Sponsored 

With Scott Phillips of Amazing Horse Country  

Always smiling, Scott states that it’s much easier for us to learn “horse” than it is to teach the horse “human.” 

Fun and educational, clinics are small and built around the needs of riders and their equine partners. Here a mom and her daughter build confidence together with their shared mount. 

Scott typically asks his clients how horses communicate, and the answer is almost always: body language. As Scott is quick to point out, humans don’t have ears to move and tails to swish. Horses truly communicate on multiple levels that are fun to learn, and learning them will help empower your goals.

Clients and their horses are encouraged to try new challenges in their own time in a pressure-free environment. 

Specialising in helping horses and people cross that language barrier, Scott has helped build successful riding teams throughout Canada. It begins with learning about unique aspects of our horses that allow us to form enduring relationships and bonds of trust. 

With a passion for travelling, Scott has enjoyed giving mobile clinics for years, facilitating many happy trails for his clients to both two- and four-legged. However, eventually all trails lead to home and Amazing Horse Country has found a permanent home in the gorgeous area of Alberta’s David Thompson Country. Here, Scott is thrilled to welcome equestrians to their horse haven where they can enjoy a getaway with their own horse, and where both people and horses can escape the everyday.  

A retired engineer, Scott builds all the obstacles with safety and enrichment in mind. 

Amazing Horse Country Ranch boasts a newly built 85 x 200-foot indoor arena, classroom, a large outdoor arena, a state-of-the-art obstacle course, and miles of beautiful trails. Situated right off Crown land and minutes from Crimson Lake Provincial Park, Amazing Horse Country Ranch also hosts a bed-and breakfast if camping is not really your style.  

Scott believes in a more exploratory approach to working with a horse than conventional horsemanship can provide. “Every horse is a unique individual: how they relate to their environment, perceive leadership, their strengths, and struggles. A training program with a horse will always be successful when it is based on, and flexible enough to meet, the horse’s needs,” he explains. 

While private sessions are available, Scott ensures that each team in a clinic gets the one-on-one time needed for success. 

Teaching a style of horsemanship that is grounded in practical application, Scott creates positive and enjoyable scenarios that foster connections between horses and riders. “If I could describe my job, it would probably be titled, ‘Equine Relationship Facilitator,’” he says. Scott’s approach begins with determining who the horse is, and then tailoring a progressive learning opportunity for the individual horse and handler.  

With an impressive outdoor riding arena and a beautiful insulated indoor arena, clinics at the ranch go on even if the weather doesn’t co-operate.

“I love to share how to work with horses this way,” Scott states enthusiastically, “It’s a commonsense path to success in whatever you’re pursuing with your horse. I keep the clinic sizes small, to really dial into what each horse-and-rider team requires to progress, and I like to work one-on-one with my teams. Our clinics are capped at between three and eight people, depending on the clinic type, to make this possible.” 

In the saddle or out of it, rider and horse are encouraged in a progressive and positive way tailored to individual needs and pace. 

Amazing Horse Country offers a variety of clinics that appeal to all walks of the industry. These include trail riding, obstacles, one-on-one horsemanship, liberty, and colt starting with a focus on outdoor riding, trails, and creative obstacles. There is an emphasis on allowing a horse and rider the time they need to learn and gain confidence in a supportive and positive way. 

As a multi-discipline equine destination for equestrians of all levels and goals, Amazing Horse Country caters to the needs of clients and their horses. It’s a venue of choice for building confidence, getting to know the horse, or working through any struggles clients might have. 

Campsites are available beside each horse paddock, allowing clients to camp with their horses while exploring new trails and challenges. Luxurious rooms are also available if preferred.    

Clients are skillfully and patiently guided as they dive into factual and functional knowledge of how horses think and how the horse’s body works. This cultivates the rider’s skills to communicate with clarity and consistency in a way that resonates with the horse’s natural instincts, fostering a serene and precise response from the horse. Empowering riders to master the language of their horses, Scott’s approach cultivates a dream duo: a horse and rider, united by trust, ready to meet any challenge as a team. 

Amazing Horse Country provides opportunities to explore new experiences that encourage communication, along with the tools and confidence to achieve your goals and succeed in future endeavours.

The Amazing Horse Country 2024 clinic schedule can be seen online HERE. With plenty of clinics to choose from, Scott looks forward to helping equestrians of all levels achieve their goals with their equine partners. 

For more information, visit Amazing Horse Country. 

Main Photo: Scott Phillips of Amazing Horse Country has spent years developing his unique style of horsemanship, prioritizing communication and trust.  

(Photos are courtesy of Amazing Horse Country.)