Scott doesn’t teach steps and methods. Instead, he imparts understanding: the reasons, facts, and bio-mechanics that underpin how we work with horses. His approach makes everything coherent and understandable. And it works.
Scott’s coaching leaves me with a sense of achievement after every session. Every action I take feels like a positive stride toward success. Unlike some clinics that leave me drained and feeling beat up, this experience is refreshing.
You don't realize what you're missing until you discover Amazing Horse Country. This unique style of horsemanship remains hidden until you immerse yourself in it. Truly, 'amazing' is the perfect descriptor.
I’ve attended numerous clinics where I basically received instructions on what to do. What truly stands out about Scott is his ability to delve into the “why” behind each action. He doesn’t focus on making the horse comply; instead, he imparts a deep understanding of the horse’s psychology and physiology.
Scott speaks a lot about discovering and meeting the horse's needs. And it works so well. This is a complete opposite to conventional training which – in my 30+ years of riding - is only about “how to make the horse do stuff”.
I discovered that each horse is a distinct individual. Their requirements for success vary from one horse to another. What truly impresses me about Scott is his knack for pinpointing those specific needs. He showed me how to tailor my approach to suit my horse, instead of having everyone in the clinic do the exact same thing.
When I saw the ads for Amazing Horse Country included the word, “Fun” I was skeptical. I couldn't envision a horse training environment that wasn't militant. My horse and I worked through some big struggles we were having, and both he and I had fun. I mean that! My horse loves coming here!
It was a wonderful clinic! Scott is a great presenter with amazing insight into horses and how people can relate to them and how they relate to us.
In that exercise in the Liberty Clinic where we turn the horses loose, and Tucker came to me, that answered the question about connection. And that has got to be the most rewarding thing I've ever experienced with a horse.
What an amazing clinic for myself and Lahaina!!! I’m still on a high as to what we tackled and accomplished! It won’t ever be the same with her – she is a smart horse and our partnership is becoming that. THANKS for sharing your insight with all of us!
It was a fun clinic where both I and my 3 yr old gained alot of confidence in a positive and upbeat environment! Thanks Scott Phillips!
A sensible, progressive approach to having a safe and calm horse who is willing and relaxed. Scott is easy to get along with, clearly loves horses and made it a fun weekend. Well worth while if you want to just ride around, or to trail ride in the mountains, or to compete In the sport of cowboy challenge.
I want to thank you again for a great 3 days of learning and growing! You brought a significant shift in my understanding which made some other pieces also fall into place. Your knowledge, understanding, patience, and caring set Bree and me up for success and allowed me to understand her better and her to trust me more. I'm excited to take this shift in my understanding into all my relationships with horses
Scott's way of introducing new things, and giving the horse time to explore and be a horse provides so much success that you almost can't wait for the next thing. And it's so much fun - for both rider and horse. I truly believe Khari is having fun with me now, and that makes me happy to be his partner.
I was definitely apprehensive coming into these clinics, but with Scott’s help (and patience) Maggie and I had our first (and second) trail ride together. It was an ‘Amazing’ experience and am so glad we were able to participate. Thanks, Scott. I could not have done it without your guidance.
What a great experience, both my girl and I learned so much in 3 days. Not once overwhelmed or moving on too quickly, without first being successful. So many amazing changes in just three days. We’re taking home some valuable tools. We won’t hesitate to take another one of Scott’s clinics. Thanks Scott for helping us on our journey!
Scott is a great teacher and can spot what you need in your rider/horse relationship, and explain it in a way you can understand as well.
If horsemanship is about communication... then it helps when the one teaching this is a good communicator. Scott is a GREAT communicator, able to teach in a very easy and accessible way, the physiological and emotional responses of a horse—and the proper way to engage and answer those responses.
Super practical and attainable mentorship! Scott speaks in relateable terms, is very humble, wise, approachable, AND has a great sense of humour! He's not only excellent with horses, but squirrels seem to really like him too! (heh--inside joke ;-)
[The clinic] was worth every penny. My horse is capable of a lot more than I ever thought. I can be the leader she needs.
