Horses have been a significant part of the Pemberton community for centuries, whether being part of traditional Lil’wat life, delivering essential goods through the mountains by pack train, working on local farms and in many present day forms such as trail riding, working cattle horses, rodeos, therapeutic riding, equine assisted learning, dressage, jumping, and more. At times in the past, the Pemberton horse community was strong and united, with regular events and even a shared community riding ring. In recent years, the horse community became somewhat scattered. A group of us wanted to try to reconnect the horse community in order to advocate and educate for horse related things such as safe sharing of trails, improve opportunities for people from different background, skill levels and interests to be involved in horse related activities, and helping ensure that traditional knowledge and trails aren’t lost. For our first project we hosted a fun inclusive social where people could meet each other, participate in Western roping games, share their vision for the present and future of horses in the valley, and brainstorm future ideas. Initially our plan was to host a poker ride, a fun event where riders go to different stations and collect playing cards, but we realized that this wouldn’t be as accessible to everyone and wouldn’t create the same opportunities for dialogue and connection. So we decided to postpone the poker ride, and start with a more inclusive, interactive event. Some challenges for the event were how and where to host and promote our event, which activities to include, and how to best engage the community. The event exceeded our expectations, with great attendance and engagement from new and old community members. People shared information about past events and community initiatives, ideas for new ones, and made new connections. Some ideas for future events and projects include emergency preparedness for farms and livestock, hosting a poker ride (as previously mentioned), and improved education to increase safety on multi-use trails. Some improvements that have already happened thanks to this event is improved communication between different groups in the community for promoting events and increasing community participation. Thank you to the Neighbourhood Grants program for this great opportunity and for making our project possible.
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