Amazing coaches & staff are the key to a safe, fun and successful lesson program!
SAMANTHA TOEWS Sam has completed her Level 8 EC rider level, is a Registered Coach through Equestrian Canada and is finishing up her certification this month as an EC Licensed Competition Coach. She started coaching at age 15 and is now the show coach at Sagehill, looking forward to seeing the show team continue to grow and attend a variety of events including all MHJA shows this year! She has been training and competing in the hunter and jumper disciplines since a young age and recently stepped into the eventing world. Working at numerous facilities of different disciplines since she was young gave Sam invaluable knowledge and built a strong horse management skills set. Sam has a multi-disciplinary background in both English and Western which helps her be a well-rounded coach and trainer for multiple horses and riders of different levels and backgrounds. She has successfully trained horses up to a competitive level in both hunter/jumper disciplines and eventing. Sam currently owns three horses, Luna, Miley and her newest addition, Josie. Her passion lies within retraining off the track thoroughbreds to successfully start new careers. SHANNON MATTHEWS Shannon started working with horses professionally in 2001, After a few years off while raising her kids, she re-did her CHA certification and has been back working with horses as a coach and volunteering as a co-head 4-H leader with us at Sagehill while working on her EC levels and Equine Diploma. She also loves coaching the Drill team and helping with all the fun events throughout the year! Shannon believes the best therapists have 4 legs and fur. She is dedicated to using and teaching patience, kindness and understanding while focusing on safety and fundamentals in her lesson, helping students gain their confidence while having fun. She is a favorite of students with her incredibly positive attitude, caring nature, and has been called Barn mom on many occasions. Not only does she coach horseback riding, but she also coaches both her kids hockey teams and her daughters softball team. She is also an amazing photographer, you can follow her Instagram at @Shannonlee_photography and @daydreamin_moments. REILY STEFANIUK Reily has been riding and working at Sagehill Stables for many years. She started as a student working her way through as a volunteer, then barn hand, then coach. Reily loves working with our youngest riders and starting their passion for horses. She enjoys teaching them about the athleticism of horseback riding while having fun! Reily has owned her own horse and has much experience taking care of horses. She has a contagious outgoing personality and is loved by all her students. You can find her coaching introductory programs and children's lessons all year round! AMANDA KLASSEN Amanda grew up on a grain and poultry farm near Sanford MB. She started taking riding lessons in high school and after graduating, spent time in Texas where she got to be part of a wrangler team at the bible school she attended. Once back in Manitoba, she worked as a part time barn hand and volunteered with Horse Connection. Amanda was diagnosed with Hodgkinds Lymphoma in 2009 and underwent 8 cycles of chemo, plus a blood clot treatment, which forced her to step away from horses and focus on herself. After recovery, she began working and riding more in Texas and Alberta, where she found herself heavily involved alongside a team in running Horses of Hope, a large horse program for at risk kids. Eventually she made her way back to Manitoba, bringing home a 4 year old mare, Tequila, whom she owned for 9 years. In this time, Amanda took part in many clinics including cowboy challenges and working cowhorse clinics with Shawn Seabrook, as well as a horsemanship clinic with Sean Patrick. Amanda joined the Sagehill team in 2021. Being a mom of 2 young kids, it has allowed her to continue working with and around horses in various capacities including chores and office work. Having spent a lot of time learning the importance of groundwork, on occasion you will also find her working with some Sagehill school horses that need some extra tlc. |
ADRIENNE DORGE Adrienne (commonly known around the barn as Adi) is from La Salle, Manitoba. She started riding at the age of 2 at a family friend's place and participated in 4-H Horsemanship at age 7. Adi started taking riding lessons at age 12, soon after moving to Sagehill Stables. Since Adi started at Sagehill, she could be found working away at barn chores and assisting in putting miles under saddle on less advanced school horses. If a client is having problems with their horse, Adi always finds time to add them into her training schedule. She also puts miles on other horses that need to gain experience While specializing in jumping, Adi believes it is important to have a solid foundation on the flat first. She is working towards achieving an Animal Science Diploma followed by Equine Studies with a focus on nutrition and business management in the equine industry. Additionally, she is looking to go for her Equine Canada Rider Levels. As for coaching, Adi has an extensive background leading birthday