When you think of Pemberton, you can’t help but think of horses. They’re evident on our trails, on our signage and on the hitching posts outside of local businesses.
On Sunday, April 6, the Valley’s equine tradition will be front and centre at the Downtown Community Barn. The Pemberton Valley Horse Association (PVHA) is hosting its first-ever Tack Sale and Social—offering owners a chance to sell off gently used equipment and visitors an opportunity to get to know this part of Pemberton’s heritage.
“We're looking for this to be a fun and welcoming event for families, horse lovers and the whole community in general,” PVHA director Charlotte Jacklein wrote to Pique. “I mean, who doesn't like baked goods, chatting with friends, snuggling ponies and looking at beautiful things?!”
Vendors and individuals selling tack will be situated at tables around the barn. Local equine providers will also offer visitors a chance to get to know this iconic part of Pemberton’s identity and history.
“Not everyone has interacted with horses before. They might feel uncomfortable if they met a horse on a trail,” noted Jacklein. “And so part of the PVHA is seeking to build connections all throughout the community, helping create opportunities for education, increasing safety for everyone and just bringing together different parts of the horse community.”
The event will feature a wide range of local groups.
Second Chance Creekeye Ranch, a Squamish group that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes horses in need, will have their own table. As will Pemberton’s Dreamcatcher Meadows, which breeds high-level sport horses.
Giddy Up Equine Experiences, which offers camps and lessons in the Valley, will be offering pony rides to kids and adults alike for $10 cash or a $15 e-transfer. Jacklein credits Giddy Up’s owner—fellow PVHA director Joanne Snyder—with spearheading the events committee that put together this inaugural Sale and Social.
Local horse trainer CS Horsemanship will be on hand to offer roping demonstrations and lessons for the public.
Members of the Squamish Valley Equestrian Horse Association will also be at the Sale and Social. Jacklein said the event offered a great chance to team up with a neighbouring horse community.
She also sees it as a way to bring together Pemberton’s equine community—from Western to English tack, from dressage to barrel racing.
“As people become more specialized, that's really fun, but it also means they aren't necessarily interacting as much, which is too bad, because we can all learn from each other,” Jacklein said.
That’s not to say the event is exclusive to horsemanship.
“It's really for people of all ages and all sorts of horse-related interest, or even if you're just interested in baked goods or socializing with friends, it's just very welcoming,” said Jacklein. “You don't need to know much about horses to enjoy it.
“Everyone's welcome.”
Case in point: farmers' market regular and baker extraordinaire Blissful Bites and local jewelry-maker, model and photographer Anna Lengstrand will have their own booths at the Sale and Social.
The PVHA has been the area’s foremost horse enthusiast organization since the Pemberton Valley chapter of the Back Country Horsemen Society of B.C. stopped operating.
The Tack Sale and Social is free and open to the public, and will run from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. Be sure to check out the PVHA’s website, Facebook or Instagram pages for more information about the upcoming event.
If you’re still looking to sign up to sell equipment, email the organizers at [email protected]
