Embracing Change
Change can be scary and even terrifying. Many times we have a desire to keep things the same because we find comfort in normalcy, patterns and predictability. Other times we seek excitement, risk and the thrill of something new.
It’s interesting though, that in our endeavors with horses, we strive for change: to better our performance. To train our horses to higher levels. To ask our horses to follow us under higher pressures. To move from fear to confidence; from anxiety to peace and thus athletic ability. Our horses then, can be great models for us. We ask them to step out of the comfort of the herd – their normalcy – and into a world they struggle with, lack understanding of and sometimes outright fear.
And we can do the same for ourselves. Actually, we need to. It’s how we succeed and advance. It’s how we grow and learn.
When I think about it, Amazing Horse Country is all about change. We’ve always been about creating something new. Seeking creative challenges. Pushing our boundaries. If you’ve been to one of our clinics, you likely understand exactly what I’m talking about.
On June 30, 2021, we took possession of a new property. It’s a huge undertaking. A huge property.
A complete rebuild of our entire facility. A move can be daunting and it can be mighty easy to focus on all the work that needs to be accomplished. On the other hand – the hand I like the best – it can be exhilarating! A chance to create. To build. The excitement of offering our valuable clients a wealth of opportunities and services.
We’re on the move!
Little by little, we’re moving the entire operation to the new location. A truckload or carload of stuff accompanies us on every trip. If you’ve ever moved before, you get it: you have way more stuff than you thought you did. I can guarantee you there will also be a few trips to Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity. Our new house came furnished, so there are a lot of items we simply don’t need or have room for. And hey…if every time we move, we haul the same boxes of stuff and never unpack them…do we really need what’s inside?
We will be taking all of our fun obstacles and of course, the horses – Ty, Belle, Chip, Ponkey, Ditch, Zeus and Bailey. Speaking of horses, this is going to be a big change for them too. They’ve been on our current property for seven years. For a horse, environmental consistency and familiarity is a huge factor in their perception of safety. When we move, we toss all that out and start again. Have you ever had a housecat escape? They’re likely super alert – maybe on edge. But after repeated escapes, they become familiar with their territory and it grows as does their confidence. Horses are not much different. But speaking of cats…Tony the Cat already resides at the new place and well, clearly he owns it. And yes, he hides by the door so he can escape!
All the juicy details…
The new location is just to the west of Crimson Lake Provincial Park, just northwest of Rocky Mountain House. It’s not that far from the existing property – and for those of you in the south it may be a few minutes more, but what our new property offers will more than make up for that.
So what did we buy? We have almost a full quarter and most of it is trees. A two story log house with a walkout basement with a wraparound deck, up on a hill overlooking the property with the mountains in the background. A cabin with a loft, too! It’s just what I’ve been looking for. We now have the land to build some great trails and challenges to take the clinics to a new level.
It’s tough trying to plan out where everything is going to go. And priorities! What do we need right away? An area for our horses with a waterer and shelters. An outdoor arena. Pens for guest horses. A place for clients to camp. I envision a beautiful camping area for those of you coming to clinics with shady spots in the trees for your horses. This week I’m busy arranging sites for a new power service and well, so we can not only have water for the horses, but a serviced barn/shop and eventually an indoor arena.
If you’re not camping out, we also have a cabin and guest rooms with private bathrooms. You won’t need to drive to and from the hotel any longer.
When’s this all going to be ready?
The guest rooms are good to go. Leona has put in some time refurnishing them and they look fantastic. This fall we plan to have facilities in place for our own horses, pens for guest horses and an outdoor arena. Really, that means we have the same services that we do at the current property. The big exception is we have TRAILS, SPACE, GUEST ROOMS and QUIET. The new property is on the other side of a provincial park and on a dead-end road.
In the new year we’ll look at a barn/shop and start plans on an indoor arena. Talk about change, right? One thing that is great is that we’ll get to build everything the way we want it, to make the NEW Amazing Horse Country a great place for you and your horses. Clinics will be running out of the new location in 2022.
It’s a lot of work, that’s true. It’s a huge change. Plans will be drawn up and modified. Some things will go like clockwork and others will be a struggle. It’s part of building, creating, changing. Part of life, really. On the other hand, it’s abounding in opportunity. The more I ponder, the more I know we can do. It’s crazy, scary, exciting and fun all at the same time.
We welcome you!
This fall we have a number of work-parties where you can help out and ‘trade your time’ for time in any of our clinics either this year or next. If you’d like to just stop by and say “hi!” we’d love to give you a tour.
We also welcome your ideas, suggestions and experiences. Maybe you have some learnings you’d like to share about building your own property. Comment here, email us at info@amazinghorsecountry.com or post on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
We are very much looking forward to seeing all of you at the new facility for a clinic or horse vacation in 2022.
Until then, enjoy Summer 2021 and all the amazing changes on the horizon – both yours and ours.
Scott Phillips
August 2021