About Scott and AHC

Scott Phillips

Owner

Scott's philosophy is simple: the horse only has one job. It's a job the horse is instinctively great at and can take pride in. That job isn't to be submissive, obedient, nor does it require control. It can be assisted with a soft approach. That job is simply to follow. And thus, the onus is on us to inspire our followers; to provide them not only with the tools to do the job but provide exceptional leadership in a way they naturally understand it. In Scott's style, training and riding become a positive and successful experience for both horse and rider; a journey in which we amass skills as trusted leaders and great communicators.

Scott offers a unique understanding of relational horsemanship blended with a passion for the outdoors. It's a successful combination which has Scott sought out to assist with wild horse programs, equine assisted learning, cowboy challenge associations, trail riding clubs and more. His sold out clinics continuously earn praise from individuals and riding organizations alike.

“I grew up in a small agricultural community which instilled in me an appreciation for all life and a strong sense of family. In addition to horses, my education and experience include engineering, human resource management and airline flying. Those endeavours have inspired my creativity, an enthusiasm for creating positive experiences, and a desire to guide people and horses to places they can shine in their achievements.”

Drawing on a practical knowledge of equine bio-mechanics and psychology, Scott shares the fundamentals of the horse's mind and body in his teaching. He understands that every horse is a unique individual with unique needs and that our understanding of these fundamentals allows us to adapt our training and riding to create success with every single horse. In Scott's style of horsemanship, all horses and people are amazing and capable of great things.

From new riders to professional trainers and coaches, Scott welcomes clients of all ages, backgrounds and riding disciplines. He holds a clinic season at his own ranch, Amazing Horse County, an expansive property which offers access to thousands of trails to explore. With a diversity of clinics including Liberty, Trail Riding, Obstacle Course and Progressive Horsemanship, Scott helps every horse and rider excel in skill, confidence and partnership. He also travels throughout the year to conduct his clinics in venues across the country. His popular online training program embodies his one-on-one approach to learning, applying his relational horsemanship style to a vast variety of topics in his characteristic fun-loving manner.

Regularly asked to contribute to magazines, online publications and live sessions for various groups, Scott also publishes his own articles, videos and podcasts at amazinghorsecountry.com.

My goals are:

To develop the art of horsemanship by integrating knowledge of the horse into our growth as horse-people,
To bring a greater awareness of the potential we can reach when we work with the horse's mind and body together - in all equine pursuits,
To enhance and enrich our selfmanship: becoming dependable, accountable and trusted leaders through relations with our horses and ownership of ourselves,
To inspire fun and excitement for riders and their equine partners through creative and challenging obstacles, games, trail riding, mutual encouragement and camaraderie,
To create a world for riders and horses, free of fear, overflowing with confidence, where everything is achievable."

The owner of Amazing Horse Country, Scott has a wide variety of experience in the horse industry including:

Backcountry and mountain riding and guiding,
Training horses and riders of all ages, disciplines and experience levels,
Starting colts and wild horses,
Operating the Canadian Cowboy Challenge Association and
Extensive training with well known industry leaders such as Josh Nichol and Dr. Deb Bennett.

Leona Doucet

Guest Services Manager

Leona brings to Amazing Horse Country her extensive experience in guest services, having previously worked both in the travel/tourism and airline industries. Leona takes care of all our guest services from clinic reservations to people and horse accommodations. She is famous for adding that extra little touch, friendly smile and going the extra mile to ensure your experience at our facility is second to none.

Our new ranch would not be up and running without Leona's work. From managing extra help, to working on construction projects, to maintaining the yard, she's always at work on something. Sometimes it's easy to take for granted everything that we have on site, from manure pails and forks to creative obstacles to signage on the property and pens to the guest rooms to...well, just about everything! But behind all of that is Leona. She's amazing!

Leona loves animals and has a particular affinity for horses. It's not uncommon to find her spending time communing with our equine family. They enjoy her company as much as she enjoys theirs. Our horses also enjoy the extra little things that Leona does for them, from the odd treat to putting "bug stuff" on them to taking them for walks. As far as our horses are concerned, she's one of the herd and that says a lot.

What sets us apart?

The mission of Amazing Horse Country is:

To offer a unique and supportive training style for people and horses based on solid horsemanship principles;
To pioneer a multi-faceted supportive learning environment including obstacles, games, group activities, equine biomechanics, trail riding and much more.
To provide an ejoyable venue for all riders and horses, regardless of discipline, age or experience, WORLD-WIDE.

To that end, we currently offer a wide variety of clinics, training and lessons. See our schedule for all the details.

There are many choices available when it comes to horse training. Likely, there are also as many definitions for horsemanship as there are horses. So what do we do that's different?

Well...if you have trained with us before, you know the answer :) Here's a few of our beliefs:

We recognise that every horse and rider is a unique combination of ability and experience, with individual needs, struggles and desires. From novice to advanced riders, from colts to experienced competition horses, we're here to help you progress. We have no levels and no prerequisites.
We firmly believe that your success as a rider, coach or trainer is based on the success you create. Learning how to consistently achieve success for your horse or clients will put you a step ahead of the rest.
Learn the WHY, not just the HOW. Improving your horsemanship skill starts with learning about the horse: how he moves and how he's put together. Our clinics feature biomechanics and anatomy components to connect the dots between your hands, seat and legs to what's actually going on with inside your horse.
Every one of our clinics is structured around 1 on 1 time with you and Scott. You and your horse are a team that is very important to us. Scott is adept at focusing on specific skills and requirements. The training you do with us is tailored to you.
Learning how a horse thinks and perceives his environment is fundamental to your relationship with horses...and part of Scott's expertise. When we show a horse we can be a trusted leader and teach him how to handle pressure, we eliminate all problems or issues.
In a word: FUN! Equine pursuits are meant to be enjoyable. We cultivate an atmosphere of camaraderie, support and enjoyment of all things equine, regardless of discipline or experience. The fun doesn't end on our obstacle course or trails.
Your training isn't finished at the end of the clinic. We realize that it's impossible to learn everything in the few days you spend with us. You can continue your learning: ask questions, participate in 2-way video training, take advantage of our videos and article library, and listen to our podcasts wherever you might be.
It's important to us that you enjoy your time with us. Clinics hosted at our ranch feature campfires and pot luck dinners. You can camp right next to a 25'x35' private stall for your horse. Our facility is perfect for a getaway weekend with friends, family and horses.

Future

With your enthusiasm and passion for horses, the future has no limits! Amazing Horse Country continues to grow and evolve with fun and exciting events, clinics and training for you and your horses. We're looking forward to sharing the future with you at our new property in 2022.

Scott's articles appear in several online and print magazines; you can read some of them here.