Creating a safe space for horseback riders to enjoy

By Serena Lapointe
The Whitecourt Sandhills, located on the Old Blue Ridge Highway, where the major powerline
crosses the road, could soon become a safe destination for horseback riders. The Whitecourt
Horse Club is in the process of having the land designated for their use, meaning that motorized
vehicles like quads and motorbikes could no longer ride on it.
But here’s the thing; motorized vehicle users are already not allowed to use the land for most of
the year, a fact that might surprise some, especially those who currently use it. Sledders are the
only motorized vehicles that can be on the land, and only from December 1 until March 1 and
only on certain trails.
“If you go online and search Whitecourt Sandhills PLUZ, Public Land Use Zone, the criteria will
be there. Right now, there is a lot of motorized vehicle use there, but it is not permitted,”
explained Alynn Ward, president of the Whitecourt Horse Club. “They’ve been very respectful
for the most part, but it’s too dangerous to have horses and motorized vehicles together. Yes,
you can train your horse, but in the meantime, you’re risking your life.”
The provincial designation for the land is for public, non-motorized recreational use. Off-highway
vehicles like ATVs, side-by-sides and motorbikes are not allowed on the land, and it goes
further
to say that pedestrian vehicles are not allowed to go off-road.
Activities approved at the Whitecourt Sandhills include hiking, equestrian riding and cross-
country skiing. By receiving designated use, the Whitecourt Horse Club could safely use an
area without worry since signs would specify usage, keeping motorized users off and not
creating a life-or-death scenario for a rider and their spooked horse.
Ward explained that she began looking for somewhere to ride after noticing that areas she used
to enjoy were no longer safe. “I used to ride up on the mountain here for many years, but with
the quads, side by sides and four-by-fours coming out, the mountain area is pretty much
unrideable.”
So, two years ago, Ward helped create the Whitecourt Horse Club. First, they looked to
collaborate with the Whitecourt Trailblazers, but many of their trails become bogs in the spring
and summer months, making them unusable for horseback riding. “There was also a set of trails

across from the Ag Society, but there are a lot of bridges in there, and bridges are slippery for
horses, and the upkeep is a lot,” explained Ward.
Her daughter had ridden out at the Whitecourt Sandhills for many years and invited her mom to
check it out. Ward said she and other members took a short cruise to see what it was like and
quickly realized it would be perfect, especially since it was already designated as a place to ride
horses.
Now, with a place in mind, Ward and the club began speaking with the province about becoming
trail masters. They got insurance and joined two larger groups, as umbrellas above them, the

Alberta Equestrian Federation and the Alberta Backcountry Horsemen Society. As they got
more information, things seemed to fall more into place.
“We’ve mapped the trails that we want. Some of the trails were already designated by the cross-
country ski club, so we are working on other trails we want added. Hopefully, they will have
them designated this fall,” explained Ward. They anticipate a provincial evaluator will come to
see the area in person soon.
Before official designation, the group will also hold a hearing in Whitecourt to see if there are
any concerns about them becoming trail masters. If all goes well, the group will have a beautiful
area, ten square miles of trails, just outside Whitecourt, to call home. And it doesn’t stop there.
Ward said that once approved as trail masters, they will be eligible for grants.
“We want to put in a staging area with pens so that people can safely put their horses in and
camping spots too so that people can go out there and camp responsibility. It must be people
with horses or people camping for hiking, and they can’t come with quads or anything like that.
We are also looking at outhouses,” said Ward.
As things move closer to fruition, the excitement locally and provincially keeps growing. “We
have a lot of interest around Alberta. People say they would love to come and ride in this area
because they can get a few days’ worth of riding in. Like I said, it’s difficult to find a safe place to
ride your horse.”
Another bonus for the area is that horses don’t need shoes. “You don’t have to shoe your horse
to ride in this area, and that’s a huge expense. If you’re going to ride in the mountains or
anywhere like that, you have to, but to ride in this area, you don’t. You can ride barefoot. It’s an

awesome area to ride horses in,” said Ward.
She said having a safe place to go would be a nice change for the large contingent of local
riders. “The motorbikes have a spot. The biking club has a spot. All these organizations have
places to use, and we want a spot too. We used to be able to use many more areas, but it’s not
safe for us to do that now. We need to make a spot for the horses too.”
Residents can help by signing a letter of support at Roots to Flowers in Whitecourt or by
checking out the club’s Facebook page, Whitecourt Horse Club. “We really want to see a place
available for people to take their kids out to learn to ride safely,” said Ward, adding, “and this
could be it.”