We purchased Maplewood in November 2009. We came to the equine industry with very different backgrounds: René had recently retired from the military and Rhonda was an accounting professor. Our daughter, Michelle, already had years of experience with horses. René completed an Equine Science diploma with the University of Guelph and was already a master with heavy equipment. Rhonda, with her business background, was a natural fit for the administration side of things. Between the three of us, we were open to learn new things, happy to bring our diverse backgrounds to the riding school, and lucky enough to find great people and companies to partner with on this incredible journey.
Our goal is to provide an environment for people to be able to share experiences with these amazing horses. We hope that we can support people's equestrian journeys, from taking lessons, making friends with fellow equestrians, finding your equestrian "soul horse", or whatever form your life-long relationship with horses takes!
Michelle's bio can be read in the coach's information on the main page, but she is a vital part of the management team. Her insight with the horses and skill level provides her with the ability to build trust with our school horses and boarded horses. Michelle is also an excellent coach, working with each of her students to work towards their own goals.
Elton is our "Employee of the Month" every month! He looks after all of the grain and supplies in the barn and does it very well. This was a bit of a surprise since, as a kitten, he was seen sitting in the barn screaming and holding his paw in the air. Afraid that he was quite injured, he was checked out completely, and was perfectly fine... his paw was just dirty... Elton loves the students, but especially the parents and friends when they sit under the heater in the viewing area, and he'll never say no to a treat!
"We build good horse people, not just good riders"
Our goal is create an environment where people and horses can come together and enjoy each others' company. Our students learn about the care of the horse as well as riding skills in order to prepare students for a lifetime of partnerships with our equine friends.