Summer has officially arrived. The long evenings and sunny days have made for great local horseback riding but the hot and dry weather we’ve had for the last couple of months has put us at risk for an earlier than usual wildfire season. As of June 19, the BC Wildfire Service posted a Fire Danger Rating as HIGH along most of the southern British Columbia coast as well as Vancouver Island. The danger was rated EXTREME on Texada Island, Powell River, and portions of the eastern coast of Vancouver Island.
Recognizing the need to be prepared, the Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club invited former SCRD Emergency Program coordinator Bill Elsner to speak at the last club meeting about livestock emergency planning for the Sunshine Coast. Having assisted other cities in B.C. with their evacuation of livestock during wildfires, Bill had some key take-home points for the horse owners here.
1. Make sure your horse will load into a trailer.
2. Make arrangement with off-Coast clubs or associates who may be able to temporarily lodge your horse.
3. Have enough food and medications for your animals for at least one week.
4. Take an inventory of trailers and those willing and able to haul in case of evacuations.
The equestrian club will be conducting a survey over the next few weeks in an attempt to reach the horse owners on the Coast and get an idea of numbers of animals as well as trailers. Please check their website for details as they come available (sunshinecoastequestrianclub.ca).
There are still a couple of spaces open in the Doug Mills Training Thru Trust horsemanship clinic happening in Sechelt on July 23 and 24. Doug’s clinics are open to every horse and rider regardless of experience or discipline. He teaches riders to use clear, understandable commands that are easy to follow so horses become soft, obedient and willing partners. For more information or to sign up, please email the host, Dagmar Lynch at [email protected].
The Coastal Cowgirls Drill Team has been practising all winter and spring for their 2019 season, which kicks off with two performances following the parade on Canada Day in Sechelt. You will see them in the parade and then can catch the show at the baseball diamond in Hackett Park. Their next local event will be at the Sunshine Coast Equestrian Club grounds during the Ted Bowe memorial barrel races later in the summer.
To share your barn news or upcoming equestrian related events, camps or activities, please email me at [email protected]
