Meet the Team
AJS Farms Desires to Engage Individuals and Families of all Backgrounds Through Self-Motivation, Strength, Confidence, and Teamwork in an Authentic Environment Utilizing Horses, the Great Outdoors, and Various Farm Activities!

Program Director & Head Trainer
Ruthann Steere
Striving for Greatness
Ruthann Steere has three big passions in life: horses, people, Jesus.
Having loved and worked with horses from a young age, it has always been her desire to encourage others to enjoy them as well. With over fifteen years of experience working with kids and adults; from “at-risk”, to developmentally disabled, to corporate, and families in a variety of areas and programs, Ruthann's broad range of experience makes her a natural teacher. She has a huge desire to see children and people of all ages grow and learn and become all that God has called them to be.
Ruthann's BA is in Equine Management and Recreation (Experiential Education). She uses horses and outdoor recreation as a tool to interact and communicate with kids and adults alike. Because hoof care is of critical importance to the well-being of a horse, she recently pursued and graduated from the Troy Price Horseshoeing School, IN.
Ruthann is a Professional Practitioner ACCT general level 2, working on a variety of different challenge courses, including outdoor guide training in rock climbing, canoeing, caving, group and individual hiking trips.
Medical experience consists of CPR First Aid infant-adult, AED, Lifeguard, Wilderness First Responder.

Assistant Instructor
Clare E.
Clare has had a love for horses since she was a little girl. She started riding and volunteering at horse barns when she was 13 years old. Clare is the fourth child of seven and loves to help teach her younger siblings and other children, especially when it comes to anything horse related. Her love for Christ and passion for sharing His love with others is most important to her and she is looking forward teaching and working with children. Running and reading are two of her favorite hobbies when she is not at the horse barn.

Lead Pony Instructor
Amy G.
Amy has always had a big heart for animals and children. Horses have always been in her life through friends and neighbors. She has been riding for fun, cleaning stalls, feeding, and groom horses since she was 11. Just recently she has started to really learn proper riding techniques and training of horses.
Amy has an BA in Elementary Education and has been working with children since she was 12. She has volunteered in church programs, had multiple babysitting jobs, taught in a daycare preschool, taught in an elementary school, and substitute taught. Amy also started going to school for a vet tech degree but when life got to crazy she had to put that aside.
Amy is a wife and a mother of two. She is so excited that she can not only share her love of animals with her own two children but with others as well now through the different programs at the barn.

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Maddy D.
Maddy has always had a passion for animals and started consistently riding horses in high school. She has worked with horses in many settings including a large competition barn, a wrangler at a summer camp, and assisting with equine therapy.
Maddy believes horses can be used as a tool to bring others to Christ. Many aspects of horses can be used as a metaphor for our relationship with Christ. She loves showing these similarities through educating about horse behavior and training.
Maddy currently attends Hope College and is working towards a degree in Nursing with a minor in Psychology. When she isn’t working with horses, she can be found studying in coffee shops.

Vaulting Coach