Scott has worked very hard to make this clinic interesting and varied. So many stations to pass through and challenge us.. It was wonderful.
Good facilities for horse and camping. Excellent one on one work with horses. Good back and forth work between Scott and participant.
[I learned] a new way to connect to your horse. You dont need to be pulling on the reins to get your horse to respond.
I enjoy each and every clinic. Scott is a very positive influence on horses and people.
I learned more about my horse (and myself) in the past weekend than I have in the past 2 years that I have owned her. Elly truly is a wonderful mare and now that we have a few lego blocks to build off of (thanks to you) I am excited about our future.
The ability to read a horses minute reactions is something that takes not only talent, but years of training. Scott has this ability to see what the majority of us miss. Thank you Scott, you not only helped Radar overcome his fears, but mine as well.
We got the right lead from a standstill! No popping up, no tension, nice loose rein and a relaxed right lead! Thanks, Scott, for all your patience and knowledge you share with us!
My brave girl walked through raging rivers (aka spring runoff), snow, gravel, and even the scary dark moat to get back through the fence. She was a rockstar. I never could have imagined riding her through a puddle much less the rest. A special thank you to Scott for helping us build confidence and leadership at his obstacle course last summer. I highly recommend his clinics 😊
I was very impressed in the knowledge Scott had, not just in the arena but in our morning sit down meetings as well. Scott also does fantastic in managing his time to work one on one with those who needed it :)
I now know what to look for in my horse, and how to tell if he is stressed or relaxed and how to deal with it.
Scott is very good at explaining his methods to you. No question was a dumb question and he answered them all exclusively, and showed you an answer either working with you and your horse or giving an example with his horse.
I learned how to connect with my horse. The clinic was excellent with lots of one on one.
Great instructor, very knowledgeable. Loved watching how he interacted with his horses and ours as well. Great facilities and obstacles. Appreciated his patience & instruction.
Good balance of theory, demo & practice! [The most valuable part of the clinic was] getting my horse to release under pressure and centred riding!
Lovely venue, great hospitality and fantastic gatherings (Q&A and review).
Well organized, thoughtfully designed obstacles, practical on trail experience, valuable trail riding information, good discussions
It is well organized and one receives lots of information and instruction and time and area to practice what one is learning.
Informative and effective concepts. I like the approach of helping owners understand their horses.
The first day of the clinic I learned how to get a better stop on my horse. The second and third day I felt I had the confidence to introduce my horse to a side pull and ride her in it. Given the leadership skills I learned this week, I may even try Rain in her first parade this weekend.
It was a very positive environment and I could tell that the obstacles and trail creations were a work of someone very passionate. I had a great time with my mare and it definitely helped my communication and understanding of her.
I really enjoyed learning Scott's approach to introducing new scary things, teaching the horse to deal with pressure, emphasis on softness and using the rein as a positive.
Well organized with small classes. Everyone gets individual lesson time and they also observe and participate by commenting and asking questions during other lessons. Thus, the entire day is a learning experience.
Clinics with Scott open up new possibilities and endeavors with your horse.
What a great format for learning. So much one on one training as well as the opportunity to watch and learn from other participants. Incredible (and sometimes a little emotional) to watch the breakthrough moments for handler and horse.
Zeus is amazing! I could watch him for hours. What an inspiring and humbling experience to just be in his presence. Thank you for sharing your time together with us.
Awesome clinic again Scott! You are such a great and patient teacher! Thanks 😀
Got to tell you Scott, your patient leadership taught us sooo much! Can't thank you enough!!
Just want to send you a heart felt “thank you” for all the guidance, challenges, patience, confidence and insight you provided to our group over the past four days at the clinic. So excited to continue my journey with my equine partners.
I know if they could, our horses would also thank you for giving us the tools to help us to start understanding them better. I want to also thank both you and Jody for your kindness and the words of encouragement.
