The Human Team
Leah Hope
Volunteer Program Director​

Former Registered Nurse ER/OR/Hospice Palliative Care 
Cartier Equine Learning Centre – 2011
Academy of Equine Assisted Learning – Level 2 and 3 - 2013, 2014 
​Hippotherapy 1 therapy Principles (2016) - AHA
SPECTRUM - lifespan autism resources and training
Mental Health First Aid -2021
Trauma Informed Practice - Justice Institute of BC, 2023

​Leah graduated from Selkirk College in 1995 with a diploma in Nursing sciences. She pursued post-graduate certificates in Operating Room, emergency nursing and later worked in Hospice/palliative care. Her formal career as an active duty nurse was cut short due to injuries, which presented an entirely different path. Creating health and wellness for herself and her family and her animals became the opportunity and the priority. The horses became the inspiration and backbone of her continued learning as it relates to human development.
​Leah has continued her learning with Cartier Equine Learning Centre in 2011 and achieved advanced EAL (Equine-Assisted Learning) facilitator training. Together with her Human Team at Little Oasis Equine, they provide practicum placement for Human Service Students from Selkirk College, offering enrichment to their learning. Leah prides herself on being a student of life.
​Little Oasis Equine has been in existence since 2012 and has strived to provide safe and effective building-block experiential learning opportunities with the power of the horses. Social development and Life skills programs are the niche programs that Little Oasis Equine offers to our communities. 
Gabi Mayrhofer​
Certified EAL facilitator​ and ​Assistant Program Director

Cartier Equine Learning Centre – Level 1 2018
SPECTRUM- lifespan autism resources and training
Mental Health First Aid -2021
Trauma Informed Practice - Justice Institute of BC, 2023

Gabi was born and raised in Germany, and horses became a part of her life at age nine. She began volunteering in therapeutic riding programs whenever possible and riding whenever the opportunity presented itself. After moving to Canada in 1991, Gabi was soon able to purchase her first horse and has been surrounded by them ever since. In 2017 she started volunteering with Little Oasis in our EAL programs and became certified in 2018. This allowed Gabi to follow her passion for working with horses and helping continue to share these amazing animals lessons and gifts with others.
Kat Reyden
EAL Program Assistant

SPECTRUM autism OFA + First aid Level 1, 2021

Little oasis is proud to welcome Kat to our team. Kat’s claim to fame is that she was one of Little oasis equine’s first participant back in our first group ever in 2011. She’s eager to share her experience and the insights that EAL has given her as she matured into adulthood.
Lea Alessandrello​
Certified EAL facilitator

Cartier Equine Learning Centre – Level 1 2018
Trauma Informed Practice - Justice Institute of BC, 2023

Lea's passion for being with horses started early, at the age of ten years old.  She spent two years convincing her parents she was serious about wanting to be around and ride horses. They started her on donkeys, and she has never looked back. Lea left Switzerland in 2012 and came to Canada to work at the Wilderness Guest Ranch, where she could work, play, and breathe horses. Her interest in human nature, psychology and horses lead her to Equine Assisted Learning and she loves facilitating people's journeys with these animals, learning and growing herself along the way.
Alex Hope
Program Assistant

Volunteer at Little Oasis 2014-2018
​Certified Health Care Assistant 2019
SPECTRUM- lifespan autism resources and training
Mental Health First Aid -2021

Alex grew up surrounded by the horses at her home here at Little Oasis Equine and was thereby immersed in the Equine Assisted Learning world. She has developed a love for the special needs population and children with diverse abilities, which led her to pursue a career as a support worker. She loves to work alongside the beautiful herd of horses here at Little Oasis and participate in the transformations that horses can initiate.
Kathy Sager

Early Childhood Care & Education, North Island College - 2009
Forest School Teacher Training, Fresh Air Learning - 2017
Cartier Equine Learning Centre - 2021​
Trauma Informed Practice - Justice Institute of BC, 2023

Kathy has loved horses and been in awe of their magnificence for as long as she can remember. She rode horses as a child and in recent years has immersed herself in learning how to care for and ride horses. Kathy has dedicated much of her life to providing positive learning experiences for children and has developed several outdoor nature programs in the Kootenays. She recognized the value of EAL while participating in the program with her daughters, and knew EAL was part of her path. Kathy is grateful for the opportunity to facilitate this dynamic experience for others, and to work with such a fabulous team of humans and horses.

View Our Former Staff

Inspiring Contributors
At Little Oasis Equine Matters we are committed to our community, and strive to offer objective based programs that will augment our skills as community members. Our dedicated team, both paid and volunteer, have participated in many of the following training as a means to educate ourselves and the families we serve: 
- Standard First aid + CPR level C
- Emergency First Aid + CPR level C
- OSBC Privacy & Information Sharing Certificate
- Duty to Report Training - Autism Spectrum Disorder DSM-V changes
 ​ ASD Challenging behaviours
- Trauma Informed Practice 
- Expected and Unexpected behaviours  
- Family Centered Training
- Brain Gym 101      
- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder
- Circle of Security     


​Meet the Equine Team

Coby

Stiletto

Jewell

Mohawk

Sage