11/22/2025
Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Stephanie!
In the spring of 2024, Stephanie saw a Facebook post on one of the Milton Community pages that Triple H Ranch & Therapeutic Horsemanship was looking for volunteers. She contacted Sheila about volunteer opportunities and immediately knew that this was something special.
Stephanie jumped right in at Triple H Ranch and hasn’t looked back! She has a family, works a full-time job as a property manager, and recently started the journey of becoming a PATH International Certified Therapeutic Instructor. To say that Stephanie is busy is an understatement.
As a youngster, Stephanie had a crazy love and passion for horses. She started riding hunter jumpers at the age of 7. By the age of 10, her parents purchased Stephanie her first horse, a little Palomino Quarter Horse. She started showing her in 4H and open horse shows. By 12 years old, Stephanie was showing on the Palomino and Quarter Horse circuits. She traveled all over the country for about seven years, showing horses and competing in all the major shows, such as the Palomino World Show, Quarter Horse Congress, Youth Palomino World Show, AJQHA World Show, and many state shows. Stephanie would travel with multiple horses showing in halter, showmanship, English, and western classes. During this time, her family purchased land and built a riding facility. They started a breeding program with two stallions. At one point, they had over 40 horses between show horses, broodmares, and foals. These were truly some of the best years! After her family moved on from the horse business, she would ride my parents' neighbors' horses or trail ride whenever the opportunity presented itself.
When asked about her favorite things about volunteering at Triple H Ranch, Stephanie responded, “Watching the students grow in their confidence, the joy and love they show to their horse, developing friendships with other volunteers, and the common bond of wanting to help our students. Ranch Hands is always fun, too!
A memory that Stephanie holds close to her heart is when she had a student who was just starting in the lesson program and was too afraid of getting on the horse. The student started the first couple of lessons just walking next to the horse. The student was very shy and quiet and was not interested in engaging in conversation. Over time, we were able to encourage the student to start the mounting process with one foot in a stirrup. Then we moved to sitting on the horse. Once the student felt confident sitting on the horse, we were able to encourage the student to walk. By the end of the session, the student was fully participating in the lesson, even taking part in the trot lap. The student blossomed out of their shyness and was very talkative, engaging in conversations and speaking up to answer questions during the lesson. It was such a joy to see this student face fears and overcome them.
Stephanie encourages others to visit the ranch to explore. She states, “There are so many different ways you can volunteer. If you have a passion for helping others, just get involved. Come watch a lesson or hang out with us during a Ranch Hand event. It's been great to make new friendships with other volunteers. I’ve met so many wonderful, caring people through volunteering. I think the ranch is a place of healing, not just for the students, but also for the volunteers as well.”
Stephanie, we appreciate all that you do for Triple H Ranch, and we are excited to see what the future holds for you as a Certified PATH Intl riding instructor.