You have made a positive and memorable impact on our lives and we appreciate your desire to share your knowledge. We will definitely be back for some more learning and fun!
Thanks for the excellent clinic! You are so good at reading horses and working through the layers. I always learn so much. Thank you for being so patient and working Smarty through his problem places. I can tell you how much I appreciate it. Thanks again
I came out of the clinic listening to my horse in a new way, and having convinced him it was worth his time to listen to me.
Scott’s approach not only allows the horses to find confidence but also the owners. Thank goodness we found him!
[I learned] That the term "go back to the basics" doesnt mean once a week or month or year but every time during your daily ride that you lose your horses total concentration and connection. Having the biomechanics of flexion explained made it so clear! Thank you, Scott.
Really enjoyed my weekend at Amazing Horse Country’s progressive clinic! My goal is to integrate at least one strategy or concept into my horsemanship and I certainly achieved this goal!
Scott bases the content on your individual needs.
A comfortable and fun place to visit and train at.
I tried things at the clinic that I would never have tried otherwise. I am looking forward to learning more, gaining confidence and having fun!
I learned about the subtle small things that make a big difference and affect every other thing you do with your horse.
Scott is very knowledgeable on the content and expressed it very well.
Really enjoyed the 3 days. I learned a lot about how my horse reacts to new tasks with the obstacles, and how I react to those reactions. I learned to relax and work through issues by breaking the task down when he is in situations that put him out of his comfort zone.
Excellent. Loved it all! Learning about stress and what causes horses to tense then teaching them how to handle stress by trusting the handler.
[My biggest learing was] releasing pressure for my young mare. Helping her to find calm and trust when she's anxious or excited. Great place and well organized. Scott was a great host and always ready to answer any questions all these dressage riders had.
The concept of space had more meaning for me. I think that is because of [my horse's] behavior and you pointing out just what was going on with him. All of my questions were answered and I left with what I already knew strengthened.
[I learned] How to reward a try by working to get one step closer to a difficult obstacle and getting them to relax at that spot.
"you don't have to be perfect at step 1 before trying step 2"
The most important thing I learned was How to get my horses attention / connection through the poll / eye contact.
Excellent clinic , learned alot about horse behaviour, how to be a leader my horse could trust.
This was the single most helpful and common sense clinic I have ever been to. The instructions and help from Scott were clear and very helpful. He was always available to help and answered any questions I had.
By being the leader, and demonstrating leadership, I could help my horse overcome his fear. Scott has a way of helping both the rider and horse deal with issues. He explains things in ways that are easy to understand and implement. I learned so much, and made so much progress with my horse in just three days.
I learned to instill confidence in your horse so that he has total trust in you.
The venue and the facilities were great. Loved the corrals for the horses and the ability to camp beside them. I look forward to coming back.
AHC creates the positive conditions for success and growth for both horse and human, no matter their current abilities. I learned that pressure and release principles for leadership can help my horse seek me out as a safe space. Appreciated the progressive approach (building blocks to success); more stuffed animals (LOL) since my horse really liked them.
I learned that you want to have your horse release to you with pressure. I also really valued learning about how to work with my horse in an assertive manner and earning his trust.
There isnt one single thing I learned... there are many. Timing/ connect/releases are up at the top of the list. Focus, feel and space are others. Just being with the horse and gaining confidence as a team. Obstacles and trails are awesome to work with.
Thank you Scott, for being patient and understanding. Your knowledge and commitment is outstanding and I look forward to many many more clinics.
The location is quite nice, and the facility is set up well for the horse. There's also lots of room for your truck and trailer...
It was a real strength that the clinic was flexible to the group and the individual needs and not a "canned" format. The most important thing was learning the importance of focus and having clear communication. I attended a clinic last year and with a repeat this year I was able to solidify previous information and then build on more learning.
The clinic is a fluid system with the content evolving with the problems arising and questions of the participants.
