For Sue Miller, childhood horse shows were never about the 70-cent ribbon. It’s no surprise, then, that fun, hard work, and a thorough understanding of the basics take priority over showing and winning in her teaching philosophy.

Now 42, Miller runs the lesson barn at Folly Farm Stables in Simsbury, Conn. Unlike many trainers, Miller’s primary goal for her students is not preparation for the next horse show. She finds her niche teaching horse-crazy kids who love riding but might lack either the funds or the aspiration to show on a regular basis.

It can be hard for a child to devote herself to something when her family moves frequently. Miller can definitely relate; as a child of a military family, she never lived anywhere for long. “We moved a lot, so I never really got settled anywhere. The only familiar thing in every place was the stable and the horses, so I worked hard to be able to spend time there,” she said.

Growing up in Australia, she joined the local Pony Club. She also lived (and rode) in Iran when her father was stationed there. As a child, the opportunity to ride was enough of a blessing that Miller didn’t miss showing regularly. The occasional weekend horse show was a fun chance to compete, but just riding was more important.

Miller’s lesson barn at Folly Farm sits in the midst of a high-quality stable with full show facilities. Situated at the foot of Avon Mountain, Folly Farm includes two indoor arenas, two fenced outdoor rings, and a jumping field. The stable hosts regular hunter schooling shows as well as periodic rated events.

It’s always easy to find Miller at Folly Farm. If she’s not finishing up the barn chores in the lesson aisle or feeding the school horses their dinner, she’s teaching lessons in one of Folly’s rings. Miller is not the type to sit and watch her students ride–she is more likely to be jogging alongside a lazy pony or setting jumps for a grid exercise.

Miller’s devotion to making her students knowledgeable horsemen?without necessarily setting foot in the show ring?has made the Folly lesson program well known. She strives to instill a firm foundation of the basics in each rider, and she teaches much more than how to ride.

Every student is responsible for the grooming and care of the horse he or she rides, and impromptu clinics on barn care, wrapping, and clipping are not uncommon. Miller recognizes the limits that come with getting one’s riding education on school horses: “I know a lot of these kids won’t ever jump more than 2’6″ with me, and that’s OK. They can still learn as much as possible about riding and caring for these animals they love.”

An Indelible Impression

Although the opportunity has presented itself for Miller to take a student into the show ring, she prefers to pass her students on to another trainer when they are ready for competition. “It can be hard watching kids who started with me move on to other trainers,” she said. “I’ve even had a few who don’t
want to. But that’s not my area; I can’t help them the way these other trainers will be able to.”

They may move on, but Miller’s past students never forget the solid education they gained from their years in the Folly lesson barn.

Emily Bell, 15, began riding in Miller’s lesson program when she was 8. “Sue always made sure we took care of the horse,” Bell recalled. “She was never in a rush for us to move up. We learned to trot before we cantered; we learned to canter before we jumped.”

Bell was always ready to challenge herself by riding different school horses, and she is glad that Miller pushed her to get on anything. “[The school horses] really taught you,” she said. “You can always tell the people at shows who grew up riding the same pony every day.”

Miller’s encouragement also played an important role in Bell’s riding. “She always told us that if you were a good listener and were willing to ride as many horses as possible, you could do anything with your riding,” said Bell. “You could go anywhere.”

Now Bell, a competitive equitation rider, trains with Cara Chapel and Michelle Goodrich at Folly Farm. She is grateful for her early years with Miller and believes she was well prepared for the move up to competition. Likewise, she recognizes the benefits of knowing how to care for her own horses. “We never have anyone tack up for us,” she said. “We wrap the horses, we cool them out, we take care of them.”

Sarah Stevenson, 18, rode with and worked for Miller for several years. She now works at a nearby show barn, teaching lessons and riding boarders’ horses. “Sue definitely helped me get where I am today. Because she never considered it that important for us to show, I really learned how to take care of the horses. I think that helped me to prepare myself later on when I was ready to do some shows,” Stevenson said.

As she considers a professional riding and training career, Stevenson can already see Miller’s influence in the lessons she teaches. “I try to hold expectations for my students that she held for me. I teach them how to do things themselves and how to be responsible for their own ponies,” she said.

Stevenson hopes to begin showing her own horse seriously, and she believes that the foundation of horsemanship she gained from Miller will help her achieve this goal. “Just because I never got to show as a kid doesn’t mean that I can’t be a good rider and horseman and be successful. It’s all about hard work and dedication,” said Stevenson.

A Team Player

While attending Smith College (Mass.), Miller rode on the intercollegiate hunt seat equitation team with coach Sue Payne, starting in her sophomore year. Working with green horses was a regular part of Miller’s weekly lessons; she was especially good, Payne recalls, at helping them learn to jump.

To Miller, horse shows were a homework assignment–a medium in which she could show off what she had learned in her training. Payne remembers Miller as a true team player to whom the ribbons and points were never as important as successfully riding a strange horse. “She always made the best of the luck of the draw,” Payne said.

At an intercollegiate show at Dartmouth University (N.H.), Payne witnessed Miller frantically signaling a showing teammate to switch diagonals. Even at shows when she didn’t ride, Miller was constantly ringside, offering support and camaraderie to her teammates.

Shortly after graduating in 1983, Miller began teaching lessons and managing a summer riding camp for Payne at Smith. She attributes much of her own teaching style to Payne’s influence. The determination to progress in her own riding was apparent in the goals she set for her students.

According to Payne, Miller’s past students still talk about her and wish she would return to Smith to teach again. To Payne, grassroots instructors like Miller are a valuable part of the horse world. “Even George Morris thinks it’s unfortunate that there are so few trainers who aren’t solely focused on showing,” she said. Payne, like Bell, can always tell which of her riders “learned to show” and which actually learned to ride.

Miller believes that her dedication to teaching all-around good horsemanship in addition to riding comes from learning to ride and care for horses without the pressure of constant showing. “So many quick fixes come from trying to get into the show ring and win before a rider is ready,” she said.

Miller also values the connection between horse and rider and wonders how strong it can be when riders so often replace their mounts with ones more suitable for the next division. “Horses are shipped in and shipped out so often. I think a lot of kids miss out on the bond they can form with one special pony,” she said. Her school horses, barring unforeseen circumstances, have a home for life.

This high rate of horse turnover, said Miller, contributes to the prevailing image of the horse world as a business (which it is for many people), rather than a pleasurable sport. She enjoys her distance from dishonest sales, illegal medications, and poor sportsmanship.

“I just don’t think it’s the right way to introduce a kid to the horse world,” she said. “They are here because they love horses and they want to learn.”

Miller hopes to continue educating students of all ages about horses and the accomplishments that can come through hard work, dedication, and learning.