Reviews

As a rider who focuses mainly on show jumping, I knew how important a good foundation is in dressage, but only since lessons with Maarten have I really started to understand what that means. We started with a sharp, green five-year-old. Maarten helped me not to work harder, but to ride smarter and more refined.
He showed me how much influence small actions have, and how to bend a horse to your will in a friendly and respectful way, without coercion, but with clarity. In just six months, I learned an enormous amount about riding consciously, being consistent, and training with calmness and structure. Maarten gave me insight into the importance of rhythm, focus and following the horse's natural pace of development.

I have been taking lessons from Maarten for 4 years now. He always explains everything in a calm and very clear way. I also notice that the horses enjoy their training a lot more because of this clarity.
It gives a lot of peace of mind for myself, because I now know step by step what and how best to teach and solve. We return home after the lessons with a very nice feeling.

I have now known Maarten for almost 10 years, first through clinics, later I went to him for private lessons and now through Pivo lessons in France.
Maarten motivates me with his positive way of teaching. Not too bland but above all very clear with the well-being of the horse always coming first. Step by step improving the horse and rider and bringing them to a higher level. In short, a top coach with a sharp, critical eye and humour.

Maarten has a lot of knowledge that he always manages to explain to me in a calm and clear way. He really looks at what my horse is trying to tell me, but he also has psychological insight about how I deal with it. That combination and his clear and visual explanations work very well for me. He managed to bring us a lot of confidence and lifted us a step higher each time. I am incredibly grateful that Maarten came our way; he is a top instructor!

His lessons not only changed my riding style, but also my whole approach to training. I wish every rider could have an instructor who looks on, thinks with and helps them grow. Maarten van Stek has the rare ability to combine a very high level of professionalism with an exceptional passion for horses and people. This makes him an exceptional coach who is able to help his students develop quickly, both technically and psychologically.
He knows how to very effectively turn his personal experiences into knowledge that will help others further in their own development. Maarten has developed the quality to anticipate any situation and can convey this to others. His ability to empathise with both horse and rider behaviour and to translate this into effective teaching methods in a very driven way makes him an exceptional person and successful coach. Maarten is also a very pleasant person and an example to many.

Maarten van Stek combines charisma with an imaginative, enthusiastic presentation. His personality naturally fills the stage, especially the equestrian event. He holds the reins during the presentation, as you would also expect.
His diction is very pleasing, his explanations and use of words are clear and understandable, his motivating and persuasive way of speaking keeps both the layman and the advanced speaker on their toes.
Maarten moves with natural flair and at ease with listeners without being a distracting presence. In this way, he seeks and establishes contact with his audience and regularly builds in ample pauses to establish interaction or build a bridge between the audience and his topic of discussion. Content, speed and transmission are preserved and engaging from start to finish.

Slightly stuck on riding my horse, a friend gave me the tip to take lessons from Maarten. What did I have to lose...! So I immediately e-mailed Maarten to ask if he had time for a lesson with an almost desperate rider with a Friesian stallion.
Not a week later, I drove towards Maarten for our 1st lesson. This meeting was intense, earlier that week Maarten had lost Hinne way too early. But it also gave a huge click! The dust was brushed off my aids, a mirror was held up to me and the problems came to light quite immediately!
Now, three-quarters of a year later, we are making more and more progress and we are far from finished! I very much look forward to lessons. Moreover, I have the pleasure of riding all over again!

My name is Esther van Rijswijk and I am one of the lucky ones who can call myself a student of Maarten. I have been taking lessons from Maarten for quite a few years now, and with a lot of pleasure. He taught me how to compensate for my limitations not by giving big aids, but to use my aids more sparingly so that I can communicate more easily with my horses. Maarten made it possible for me to keep believing in dreams and meanwhile I can call myself a light tour and international dressage rider.
Maarten, Kirow and I have since had the opportunity to experience a number of dreams together, including going together to Doha in Qatar. With his immeasurable patience, good explanations and always with a lot of respect for horse and rider, he gets the best out of me and my horses. Meanwhile, of course, a very fine friendship has developed!