Kelly Beaubien's Profile

My passion began at the age of 8 when I was introduced to my older cousin's Christmas present: a white and dun colored tobiano paint mare named Odyssey. My pleas of getting my own horse were met with an emphatic NO from my parents, but a compromise was made and I began riding lessons at a stable in Highland, MI. My first horse was purchased when I was 12, a very stubborn and sassy red roan mare named Sahara that taught me a respect for finding a purpose that best suits each individual horse. Since then, I have been a competitor and coach for the Milford High School Equestrian Team where I coached riders in Western and Hunt Seat Equitation, Bareback, and Gymkhana to the MIHA State Championships 6 years in a row. I was also one of the founding coaches for the Huron Valley Middle School Equestrian Team.

I attended Michigan State University and received my certificate in Horse Farm Management with a focus on training and instruction. While attending MSU, I was hand-picked out of her class for an internship at Massman Stables, working under the Nationally renowned and highly respected coach of over 100 National Champion riders, Leesa Massman. Within a year and a half, I was promoted to Farm Manager of Massman Stables and Lesson Program Director. There I developed programs for the YMCA of Lansing, Mason and Eaton Rapids School Districts, Boy Scouts of America, and hosted camps and clinics for my own students and 4-H groups around the state. 

As a competitor in multiple breeds and disciplines, I enjoy the hard work on the road to the show ring almost more than the win. I have a light-hearted and fun approach to my lessons for both youth and adults. My program not only teaches a solid foundation in horsemanship, but gives insight into the horse psychology. I believe that to build a true partnership with your horse, you must understand how it thinks and why it reacts the way it does. I love working with riders who are preparing for competition and stress that the most important part of riding is having fun and enjoying your experience with your horse.