Going Places: The magic of Homeplace Ranch

By Liz Fleming

"A slow horse, please," I requested, surveying the meandering mounts, "And an old one, too. I don't really ride."

In fact, most of my equestrian experience has been on carousel ponies - no manure and they never bolt.

Jackie Jakes, my no-nonsense guide at the Homeplace Ranch in Priddis, near Calgary, Alberta, was reassuring. 
"We'll give you Rosa," she said, patting the flank of a furry brown mountain.  "She's sweet."

Sweet I could manage - maybe - but first, I had to get to know Woody.

A kissing cousin of my carousel friends, Woody was a scrap lumber horse, the practice mount all ranch guests have to master before hoisting themselves onto Mac MaKenny's live horses. 

Mac, owner of the Homeplace Ranch, is a genuine cowboy, with the craggy good looks and outdoorsy wisdom that comes from decades of dealing with challenging critters - both four and two-legged.  He likes people, but loves horses. Everyone who comes to Mac's ranch is taught to treat horses with respect.

That's how it works at the Homeplace Ranch.  Unlike trail-riding companies that simply plunk tourists into saddles and lead them, chain-gang style, along well-trod paths, Mac's team involves guests in the operation of the ranch and teaches them to care for horses.

As Jackie and I rode through the stunning landscape, gazing at the Rocky Mountains in the distance, Rosa and I found their instruction worked fine. 

Horse care is one thing guests learn from Mac and his wranglers, but sometimes they come away with far more. 

Mac remembers an older couple who arrived at Homeplace Ranch having recently lost their son. Sad and defeated, their visit was a desperate gift from their daughter to offer a bit of distraction and comfort.

The couple hardly spoke but as the week progressed, Mac noticed a subtle lightening of their mood - even an occasional smile.  Some months later, long after they'd returned home, their daughter sent a letter.  Her parents, she said, had begun to turn the corner in their grieving at Homeplace.  They'd even bought horses of their own.

"There's something about horses that can heal people in ways we don't really understand," says Mac. 

Maybe it's something about Homeplace Ranch itself, where guests are treated to down-home cooking, served family style around a big table and where cooks Garrick Loranger and Cassandra Doran always have a pot of coffee brewing and fresh baked cookies on a plate.

Maybe it's all about Mac, Jackie and Brady who let guests and horses bond and teach city-slickers to get down and dirty. Whatever it is, it works.

As I was hanging up the harness after our ride, I noticed a neatly printed nametag on the barn wall.  Rosa, it turns out, was only half of my sweet horse's name.

The second part was Caliente.

Rosa Caliente - Red Hot.

A tenderfoot like me on a Red Hot horse.  Homeplace Ranch really is pure magic.
For more information on Homeplace Ranch visit www.homeplaceranch.com or call 877-931-3245.