Testimonials
“I wanted to thank you so much for the awesome training you did with my horse, Hanna, last June. I was very impressed with how intuitive you were in reading how she was reacting to the training and how you corrected her at just the right time to avoid any confusion as to what you were asking of her. You have a great balance of fairness and kindness in your corrections. I found it very beneficial to come and watch some the sessions so I could see her progress. As well, I enjoyed the frequent updates (complete with photos!) as to how Hanna’s daily sessions were going. I also really liked that you scheduled a time where I could ride along with you while you were riding Hanna so I could see how she would act in certain situations when I started riding her myself. I have found that she has been very trustworthy to ride thanks to your training. Over years I have had several trainers working with other horses I’ve owned and watched many others at various clinics and videos and I can honestly say that I would highly recommend your training to others as it’s the best I’ve seen! Thanks again!”
– Judy Carlsen
“I first contacted Stephanie just over a year ago (late October 2016) to pull shoes and trim my horses feet for winter. I had 6 horses at the time but only wanted 5 worked on. One horse had compressed heals and was prone to quarter cracks, so I was quite picky about who worked on him. I explained this to Stephanie and she asked if she to have a look at him. After assessing him, she looked at me and said “I’d really like to work with him, his issues are one of the reasons I went to school in the first place.” She had a sparkle in her eye! I told her I’d think it over and after a week or so I got a hold of her and said let’s do it. Big step for me!
We did a slow rehab as she called it and Paint has adjusted very well to the transition and has not had any issues since! Stephanie’s knowledge and experience are extremely impressive, not to mention how much she cares for the individual needs of each of my horses!
This year I sent my roan to Hoof to Heart Horsemanship for 30 days of training with Stephanie.
Stephanie is well known for English riding/training/lessons etc… but is also exceptional in western discliplines- western being my preference. I was very impressed with Stephanie for encouraging me to attend all of the training sessions. I was able to observe her training process as well as watch the daily progress. There were even a few days we were at the arena at 6:00am because that was the only time we were both available. Very accommodating!
I found that Stephanie’s training techniques encouraged my roan to understand what it was she was asking, making him want to learn… not be forced to learn or breaking his personality. She was able gain his trust and respect very easily which, made his daily lessons enjoyable for all of us but especially for him. I was so happy to see he was comfortable, relaxed and well cared for! The training that my boy received went above and beyond all of my expectations! You have a wonderful gift Steph! I highly recommend Hoof to Heart Horsemanship to everyone.
– Lani Lind
“When our family first moved to Princeton my daughters had interest in horse riding and it didn’t take me long to find out about Stephanie’s abilities and her willingness to train many different age groups. When we agreed to hire her for lessons with my 10 year old it was easy to see Stephanie’s passion for horses and her amazing ability to connect with our daughter with her training style, so when my youngest turned four Stephanie took her on as well. She is very knowledgeable when it comes to horses and has assisted us with the tack that is needed right up to the point of us purchasing a horse for my daughter. I have recommended Stephanie in the past and would whole-heartedly recommended her in the future.”
– Daryl Martin
– Candace Smyr
“Just the thought of selling your well-loved horse is enough to send you into an emotional tailspin. But when circumstances tell you that selling your horse is the thing to do, the number one concern becomes finding the right home and Stephanie Antonick can help ease this pain and find the right home for your horse. I highly recommend Steph for this.”
“I am part of 3 generations that Stephanie coaches. She coaches my daughter, my granddaughter and myself. It took me a long time to participate in lessons. I watched Stephanie give a lot of lessons, and watched her start quite a few horses in such a kind soft manner, but in my head I was sure that she thought I was some kind of anomaly, that only ground worked her horse but didn’t or perhaps couldn’t ride. After months of watching her train and coach, I still ground worked my horse. I was even more convinced that she thought I was literally crazy. My false beliefs held me back from taking lessons.
One day I got up the courage to speak with her and tell her the truth, about why I didn’t take lessons. I told her how crippled I was with anxiety and how ashamed I felt that the years of experience I had seemed to have vanished along with all and any confidence I had left. Not only was Stephanie’s response the complete opposite of what I thought it would be, it gave me the courage to take that first step of the Journey I had wanted and wished for, for so long but didn’t know how to go about getting it or really where to start. No words can describe what a simple hug meant to me that day. And so it began.
From the first day I rode under Stephanie’s tutelage, I could not believe the understanding she had, not just of the horse but of her student as well. She is supportive, encouraging, and no cookie cutter training here. I have seen her go home and ponder a problem, come up with another solution. Try, try again, and if at first you don’t succeed, try again seems to be her motto.
There have been a few times when I wanted to quit, when I have broke down, and when I have flat out refused to do what she asks. She would not let me quit, refused to give up on me, walked me through whatever the task was at hand.. She has been there for me EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. She is my mentor, my coach, my conscience, my biggest supporter and my biggest cheerleader. We have progressed leaps and bounds under her watchful eye and knowledgeable guidance in the past 6 months.
I am not only impressed with the knowledge of her coaching, but also that she continues to hone her craft every chance she gets. She events. she takes clinics, takes courses, never stops learning, and always willing to listen to ideas, or concerns. That to me is a coach, no gimmicks, barbaric gadgets, or archaic methods just pure passion and a hard work ethic. Firm but fair, knows when to speak, knows when to listen, when to push and when to back off. And does it all with a smile on her face.
When I learned that the name of her business was going to be Hoof to Heart Horsemanship, I thought to myself, how fitting. She can trim and restore horses feet, colt starting, coach, give lessons and can even heal a horses broken heart, but sometimes, maybe, just maybe, it might be a human’s heart she helps to heal.
Stephanie, you were born to do this. I am so very humbled to be along for the ride.”
– Dale Arnet
– Olivia Williams
I’ve known Stephanie for at least 12 years, and have endless respect for her horsemanship. She is a rare combination of compassion and no-nonsense, speaking and working from the heart in her teaching of both humans and horses. She is an avid on-going learner, constantly improving her already formidable skill set with continuing education in all areas of equine interest. Horses and humans like and respect her, and she brings a wonderful sense of humour and kind firmness while encouraging students, 4 and 2-legged, to try harder, reach deeper, grow stronger.
Stephanie is a very capable trainer, bringing horses along in flatwork, jumping and on trails in a way that layers positive experiences to build a confident, willing mount. Her experience allows her to catch the subtlest signs and coach through to help for a successful outcome. As an knowledgeable barefoot trimmer specializing in rehabilitation, she is keenly aware of the many different factors that may inhibit a horse’s learning, such as saddle fit or bodywork issues. Her understanding of hoof pathology is inspiring; having attended one of her hoof education seminars, I was deeply impressed with how fluent she is not only in her subject, but in teaching both adults and children. That skill translates into her abilities as an instructor in private lessons and clinics.
I have a great deal of trust in Stephanie’s skills as a trainer and coach, but as importantly, in her ethics and compassion for the horses and people lucky enough to work with her.
– Ainsley Beauchamp
