2017 Hana leased a portion of Sable Oak Equestrian Center where she built a successful boarding, training and lesson program.
After building such a successful program that encompassed Mid-coast and Southern Maine Hana decided to purchase a farm with Jessica S. Matson in Epping, New Hampshire. July of 2019 Moonlight Equestrian Center was established. Hana’s facilities at Moonlight Equestrian Center, includes a full size indoor arena, with an accompanying outside arena. Two barns housing 16 stalls. There 3 run out sheds all on eleven acres of land of which 8 acres are dedicated to pasture. The center has access to trails ponds and lovely gardens.
Hana is known as the “Mary Poppins” of horse training. She is constantly looking for the causes of any equine difficulty in temperament, feeding, care, and/or training, among others. She finds creative and working solutions to solve these and many other horse related issues.
EQUINE TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION
Hana has trained with various recognized equestrian instructors and continues to reach out with additional learning and instruction from outstanding dressage experts. The following are the name and some of accomplishments of her instructors:
Larry Poulin: 10 time USA Team member at World Driving Pair Combined Championships. Won the United States Equestrian Team, USET, Championships, 8 times. Larry has been on the USA team having traveled with the team and family to Germany, Austria, Hungary, England and Poland
Michael Poulin: Member 1992 OUS Equestrian Olympic team. Bronze medal at Barcelona Olympic Games 1992. Founder of the North American dressage Trainers Association. Member of the international Association of Dressage Trainers. Helped establish Classical Dressage Riders Association. Trains nationally and internationally as an “I” rated dressage judge and dressage coach.
Rodrigo de Matos: Director Portuguese School of Equestrian Art. Noted worldwide trainer.
Bill Warren: Bill is an FEI 4* USEF 'S' Dressage Judge, and USDF Gold Medalist. Works with riders and horses from training to Grand Prix level.
Bill McMullen: USEF 'R' Dressage Judge, a USDF Gold Medalist, and a USDF
Certified Instructor and Faculty member. Works with horses and riders from training to Grand Prix level.
Michelle Gibson: USA Olympic Dressage team Bronze medalist, 1996 Atlanta Olympics. German “Golden Rider Medal” presented at the 1996 Olympics by the President of the German National Federation. First American rider to earn this award. First time awarded out of Germany
L’Annee Hippique awarded 5th Place Rider in the World
Appointed as a member of the State of Georgia’s Commission on Women Sports Trailblazers (1995)
2008 USEF Intermidiarie National Champion
2007 USEF Young Horse Dressage Championship Developing Horse National Champion 2006 USET Foundation Festival of Champions USEF National Intermediare Champion
L’Annee Hippique “Top 20 in the World”
Licensed by German Federation to ride at Grand Prix level in Germany
U.S. Olympic Committee's Female Equestrian if the Year
George Williams: Dressage education with Egon von Neindorff in Germany.
Mentored by Karl Mikolka,
Rode and trained at Tempel Lipizzans for 20 years, program director for 13.
Won numerous championships, was fifth place at the 2003 World Cup in Sweden, team bronze at CHIO Aachen in 2005 and USDF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle Horse of the Year.
Gwyneth McPherson: USDF Bronze, Silver & Gold Medalist,
30+ years’ experience competing, training, and teaching dressage. With 3 US Olympians (Lendon Gray, Carol Lavell & Michael Poulin) as mentors,
Unique perspective and wealth of knowledge to share. Ribbon winner at regional and national championships since 1984,
Skilled teacher to both riders and horses, from young horses to Grand Prix.
