MICHELLE BAKER’S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

One of Australia’s most accomplished and decorated FEI dressage riders, Michelle Baker has enjoyed a very successful 2024 and is looking forward to a big year ahead. With her equine team of three well on the way to Grand Prix, she explains that good nutrition, a kind and empathetic relationship with your horse, and a focus on improving yourself are all key to success.

Escala RW is a 17-hand Warmblood mare by stallion Escolar out of a Fürst Heinrich x Rubenstein mare, who was imported by the late Amanda Shoobridge as a three-year-old. “Escala has a metronomic rhythm with a mesmerising quality that is very much a favourite with people. As an individual, Escala is a slow processor and I have brought her on mindfully with plenty of patience. She keeps me honest in my training and I have been rewarded with a lovely, willing mare,” says Michelle.

RM Raspberry is a 14.1-hand chestnut German Riding Pony mare by Desperado K (Dornik B) out of Rapsody K (CDL x Top Non Stop). “Berry was purchased by my partner, Leanne, as a newborn foal in Germany and has been trained by me since she was imported as a three-year-old,” explains Michelle. “I feel very grateful to have such wonderful quality horses in my stables, so I know people are surprised to hear that this little ginger mare is my all-time favourite horse to ride. She has bountiful energy, exceptional trainability and willingness and is a pure joy for me to train and ride every time. She always leaves me smiling: the feeling of swinging through her body is like no other and she does not feel at all small to ride!”

“I am really excited to see Movie Star’s progeny coming through in the next few years. It is my opinion that his type, conformation, movement and trainability is extremely hard to beat. I believe with the current trend of dressage heading towards horse and rider harmony, which I strongly welcome, he will add powerful elastic movement… but with the rideability that suits all levels of riders.”

Although no longer breeding herself, Michelle is still very much interested in where dressage bloodlines are heading. “I will be interested to see if breeding the modern dressage horse takes a turn to produce more suitable horses that show relaxation and rideability above extreme movement, which can produce tension,” she notes.

“I would like to see more riders sitting on horses that match their level and temperament. The flashiest horse is not always the best choice. So, this current shift in judging [towards increased harmony] is of interest to me and how this will affect breeding.”

A BIG YEAR

2024 was a big year for Michelle and her horses, with countless successes – including five National Dressage Performance Gold Medals, five Dressage Victorian Performance Gold Medals, and one Dressage Victorian Performance Silver Medal. Michelle also currently has four horses named on the Victorian High Performance Dressage Squad (the three in her current team, plus the recently-retired Bradgate Park Puccini) and has achieved some great scores on all of them.

“I am of course incredibly proud of these achievements; however, I am most proud that each horse and pony is happy and confident in the work, and our partnership. They know me as well as I know them, and they look to me in the partnership. It is this confidence and the consolidation of the training that is the key to my successful year, but this has been years in the making!”

To complement this feeding regimen, Michelle also incorporates Hygain supplements to meet the specific needs of individual horses.

“When Raspberry’s weight is creeping up, we reduce the Munga and add in the supplement Hygain ALLCARE, which allows us to reduce her calories but still meet her nutritional requirements. This supplement is ideal for our good doers that need a reduction in their normal Munga ration, or as a complete nutrition supplement for good-doing retired horses.”

Hygain META SAFE is also in Michelle’s feed room, and she explains it has been an excellent feed for a metabolically-challenged retired pony she has in the paddock. “Her weight and condition have improved dramatically and again it has proven to be a very palatable feed.”

Michelle has a couple of other supplements she utilises to ensure good all-round health with her team. When the spring grass is coming through, she’ll often use the toxin binder Hygain SAFEGUARD EQ, while hot weather in recent months has called for the use of Hygain REGAIN to replenish lost electrolytes.

In addition, Michelle uses the Hygain PAK-CELL to ensure Movie Star has the boost he needs during a busy competition season. “PAK-CELL is one we add to Movie’s feed to help him with energy demands around competition. We add it in the few days leading up to a competition.”

As the saying goes, ‘no hoof, no horse’, and Michelle has been impressed by the results she’s seen after recently adding Hygain HOOFGAIN to her feeding regime. “HOOFGAIN has been a great addition in the feeds of a few who need the extra hoof support, and both ourselves and our farrier has noted the improvement in hoof quality,” she says.

Michelle has been involved with horses for many, many years and is a wealth of knowledge – however she says one thing she’s come to realise more recently is that equine nutrition is a specialist field, and it’s important to seek out the experts to ensure your horses’ needs are being met.

“I like to think I keep up to date with current research and information about feed and nutrition, but it is so easy now to access specialised services such as the Hygain Nutrikey program. In our case we regularly check in with the nutritionists at Mitavite and Hygain to ensure we’re on track.”

GRAND PRIX GOALS

After a big 2024, Michelle is now looking forward to working towards Grand Prix with her talented team. “Grand Prix is always the goal and focus for my training, and it’s my hope by the end of the year I will be very close. I plan to compete at Small Tour and include some bigger competitions with Freestyles to expose them to some bigger atmospheres before reaching Grand Prix.”

Of course, big goals like reaching Grand Prix are achieved by ticking off countless smaller goals along the road. “I always have a list of smaller goals that I would like to achieve on each horse and pony during the year. These are a combination of results-based goals but also include things like improving confidence at indoor competitions.”

As someone who has trained multiple horses to Grand Prix and enjoyed many successes along the way, Michelle is well-placed to offer a few words of wisdom to those on their own journeys with their beloved equine partners.

“My top training tip is to work on being a better rider and trainer; being patient, kind and working on being better yourself is my philosophy,” she advises. “I am becoming more and more focused on working on myself. I do Pilates or yoga classes most days, sometimes twice a day. My goal is to be physically strong and flexible enough to be in the best balance with the horse for both aesthetic and efficacious riding.”

Kind and empathetic riding and training is at the forefront of Michelle’s philosophy. “Every horse is an individual and thrives under certain conditions. It is the responsibility of the rider to ensure this happens. As a bonus, the more you focus on this style of training the more success will come. I pride myself on being kind as well as successful, and each of my horses’ individualities are so important to me and hopefully shine through in their performances.” EQ