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Alicorn Farm gets ready for riding season

May 8, 2018 | 5:00 PM

After moving away from La Ronge as a young adult to be closer to horses, Tina Johnson moved back to the North five years ago and brought her team with her.

Located about 20 kilometers South of La Ronge along Highway 2, Alicorn Farm is owned by Johnson and her husband, Clifford. The couple keep nine riding horses, two minis and a donkey, and they’ve been offering trail riding lessons for the last four-and-a-half years. Johnson said the path riders follow is a short section of the old highway from La Ronge and Prince Albert, which stops just before the Creighton Junction (Highway 165).

 

 

“We find the little kids who come out really enjoy the miniatures,” she said. “We bring the minis into town for special events too, so kids can meet them and pet them.”

Growing up in La Ronge, Johnson added she was inspired to have horses of her own after seeing some a former judge living in the Bigstone area used to own. She also said a man living in Potato Lake had horses and he would offer sleigh rides in the winter. Now, other than a couple of horses still living in Potato Lake, Johnson noted she’s the only person in the region who owns some.

Beginning May 16, Johnson will offer riding and assisted riding lessons, as well as the Equine Assisted Learning Program. She said the equine program is targeted for children who have ADHD, eating disorders or those with low self-confidence or self-control. Johnson learned the program from a certified teacher in Prince Albert and she said it will be a major focus this summer.

“The horses read their body language, so if a child goes in there and he or she is angry or sad, the horses pick that up right away and react,” she said. “As soon as the child changes the way they’re acting, the horse automatically changes the way they react.”

In the coming six weeks, Johnson will also be busy arrange school tours for local students. She said everyone from elementary students to those in high school get a chance to see what’s happening at Alicorn Farm.

 

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno