Staff

Many dedicated equestrians make up Team Poulsen. There are year-round team members at each farm, while some team members travel between farms.

“The respect for each horse’s need for their own routine is paramount.The staff is critical in creating positive energy and figuring out how to make each horse happy. All of my staff, working students and interns are people who are really invested in horses.” ~ Ruth

Ruth Hogan-Poulsen

“Ruth models the quality of self-accountability. People respond to the experience of that expectation in an almost unconscious way. When everybody’s taking care of their own emotional and physical needs, then people aren’t bumping up against each other so much. It allows people the freedom to be kinder and more generous with each other and to be extremely supportive. Ruth sets that tone.” – Candace Platz, DVM. (Longtime Client) Read her full bio

Contact

Phone: 561-346-4859

Email: vibaek@aol.com

Bo Poulsen

Originally from Denmark, Bo comes from a family of horse people. He began a career as a blacksmith in the 1990s and met Ruth in Wellington in 1990. Bo then returned to Denmark to graduate University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering but “he couldn’t stay away. . .” ~ Ruth. The two were married in 1994. Bo has shod horses for many international events including the Pan American Games in Rio, and worked on horses for many of the past WEG and Olympic teams. Bo now acts as Bespoke and East Hill’s primary farrier. In his spare time, Bo enjoys fishing and working on his and Ruth’s new Loxahatchee home.

Emilie Goddard

Poulsen Dressage, Assistant Trainer / Barn Manager

Emilie Goddard is the Team Poulsen Assistant Trainer and barn manager. Emilie has worked hard for this position and is fulfilling a dream. Emilie started as a working student over five years ago and, after the first winter in Florida, was designated to stay in Vermont to be on staff, ride and teach. As of 2020, as Assistant Trainer and Barn Manager, she travels back and forth between Vermont and Florida each season. Read her full bio

Vermont Team

Jeanette Hogan

East Hill Farm, Co-Founder

Jeannette is Ruth’s ever-supportive mother. She and Ruth’s father, the late Con Hogan, are the co-founders of East Hill Farm and she still lives right next door in Ruth’s childhood home.

Jeannette is a registered Physical Therapist and runs a hippotherapy program out of East Hill. She was a co-leader of the Trailblazers 4-H club for over 35 years. While she is considered semi-retired, she maintains an important presence at the East Hill barn every day.

Con Hogan was an advocate for health and welfare for decades. Although never a rider himself, Con watched and encouraged thousands of kids and adults to learn the valuable lessons of horsemanship through the programs at East Hill Farm. Read her full bio

Sarah Cleland

East Hill Farm, Barn Manager

Sarah has been the East Hill Farm barn manager and head trainer since 2011. She grew up riding at East Hill and, after years away, she returned to the farm looking to rekindle her passion. Sarah has an innate ability to understand the mental psyche necessary to ride confidently. Students love Sarah’s calm but energetic approach. She also does all the teaching for the Norwich University’s Equestrian club program, hosted at East Hill Farm. Read more

Betsy Hoermann

East Hill Farm, Young Horse Handling Specialist

Betsy Hoermann, a young horse handling specialist, is a longtime member of the East Hill Farm staff. Read her full bio

Caeli White

East Hill Farm, Staff

At the farm since 2019, Caeli was a core part of the farm’s essential COVID workers in 2020, helping care for horses and the farm when owners could not travel to the farm during Vermont’s pandemic restrictions. Helping East Hill Farm Barn Manager Sarah Cleland with horses in training this year as well as taking lessons have broadened both Caeli’s skill set and foundation as an equestrian. Read her full bio

Jackie Laraway

From nearby Randolph, Vermont, Jackie is a full time staff member with Team Poulsen, originally starting as a working student in Florida in winter 2020-21. Read full bio

Florida Team

Chanett Chemintz

Bespoke Farm, Property Manager

Chanett and her loyal, wire haired Jack Russell Terrier “Mousti” act as Bespoke Farm’s property managers year round. Chanett runs her own training program and maintains a number of seasonal and year-round clients in the Wellington area.