About The Instructor
Melissa Moran, formally Melissa Beckwith, started riding as a young girl under the instruction of her older cousin. She began showing shortly after and was given her first horse, a Standardbred mare named Skater, when she was 8. She joined 4H and continued competing in local 4H events, for 9 years. She got her third horse, a Morgan/Saddlebred cross gelding named Mister when she was 10 years old. Together Melissa and Mister competed in 4H, Hunt Seat Equitation and Pleasure, Dressage, Hunter Under Saddle, Hunter Over fences, Jumping, Barrel Racing, Pole Bending, and Key Hole. 
Melissa worked in trade for lessons for several years with many different local dressage and hunter/jumper trainers, so she could get the best training for herself and her horses. She took what she learned from the other trainers home and started retraining Standardbreds herself in 2001. She also began teaching some riding lessons to friends and other young local riders in 2001. In 2004, Melissa began eventing with her fifth horse, Tiger. She began teaching riding professionally in 2005.
Today, Melissa is still teaching and still goes to clinics to farther her own riding education. She is a strong believer in not neglecting her own education and becoming a better rider, so she can become a better teacher. There's always more to learn and someone out there that is qualified to teach you!
Melissa is not yet a certified instructor. She does however plan to attend work shops and go for her Level 1/Novice ICP Certification, and eventually Level II/Preliminary ICP certification. More information on the ICP certification and courses can be found at http://www.useventing.com/education.php?section=instructors. The state of Maine does not require Instructors to be certified and at this time the state of Maine does not have an Instructors License program in place. Many instructors in the state of Maine are currently uncertified.
The Instructor's Blog
