Our Team
Our team is made up of humans and horses. Our human team is comprised of fully certified, Equine Assisted Learning facilitators, as well as certified EAL facilitator assistants. Our co-founders, Debi Austin and Amanda Paddle, have been close friends for many years. They met through their mutual love of horses and over the years, they experienced Equine Assisted Learning themselves. Having recognized a need for such programming in the community, they invested in becoming certified facilitators in Equine Assisted Learning, while building on their considerable experience in natural horsemanship. They are excited to bring the benefits of this unique and powerful experiential learning program to the local community.
Our equine team members are our horse partners. Just like people, they each have their unique personalities, often referred to as their “horsenalities.” The horses participating in our programming are trained to safely interact with the human participants, while teaching us valuable life lessons.
Our Humans
Debi Austin
Co-Founder, Certified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator
Debi is a retired high school teacher and has been a highly respected athletics coach for over thirty years. She has an extensive background in education and leadership training and she has studied Natural Horsemanship principles in depth for over 20 years.
Now, along with Co-Founder Amanda Paddle, she is thrilled to combined her two passions, horses and education, to launch the Equine Assisted Learning program at Austin Creek Equine Learning Centre. She is proud to share the magic that horses have brought to her life and knows they can inspire you to be your best self.
Amanda Paddle
Co-Founder, Certified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator
Amanda has been a salon owner and entrepreneur for over 25 years. She has had the honour and experience of working with a lot of people and has walked many paths beside them. She is now stepping out from “behind the chair” and has turned her attention to working with Co-Founder Debi Austin to provide Austin Creeks’ EAL program.
Through her studies of Natural Horsemanship, these majestic animals have taught her many parallel connections between horses and humans. She learned about trust, patience, communication and body language, which helped her become a better leader and mentor. These life skills then became part of her everyday life experiences with family, friends and clients.
Amanda’s leadership skills and special connection with horses have translated into rewarding results. Horses have changed her life and she is now using these skills to empower our community.
Bev Evans
Certified EAL Facilitator’s Assistant
As an outdoor enthusiast, Bev jumped at the opportunity to retire in Huntsville. Wrapping up from a long and successful career in wealth management, Bev was eager to continue her focus on helping people build confidence and realize their potential. A lifelong horse lover, she was drawn to Austin Creek where she embraced the opportunity to combine her understanding of their healing power with her passion for helping others. She has since become certified as an EAL facilitator’s assistance, and with her helpful and cheerful presence at Austin Creek, she has also been affectionately named ‘Barn Manager.’
Keri Robinson
Certified EAL Facilitator’s Assistant
During Keri’s career progression in fast-paced legal departments, she found the peace and joy she needed through horses. After registering her daughter for riding lessons, Keri quickly became enthralled with the natural horsemanship world and all things equine. Getting involved with Austin Creek’s EAL programming has been a very valuable and rewarding experience for her. In 2024 Keri furthered her learnings and obtained her certificate as an EAL facilitator’s assistant to better serve the Austin Creek team and clients. She is excited to be continuing her horsemanship and EAL journey with the Austin Creek team and program participants.
It Takes A Village…
We have been fortunate to have several close friends of Austin Creek participate in our programming in many ways over the years. From helping with set up and preparation to bringing their own personal horses to participate in the EAL programming, our volunteer team has been incredible. We are so happy that Elaine Abbott, Anne MacDonald, Norm Moffatt, Ruby Langlais, and Hennessey Boothby have been a part of our team.
Our EAL Horses
Red
Red is our much loved superstar. He has been Debi’s lead horse in her Natural Horsemanship journey and he has travelled across North America. He is inherently an introvert but with the right leadership he comes alive and the results are magical.
He has an extra special bond with Debi and its no surprise that he excels as an EAL participant.
We all agree he gives great hugs too.
Shadow Mist, affectionately known as “Q”
Q is our easy-going, calm and steady teammate. An introvert at heart, he will often come by the gate first to see who is there (or maybe just to see if it’s feeding time)! He’s a natural at EAL, and we’re thankful his owner, Norm, has put Q on our team roster. He knows his stuff so well, he may even do some of the program tasks for you!
Atlas
Atlas is a very clever and gentle teammate. His intelligence and willingness to participate in EAL is clear when teams are working with him. While not always one to greet you at the gate, if you can garner a moment of his affection, it’s worth the wait and he too gives great hugs.
Jewel
Jewel is another one of our sweethearts around the farm. Her calm and level-headed nature makes her ideal for our EAL program. Jewel is a rescue who has lived at the farm for the past 10 years.
Our Additional Horses
Our entire herd is comprised of several horses, a pony and a mini. The above horses are our core EAL horses. The horses below are the rest of our beautiful herd at Austin Creek that you may see roaming the fields and grazing away while you’re here.
Bella & Luna – The Welcoming Committee
Bella is our mini-horse and Luna is our pony. They live in a separate paddock from the larger herd, but this proximity to the gate ensures they are often the first to greet people who come to the farm. While not currently participating in the EAL program, their curiosity and friendly demeanors have made them our unofficial welcoming committee as they greet visitors at the fence.
Rocket
Rocket is Amanda’s special horse. He’s an athletic extrovert who loves to learn new things. He’s quite advanced in his agility and liberty skills after many years of a working and trusting partnership with Amanda.
Scout
Scout is a pony, but don’t let his smaller size fool you. He may just have the largest extroverted personality around the barn. A very curious and confident horse, he has unique skills that Amanda has taught him over the years – including offering up his feed bowl when he’s finished! While he would love to participate in EAL for his own entertainment, we don’t invite him since he’s known to be quite silly and will take off with our belongings, from gloves to backpacks!
Annie
Annie is another beloved mare at the farm. With her sweet and affirmative nature, we believe Q has his eye on her, but it might just be on any food she spills from her feed bowl. She is boarded at Austin Creek by her loving owner, Jenn Earthy. Annie has provided her owner with her own unique brand of EAL, as she has helped Jenn battle through 3 rounds of cancer.
In Loving Memory Of
Royal “Shesa Northern Angel” –
May 2, 2000 -September 18, 2023
Amanda and Royal had so many wonderful years together. In a world full of chaos, hurt and confusion, Royal brought innocence, calm and strength to the person who needed it the most. She was a great teacher who mirrored energy and emotions and taught us to “stay grounded” and calm. She gave feedback when emotions were too intense and reminded all to “live in the moment,” – to just be.
Royal was blinded from an accident during COVID, but she continued to see the world through her heart. She also depended on our amazing mini Bella who was brought to the farm to be Royal’s “seeing eye” companion. Their relationship was amazing.
Amanda and Royal had to work together to cope with Royal’s disability and they found their way through the challenges and obstacles life threw at them, using patience, communication, love and trust.
Royal was a true “Northern Angel” and will be forever loved and never forgotten.
Amanda says, “You were the wings that taught me to fly and I was your eyes to show you the sky.”
Target – 1999 to 2023
Target was the first horse that Debi brought to the farm in 2002. He was the leader of the Austin Creek herd from the time he arrived at the farm.
Target was a spirited, energetic and sometimes opinionated guy who was the main reason Debi started to study to Natural Horseman Horsemanship principles.
Sadly Target was lost in the fall of 2022.
Zeus – 2001-2025
Zeus was Target’s younger brother and was the second horse brought to the farm. He was a handsome boy that everyone loved to groom.
He was every woman’s dream, he was “tall, dark and handsome.” He was friendly to everyone and loved attention – especially the extra attention that he got from Bev.
He was sadly lost and is missed by all.
