Glenn Stewart has been a Peace region resident his entire life. Born in Fort St. John, growing up on a cattle farm in Baldonnel, BC.
His parents Mel and Ethel Ann Stewart used to ride their horses to school, Ethel Ann to Taylor and Mel to Montney and live a short distance away from Glenn’s home and business, The Horse Ranch.
When remembering his first horse at the age of 6, Stewart says he used to ride his bike to the field, catch his horse an old grey quarter horse named Scout, ride in the field and then ride his bike home.
Stewart never had riding lessons growing up, he spent hours and hours on the back of a horse learning by doing and partaking in 4H.
When he was 13 years old he started training colts.
“People just started bringing them to me cause I was the horse guy that rode a lot.”
Stewart then went on at the age of 17 to wrangle for an outfitter, spending time packing and trimming, shoeing horses working his way up to guide hunts for sheep, caribou, moose, wolves, and more.
While he raised his family Stewart spent time logging, trucking, in the oil patch, fishing boats, carpentry, cement, diamond drilling, and running heavy machinery.
His passion for horses was constant in his life, spending up to 16 hour days working with them.
“At that time I didn’t know anyone that worked full time with horses to make a career,” Stewart says.
Stewart then went into becoming one of the best in the world Parelli horse trainer, starting on his own path in approximately 2006.
Among his many accomplishments he has won the World Colt Starting Competition in 2012 held in Tennessee, and in September won Heart of the Horse Colt Starting competition in Nanton, AB.
“I always enjoy colt starting and the heart of the horse competition was top notch, it was put together very well. I’ve been invited back next year and plan to attend,” Stewart says.
Stewart travels the world to deliver his horsemanship clinics destinations include; Vienna, Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico, throughout the US, and Brazil. Closer to home Glenn leads his annual “High & Wild Learning Adventure” in north eastern BC. 2020 marks the 19th year he will be taking clients in to the mountains for an exclusive opportunity to work with horses that live in the wild year round.
“The different cultures affect the horsemanship, the patterns/perspectives and beliefs people show up in the horses and I have to be flexible to that,” Stewart says when asked about the differences in training horses in other countries. “Costa Rica is very similar to Canada.”
Stewart is writing a book about his horsemanship experiences traveling Canada and internationally working with students.
In addition to competitions, hosting clinics, training horses and people Stewart is a very busy man. He runs student camps, in the summer mountain trips explore learning holiday adventures. He also presents leadership seminars to many companies and government agencies teaching insight of personnel skills that stem from horsemanship.
The Horse Ranch hosts weddings, music festivals, hoe-downs and fund-raising events go to http://www.thehorseranch.com/ for upcoming events.
November 22- 6:30-8:30pm- The Horse Ranch will feature the live music of Fort St John’s own Mason Young, a horsemanship demonstration by Glenn Stewart with proceeds to the Northern BC High School Rodeo Association.
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