About Us

Background

Elizabeth McCowan was born and raised in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Introduced to horses at 10 years old, she  fell in love with the sport and now she enjoys sharing her experience and knowledge with future riders!.

Elizabeth's riding experience and pursuit of horse knowledge has taken her all over Southern Ontario and Kentucky, U.S.A. She has ridden actively for 20 years and studied the art of hunter, jumper, eventing and dressage. For two years, Elizabeth rode with two time Olympian, Jamie Smart, and deepened her personal skills and riding style through this association.

Philosophy

Although her teaching focuses on the hunter/jumper discipline, she strongly believes that riders should be well-rounded and enjoy different facets of the sport.

Professionalism and Experience

Elizabeth brings a depth and breadth of knowledge plus a high level of professionalism to all aspects of her work. Her natural ability to read horses, combined with her well-honed skills has given her the ability to start and train horses for show. Many of the horses at McCowan Stables Riding Academy were started and trained by Elizabeth personally.

At the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Elizabeth minored in Animal Science.

Elizabeth's dedication to the sport shines through in all aspects of McCowan Stables Riding Academy: from its excellent facilities and programs to special events and shows.

Professional Coaching

As a coach, Elizabeth applies her two-decades-plus experience to tending to each rider's individual needs. She combines intuition and sound teaching practices to choose the best approach for each student. Students gain a sense of accomplishment at every stage of their coaching, as they learn in ways that are best suited to their individual learning style. Elizabeth's attention to each students' needs makes lessons both effective and enjoyable.

While it's clear that Elizabeth takes the discipline of horsemanship seriously, at the same time she has a gentle, encouraging and supportive style and a sense of humour. She's able to draw out the best in horse and rider, through keeping it light and fun while still focusing on the task at hand and the goal ahead.

Professional Training

Elizabeth's sixth sense ability to read horses has contributed to her role as a highly skilled horse trainer. She has started and trained many horses for the show ring, both her own as well as others'.

Accolades

"As an adult educator with over 30 years' teaching experience, I was impressed by Elizabeth's ability to find just the right approach for me. I was able to reach some of my personal goals much sooner than I had expected. I attribute this not only to Elizabeth's talent as an instructor, but perhaps more importantly, to her gentle, supportive and encouraging style. She gained my trust to the point where I was both willing and able to ride a lunging horse with my eyes closed! I've found the right trainer and mentor for me. Thank you so much, Elizabeth!"

~ Zoe Kessler, B.Ed. (Adult Education), Riding Student