Melody Taylor-Scott Ohlwiler

Advanced Licensed Instructor
    & P&C Insurance Producer

1965 TO 1967

Employed part time at Norfolk Hunt Club, Medfield, MA as Groom and exercise rider for the hunt horses.

1967 To 1972

Employed by Pine Hill Riding Center, Framingham, Ma. A forty stall facility, as Groom and exercise rider.

1969 To 1972

Traveled on the Eastern States Thoroughbred Racing circuit as a professional groom, and exercise rider, working at:

  • Rockingham Park, NH
  • Atlantic City Race Course, NJ
  • Garden State Park, NJ
  • Tropical Park, FL
  • Gulf Stream Park, FL
  • Hialeah Racetrack, FL.

Worked a year in Ocala, Florida on Thoroughbred farms breaking and training young Thoroughbreds for the track and the Hialeah Sales.

1972 To 1976 Immigrated to Canada, Obtaining Landed Emigrant Status

1972 To 1973

Worked one year at Mardon Farms, in Arva, Ontario. This was a twenty-five stall facility with a small and larg animal veterinary clinic on the premisis, teaching lessons, exercising boarder horses and assisting as a vet techincian o rounds with the resident large animal vetrinarian.   

1973 To 1976

Employed by Dwyer Hill Farms, in Ashton, Ontario, Canada- This farm sponsored 11-time Canadian Olympic Show Jumper Team Captain Ian Millar. Employed as Farm Manager in charge a fifty stall facility, the staff and stable management and when the show season began, I went on the road with Ian Millar as Road Manager, responsible for the exercise, maintenance and soundness of the Olympic caliber jumpers, and the care and packing of equipment as we would be on the road for a month or more at a time. We traveled to the Florida circuit and the Toronto "A" circuit though the Lake Placid, NY, and the Fall Indoor Circuit shows.

After coming off the show circuit, and at my request, my position was moved to the sale horse barn and riding school. In this position, I supervised the staff in the individual feeding program and care and schooling of the sale horses as well as, training the new grooms for both the boarder and show barns. At this time I organized and started the riding school. As Director of the school, my responsibilities included selecting and training the school horses, booking all lessons, developing the entire riding program, and coaching the farm's Junior and Amateur customers at the local "A" shows.

Multiple opportunities to school with George Morris were provided to me at Dwyer Hill Farms.

I assisted in the organization of the area's first Riding Instructor License testing certification. This was a three-day testing program accommodating twenty-seven applicants for certification by the Canadian Horse Council, the Professional Horseman's Association, and The National Equestrian Federation of Canada, and hosted by the Dwyer Hill Farms facility

1976 TO 1978

Employed by Nimrod Farm in Weston, CT, a 35-stall facility, teaching lessons and coaching the "B" string students at the shows. Trained under Ronnie Mutch, American Horse Show Association "R" hunter and huntseat equitation judge. Traveled on the Florida "A" circuit with Nimrod Farm as road manager and helped school the pony riders on the "A" circuit.

1978 TO 1986

Free lance instruction and catch riding show horses in the Metro-West area of Massachusetts. At this time another of my responsibilities was the show string and training of Saddle Rowe Inc., a forty-stall facility in Medway, Ma., coaching the two daughters of the owner of the farm through their junior years. The barn continues the running of a successful show and lesson program.

1986 TO 1992

Opened my own training and lesson barn, Evergreen Equestrian Center in Southborough, Ma. a 15-stall facility. Over the years I have shown and trained many hunters and jumpers, specializing in rehabilitating thoroughbreds off the track and retraining them for productive lives as show horses. Also, coaching Junior and Amateur riders at the shows from the local level to AHSA "A" level in the hunters, equitation, and jumpers. My daughter, Melanie, moved up from Lead Line through Short Stirrup, Pony Hunter, and Junior Hunter, Medal/Maclay under my instruction.

1991 TO 1994

Employed by Claybrook Equestrian Center in Medway, Ma., a sixty-stall facility, as Hunter/Jumper trainer and instructor, having complete charge of the hunter lesson program, teaching the owners' children and approximately fifty students per week ranging in ability from beginner to Medal/Maclay and Jumper riders. Further, I oversaw selecting, training and showing the sale horses, and schooling the boarders and their horses in preparation for the AHSA show circuit.

The Equestrian Center hosted bi-monthly rated hunter/jumper horse shows for which I was the show manager and course designer.

1994 TO 1999

At the decision of the owners of Claybrook, Mr. and Mrs. Franchi, to close the boarding operation and strictly lease blocks of stalls to outside trainers, I moved back to my home farm and reopened Evergreen Equestrian Center. During the winter months I would lease a block of stalls and move my operation indoors at Claybrook. Also, during this time I managed hunter/jumper schooling shows, independently leasing the facilities at Claybrook for the show.

1999 To 2005

Opened a DBA/Broad Hill Equestrian Center in Holliston, MA, a 40-stall facility with indoor arena. This operation specialized in boarding, training, showing, lessons, hosted rated Hunter/Jumper horse shows on the farm, organized riding clinics, and hosted and taught the Framingham State College Intercollegiate 

2003 To 2004

In November of 2003 choosing to downsize my operation I relinquished the lease on the main barn in Holliston, MA, moved my lesson horses, re-opened Evergreen Equestrian Center and partnered with my daughter Melanie E. Scott as assistant trainer. Evergreen Equestrian Center supported a riding school business hosting lesson horses and offering training, showing, coaching at the shows, horsemanship programs, and facility consultant services.

2005 To 2015

Freelance Hunter/Jumper training and consultant services in the New England area. Acquired my P&C Insurance Producer License specializing in liability and property coverage for the equine industry. Employed by the New England Horseman’s Council Equitation Championships to cover media and social media for their 5-day equitation finals.

In 2008 I was elected to the Board of the Massachusetts Horseman’s Council until 2015, also designing their website, and still covering the media for the MHC ‘Days of Champions’ four-day equitation finals each year.

2012-2014

Developed, Chaired, and managed the NE Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association horse show. A Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Fund sanctioned show, gaining sponsorship from Suffolk Downs Racetrack.

2015 To Present

I relocated to the Tampa area of Florida in 2016, obtaining my FL P&C insurance license and continue to specialize in equestrian needs. Returning to Hunter/Jumper instruction and training in Florida, I offer private lessons at TurningLeaf Farm.com located in Spring Hill Fl.

Evergreen Equestrian Consultant Services

Currently offering consultant services for the equestrian industry, specializing in help with design, setup and opening of new facilities, web site design, expert horse valuation, Insurance Services, Judging at horse shows, Hunter/Jumper clinics, and free-lance training and instruction.


MelodyTS@aol.com
 508 397-6959