Meet the Team
Owner
Buffy Afseth
Horses have the unique beauty and gift of teaching us more about ourselves than about them. Horses will test you, teach you and bring out the best in you. As a family run community, we feel incredibly Blessed to grow and learn daily in our horsemanship, to be a part of a wonderful community and to be passionately invested in what we now call our home.
Darlene Rochow
facility Director
"In riding a horse we borrow freedom." ~Helen Thomson
Words cannot capture the spirit of the horse or the experience of being in their presence. I have always loved horses and the opportunity of partnering with these wonderful animals has been a dream that I have yet to wake up from…may I ‘forever sleep!!’. Their movement, thoughts, and actions have always captivated me and it is these qualities that have brought me to this place. My goal and passion is for every person to experience that which cannot be expressed in words.
I continue to strive to learn the language of the horse. Understanding how they communicate with each other allows me not only the gift of communicating with them but, also the opportunity to be a better communicator with people. It is through the lens of the horse that I gain more understanding of myself and the world that I live in. I am blessed beyond measure for the life that I have.
Dream Team
Two friends sharing the same passion. Buffy and Dar have become known as the Mission Acres Dream Team. Together they share the same philosophy and a life where they could be part of the horse experience. The dream became waking life with the inception of Mission Acres. Their world has been greatly enhanced with this realization and their desire is that everyone who shares that dream has the ability to see it realized.
"There is something about the outside of the horse that is good for the inside of a man"
Sir Winston Churchill
Meet our Trainers
Facility Maintenance
Meet Mel
Mel is known for his friendly nature, handiness and wide array of knowledge, skills and abilities. We are proud to share his talented welding skills that are reflected in many areas of our facility. We truly appreciate his dedication to helping and maintaining our Mission Acres Facility.
Matthew doyle
After starting his horse journey at the age of 13, Matthew always knew his goal would be to become a horse trainer. After several years of training with his mentor, Josh Nichol, Matthew began to fulfill his goal. His passion is helping people, of all disciplines and backgrounds, to find their ability to connect and understand horses on a relational level by guiding people to a deeper connection as well as a rounded view on how to effectively communicate with both the mind and body of the horse.
Augusta Marit
Augusta is a life long horsewoman, her competitive career which began at the age of 6 continues to this day, and has taken her all across Canada, United States, South America and Europe. Augusta has a talent for nurturing young and inexperienced riders. From the child who is horse crazy, to child who is scared to go near the paddock. Augusta has her students well-mounted and smiling in their first lesson. Her riders leave their lessons with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Importantly, they also develop a proper foundation through her emphasis on the building blocks of proper riding technique.