Seeing the snowy world from the height of a horse during a winter ride. The first in a four-part series on horse ownership takes place on Saturday, Jan. 20. (Submitted Photo/Deb Kanzer)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Horse Talk

A four-part series on horse ownership coming to Meadow Lake

Jan 16, 2024 | 1:34 PM

The first session of an open forum on horse ownership is trotting up to Meadow Lake this weekend.

The idea came up when a number of Kelly Friedrich’s riding students approached her about buying horses. She informed them it’s not what she taught during her lessons but offered to teach theory in the winter when they weren’t riding.

“We could certainly sit around and discuss things, so, they all thought that was a good idea,” said the Equine Canada-licensed coach, noting she had attended similar forums in Alberta.

“It was always held in the middle of the winter so we could all go and get some information that might not be readily available or sometimes in that case they would have speakers come in,” she added.

The point was to provide the latest information that was being developed and Friedrich wished to provide the horse lovers of Meadow Lake with the same support.

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The first in the series of four will take place on Saturday, Jan. 20 at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (416 Second Street W from 1:30 to 4 p.m.) and will focus on buying horses, the time and cost commitments of ownership and tack. Some of the discussions will centre around what they should be looking for, what they can expect to see and what their objectives are.

“I’m a horse person and as such, I would like to see that horses are responsibly taken care of and that the people are safe and the horses are safe,” said the lifelong horse woman.

“This is one way by informing people, we can increase the safety factor.”

For this first session, they will also discuss lodgings.

“Where are you going to keep your horse, are you going to put it in a barn or are you going to put it out in a pen or are you going to allow it to run in a meadow, what are your plans?”

Another aspect that will be discussed includes developing emergency action plans.

“In view of the fact that we’ve had so many fires – especially in (British Columbia) and Alberta – now I am for myself working on a fire evacuation plan,” she said.

“That is quite an undertaking and I think that everybody maybe in our community should be thinking about it because it is a possibility.”

Owning a horse is not for the faint of heart or novices for that matter. Friedrich recommends instead of leaping in, take the time to develop an understanding for the equine world: take riding lessons, or ride with friends.

“It’s expensive to buy a horse, but it’s way more expensive to take care of a horse 24/7, 365 days,” she said.

“I think it takes passion to be a dedicated horse owner.”

While the full four weeks are built with continuity and do include homework, it is possible to attend stand-alone sessions. The following three sessions will take place:

February 3: practical class at the Meadow Lake Stockyard located at 633 First Ave. E will run from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

February 17: theory class at the Lutheran Church 1:30 to 4 p.m.

March 2: practical class 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The classes will also feature guest presenters and will focus on hands-on learning including horse sense, health, handling safety, equipment and food and nutrition.

The four lessons will cost $150. For those interested in just attending a stand-alone lesson or for more information, call Friedrich at 306-240-9535.

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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