Riders rejoice: there's a new organization up in Pemberton that wants to help you connect with like-minded individuals.
We're not talking about mountain bikers or freeride skiers here. Instead, we're talking about equestrians—the target demographic of the Pemberton Valley Horse Association (PVHA).
Formed earlier this spring via the joint efforts of multiple Sea to Sky barns, the PVHA intends to consolidate the corridor's equine community beneath a single umbrella. Horse folks of all skill levels and varieties are welcome, including ranchers, rodeo cowboys, show jumpers and everyday trail riders.
According to PVHA president Caleb Smith, demand for such an undertaking has existed for some time.
"I've been thinking that there was a need for it in the community," said Smith, who owns the C.S. Western Stables. "A lot of the new people who have moved to Pemberton in the last four or five years are into horses, either beforehand or after they moved. I've got a lot of new clients that are really new to Pemberton—or from Whistler."
Pemberton's expansive trail network has historically served equine traffic before gradually being modified to accommodate mountain bikes and hikers depending on the area. Sizable local barns like Dreamcatcher Meadows and Riverlands Equestrian are well-known, but others like Mount Currie's Borsos Torzs Horse Archery Club fly under the radar.
"There are a lot of little mom-and-pop places where people have two or three horses," Smith explained. "Many of these were horse properties traditionally, and then horses fell out of favour for whatever reason. Post-COVID, those properties were resold and folks are putting horses back in. There are a lot more horses in the valley now than there were in 2019 when I moved here."
'There's more accessible to us than there's ever been'
The PVHA website declares it gathers people together "for the practical purposes of maintaining Pemberton as a place where horses flourish." They also want riders to flourish, which is why they've begun to host social events like their first Poker Ride.
Having occurred back on Sept. 14, the event was the brainchild of PVHA board members Jacqueline Chapman, Joanna Snyder and Charlotte Jacklein. It took people on a leisurely jaunt to five specific locations where they could network with professional equestrians. By obtaining cards at each stop, registrants finished the day with a full poker hand to commemorate their time.
The itinerary covered a range of disciplines.
C.S. Western offered a showcase in traditional cowboy skills like roping and cattle-working, while the Giddy Up Equine Experience focuses on youth and family-friendly riding. Participants were next introduced to show jumping at Squamish Valley Equestrian before wrapping up at two private locations: Thorley Meadows owned by Chapman and Snyder's Thorley Farms.
"It was a really good turnout," Smith said. "We had new riders and new horses come to my barn and do something that they hadn't done before. I think they enjoyed themselves. It's a pretty tight community, so a lot of people already knew each other."
The PVHA intends to offer more public awareness programs in the near future, like a feed and pasture-related event discussing the traits of nutritious hay and the conditions required for pastures to thrive. Another hot topic is emergency preparedness: educating local horse owners on how to prepare for natural disasters and bring their animals to safety despite the valley's limited avenues of egress.
Expect more Poker Rides too, alongside discipline-specific activities like barrel racing and show jumping as well as new trail openings done in conjunction with the Pemberton Valley Trails Association (PVTA).
"There's more accessible to us than there's ever been locally from an equine service perspective," said Smith. "I would anticipate that there's going to be some new big events in the next year or more. We traditionally had a really large equine community … and the PVHA is a rebirth of that. People are excited and there's a really encouraging dynamic with horses, mountain bikers and hikers interacting on the trails."
Learn more about the PVHA at pembertonvalleyhorses.com.
