Are you ready to ride, Whitecourt?

By Laura Bohnert

Now Whitecourt can start taking riding lessons at Victory Acres Equine Service, Inc.

Valerie McIlwaine, a riding instructor who moved to Whitecourt from Bashaw, Alberta in 2010, recently started up her own business alongside her husband Bryan McIlwaine and her 13-month old daughter Mackenzie, in Whitecourt.

McIlwaine began formally taking on riders as of June 1 after becoming certified on April 18, 2015.

“I thoroughly enjoy working in Whitecourt,” states McIlwaine. “It is amazing how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with. It’s an awesome feeling to go into the grocery store and have one of my riders call out ‘Hi, Valerie!’ smiling ear to ear.”

“I am certified to instruct western riders on levels 1-4, following the internationally acclaimed Equine Canada Learn to Ride Program,” McIlwaine explains. “The minimum age for actual lessons is four and there is no age limit for learning to ride.”

“I do a combination of unmounted lessons (handling horses from the ground, grooming, etc.) and mounted lessons (actual riding),” continues McIlwaine. “If a rider has intentions of owning his or her own horse someday, I will also mix in some stable management (caring for horses).”

McIlwaine runs lessons all year long with access to a heated indoor arena. She also hopes to start running summer camps and boarding horses in the near future.

“I am also very willing to help anyone purchase a new horse,” states McIlwaine. “The first horse is extremely important and I will do my best to ensure the very best relationship between horse and rider.”

Finding the right horses to work with, McIlwaine explains, is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to learning to ride: “A rider’s first horse is extremely important; this horse needs to build confidence and ability. It is much easier to maintain and build on existing confidence than it is to rebuild confidence from the ground up. I have a couple of riders who are coming for lessons who have had bad experiences in the past that stem from riding inappropriate horses, and it is a slow process getting back to the point of trusting your horse.”

“I cannot stress enough how important it is to have good, solid, well-trained horses,” states McIlwaine. “I absolutely refuse to put one of my riders on a horse that I do not know inside and out and fully trust.”

McIlwaine currently has two lesson horses: Krissy, a 21-year-old Palomino pony mare that stands 13 hands high, and Cameo, a 15 hands high Strawberry Roan that McIlwaine purchased at the Stettler Auction Mart at four months old to save her from the meat buyers. A third mare, Victory, a 14.2 hands high Quarter horse, is coming off an injury; however, McIlwaine hopes to have her lesson-ready for intermediate to advanced riders soon.

“Horse riding is not just a sport, it’s a partnership,” explains McIlwaine. “Establishing a connection with a horse is one of the most rewarding relationships you can experience. There are countless benefits to horseback riding that I could list off, but aside from all the other benefits, what I find is truly the best benefit from horseback riding is the confidence and self-esteem I see building up in my riders.”

“Once you start doing the work and earning your achievements, then your confidence and self-esteem starts to buildup. I love seeing that in my riders, I love seeing the negativity turn into ‘hey, I can do this’; that is what makes my job so rewarding,” states McIlwaine.

Holly Kerr, a student of McIlwaine who began taking riding lessons when her 13-year-old daughter expressed an interest in learning, agrees that learning to ride can play a big part in contributing to confidence and self-esteem: “I am 37 years old, have never ridden before, and let’s just say I ‘was’ very afraid of horses,” Kerr explains. “I walked into the arena thinking there was no way I was getting on that horse, but with Valerie’s patience, guidance, and understanding, after five lessons I have the confidence to saddle up, get on Cameo, and trot around that arena! I was never a very confident person, and I don’t like to try new things. Valerie at Victory Acres has instilled in me that I can do anything I put my mind to!”

“Getting out and on horseback has so many positive benefits,” states McIlwaine. “Horses are not just for the advanced competitor, horses are for everyone, and I want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy what these incredible animals have to offer.”

“Whitecourt needs more horse time,” states McIlwaine. “If you are interested, please feel free to contact me directly on my cell phone (call or text) 780-268-2875 or email valerie@victoryacres.ca or find us online at www.victoryacres.ca as well as on Facebook.”