parties and intro programs. As she progressed through the years she started teaching more advanced students. Adi has a passion for other animals, with a variety of critters at home including birds, fish, dogs, cats, etc. She brought up her filly, Honey, from untouched to having a goal of competing in the hunter and dressage rings in the near future. Before purchasing Honey, she took on a rescue, Parker. She worked with him on trusting people and now thanks to her hard work is a solid school horse mount at Sagehill and excels at taking students over their first fences. RHYDER LINK Rhyder started riding when she was 7 years old, taking English lessons and quickly grew a passion for horses. She has been at Sagehill Stables since 2016 as lesson student and spent many hours volunteering (pretty much calling this her home!) before she started working as a tack-up coach and now riding coach! She spends most of her summers at the barn running summer camps and teach Intro Programs and Children's lessons. Outside of Sagehill she also works as a horse handler for an equine assisted therapy program for kids/adults with disabilities. Rhyder has one horse name Ajericho (A.J. for short)! She currently takes lessons with Jaime Hasiuk to continue improving her coaching and riding skills. Her main goal is to build relationships with students and have fun! JEANNINE TAYLOR Jeannine has a passion for horses. She started riding as a child at Westgates Horse Centre and was a member and eventually an instructor in the Pony Club for a number years. She spent many summers riding, working and training horses at a summer horse camp in Eriksdale in the Interlake of Manitoba. While in University and looking to contribute to her community, Jeannine started volunteering with the Manitoba Riding for the Disabled Association and quickly became an assistant instructor then riding instructor. Over the years Jeannine has participated and competed in numerous disciplines including hunter, jumper, equitation, western pleasure, barrels, poles, trail riding and she even drove Shetland ponies in a show once. Jeannine got her first horse, Kiefer an OTTB, when she was 14 (after many years of begging her parents). Her current horse Platinum, a Hanoverian/TB x, just celebrated her 30th birthday. These days, when not at her day job in insurance or with her family and dogs, she can be found in the barn helping out when needed, leading the Sagehill Stables 4-H Club and working on HR tasks. |
CALEIGH HOFMANN Caleigh is from Winnipeg and started riding as young girl with Jaime Hasiuk. She started volunteering at her barn at age 12 and worked her way up to becoming a coach. Caleigh came to Sagehill in 2019 where she started working in the barn doing chores, then worked her way up to working summer camps and Intro Programs. As she progressed through the years, she has started teaching more advanced students. She has also started working in our office! Over the past couple of years Caleigh has focused more on dressage, but she still has the knowledge and passion for jumping. Caleigh has worked at various different stables in Manitoba, working as a professional groom and assisting in training. She has also had the opportunity to train under Mackenzie Thiessen and Izzy Biron. She is a great rider and currently helps with some of the school horses needing riding or ground work. Caleigh is currently working on finishing her Equine Canada Rider Levels. ISABEL HENAULT Isabel started riding at the age of 9 and has been hooked ever since! Throughout the years, she’s spent countless hours at the barn trying to spend as much time with the horses as possible. It was in 2015 that she found her passion for dressage and decided to pursue it full time. Since then, Isabel has been in lessons with Ariana Chia and has competed up to 4th level in dressage at local competitions with her horse, Roe. Isabel started teaching at Sagehill Stables in 2021 and has loved it since! Her favourite part about teaching is seeing riders progress and have a great time while doing so. Her lessons mostly consist of a flat work foundation based in dressage, but she loves teaching riders how to go over their first fences too. Outside of riding, Isabel is a student at the University of Manitoba pursuing a career in criminal psychology. Isabel is more than happy to help with anything, whether it’s under the saddle or on the ground, so don’t be afraid to ask her for help when you see her around! MEREDITH GREENALL Meredith began riding when she was 9 years old and is proud to say Sagehill is practically her second home. She fell in love with horses after doing one of Sagehill’s summer camps and has been taking lessons ever since. Meredith started tack-up coaching when she was 16 and loves introducing new people to her passion for horses. She strives to help her students learn in a safe and fun manner. Meredith can often be found helping out around the barn with chores and lessons as well! She is lucky enough to live just down the street from Sagehill and loves to pop in to see the horses. Meredith is attending the University of Manitoba starting this fall and plans on continuing building her skills as a coach at Sagehill in the future. |