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Meet Our Training Staff

Marlie Birr

Marlie is a current H member of United States Pony Clubs. She started riding when her mom was pregnant and got her first pony at the age of two. She started competing in competitive distance rides with her Arab gelding in 1998 and joined Pony Club in 2000. She has been teaching ever since--anything and everything from unmounted lessons to cross country schooling and coaching at competitions. She has trained several of her own horses to jump as well as starting a few young horses. In 2007 she competed at USPC dressage championships as well as taught conditioning at the National Barn Fair.

For three years she has been participating in the Visiting Instructor program in USPC allowing her to teach at camps in Kansas, Ohio, and Oregon. Marlie is a confident rider who enjoys teaching riders of all levels and ages. Marlie has also worked with elementary students through an after school tutoring program in Houghton, MI where she was attending school. Marlie has grown up with horses at her family farm in Manistique, MI and challenges herself to learn more all the time. She thinks there is always something new to be learned and encourages a similar attitude in her students.

What I would like to specialize in, I'm most experienced with Pony Club but through that have eventing knowledge and experience as well. Pony Club would be my primary with eventing and "eventing dressage" as secondaries.

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Chelsea Auer

Chelsea has been riding, showing, and training horses for about 12 years. Her interests took her to The University of Findlay for their Equestrian program. There she was apart of IHSA for two years with the riding team. With family ties in Wisconsin, she has decided to start her training/teaching business here.

Early on in her riding carrier, she found that jumpers was her passion. She wants to continue her jumping training as well as teaching others. Chelsea's skills also include breaking and training young horses, as well as tune-up rides.

Chelsea is accepting new riders who have an interest in jumping or learning to ride for the first time. Chelsea's love for horses transcends her in her teaching by insuring her students learn about the horse from the ground up.

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Margaret Paur

Margie is the Hillside Polo instructor and she teaches Equine Management courses at Waukesha County Technical College. Her approach to training involves the rider treating the horse as an athlete and includes a focus on the special care needed for horses. Margie uses natural horsemanship techniques and gives natural horsemanship lessons on a case by case basis.

In addition to co-owning and managing Hillside Farm and teaching polo and college courses, she also serves on several non-profit boards including the Milwaukee County Zoological Society, the Luthern Social Service Foundation board, the Women's Fund Board, the Milwaukee Polo Club Board, and at Waukesha County Technial College. She's a life-long horsewoman who as a youth was trained in Saddleset and Western riding disciplines. As a young adult she trained in Hunter/Jumpers, later training in Polo and Dressage. Margie also takes in problem horses and fixes them in a gentle, firm, and kind way. No short cuts. It takes longer, but this method works best, the horse is happier for it, and the horse can then accel at what it can done best. Margie strongly believes in non-violent horse handling methods that create a safe learning environment for horse and rider.

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Ryan Fetherston

Ryan Fetherston is a professional hunter/jumper trainer with over 15 years of riding and showing experience. From the A circuit to starting young horses and ponies, Ryan will develop a program that works for both horse and rider. Offering lessons and training from beginner to advanced. Private and group lessons available on your horse or one of ours.
Offering: lessons, training, A&B circuit shows, schooling shows, sales, will travel.