[I learned] how to get my horses eye and ask him to relax and follow me - with this I think we can do anything together. Very nice weekend with Scott and my horse. We got past some fear issues and by using his techniques and asking my horse to relax while moving into pressure we did so much more than I thought we could. Great weekend! We will Be back!
I absolutely love your one on one approach. Your style that is very clear on principle and instruction but also relaxed and sensing individual needs in the moment. Really great environment to learn.
The most valuable thing I learned was how to talk "horse".
Scott was very knowledgeable about horse behaviour and biomechanics, how we can influence the horse to learn to be better under saddle and how to handle stressors using groundwork. Then riding becomes easier - I was able to use much softer aids while on the horse. Scott focuses on individual needs of each participant and is very positive and encouraging also.
I learned to try to think like a horse, reward try, and not get obsessed with the end result in your own mind. Just wished I could do it every other weekend for a day!
I enjoyed the variety of obstacles and feedback of the instructor.
Thanks for all your help, I can't wait to come to the next clinic! It was all amazing. I learned lots from observing all the other people you were helping too. I learned the tools to use to help my horse deal with his fears.
I learned how to release the tension in my horse. Everything was good. The softness and patience aspect of approaching my horse and working through things...learning how to have my horse respect my space. You should move closer to us!
I learned how I could train my horse to be calm and follow my lead; that I am part of the herd and the leader of that herd. The best part was the 1 on 1 time spent with each individual and realizing that I have the ability to teach myself and my horse. Scott has a real passion for what he does and it comes across very strongly in his classes.
Things are going great! We accomplished our 10 hour Ice Lake mountain ride and Cooper never missed a beat. We tackled many river crossings for the first time and some crazy hills. We also completed the Yaha Tinda Poker Rally ride where there was a runaway mule whizzing past us and surprisingly Cooper was the only one to just stop and stare, he was the calmest.
Such a diverse group of fun loving people and horses dedicated to work toward one goal, gaining a better understanding of each other. It wasn't about controlling your equine partner, but working together as a unit. I've found this lacking in many clinics, yet it is the quintessential key to a obtaining a true partnership with your horse.
I learned that I have a lot more work to do in the trust and patience department than my horse does. How he puts up with me I'll never know. I also learned that when I have his mind, he will do his best to please me, what more can you ask for.
The way you have clinic set up is great! There are plenty of things to do without crowding others or getting in others way. I look forward to seeing the new challenges you plan on having for everyone this year.
I will and have recommended your clinics to anyone looking to improve their knowledge of horse handling as well as biomechanics. There are so many horse people out there that should learn more about their equine friends. I myself look forward to your assistance with my horses in the future.
My best memories of the clinic I attended last summer was that it was able to show me how to work through an obstacle in a manner that was comfortable for my horse. Being able to actually do an obstacle course with the tools needed to be able to move whichever part of the horse's body that I needed to in order to manoeuvre through the obstacle was a rewarding feeling as opposed to forcing him through the obstacle just because I know it was safe regardless of how my horse felt about it.
I learned how to begin the journey of becoming a better partner to my horse. I learned how to respectfully respond to my horse when he has become scared of an object, as well as also learned the difference of whether he was actually scared or whether he was just testing me so he didn't have to do an obstacle.
I cannot think of what I would change in future clinics. All clinicians there that day were organized, patient with clients, very knowledgeable in their field, and all knew how to teach/present their knowledge professionally and in a fun manner !!
Best memories of the clinic was having different people with their different horses, skill levels, and ways of doing things coming together and it was just so peaceful and a fun environment to get our horses and ourselves through our tendencies and uncertainties! It was just so much fun and a good chance to tackle those hard things through play.
What I learned about myself and Joe was I was tending to not hold him accountable, I would baby him when he didn't need it (like jumping into the water ahead of him instead of sending him over)which would make him suck back and get muddled. So it was so good to see that in action in an environment where we could work through it with support.
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