10/30/2026
Back to the Sandhills - A Little Horseback Adventure
Part 1 of 3: Friday arrival
Some places just stay with you, no matter how many years pass.
Dale and I recently headed out with our good friends Cattie and Ethan, and their little girl Mya, for a getaway to a place I hadn't visited in more than 10 years: the Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Provincial Park.
This place holds a lot of memories for me. Back in the day, I used to make the trip out here every May Long Weekend with the Alberta Trail Riding Association (ATRA). So many good times, great rides and wonderful memories were made in this area over the years. It was pretty special to finally return after such a long time away.
The property I used to camp at was known as Horse Creek Ranch. It's since changed hands and is now called Athabasca River Ranch. We rented the Ranch House this time around, which was just perfect. Having a comfortable, warm place to come back to, with a kitchen to prepare meals, was certainly appreciated when the overnight temperatures dipped below freezing and daytime highs barely reached +3 or +4!
Jennifer and Darren Wood, the owners of Athabasca River Ranch, are wonderful hosts. They were always checking in with us to make sure everything was going well and that we had everything we needed. That kind of hospitality makes a getaway even more enjoyable.
If you're a trail rider looking for a great place to ride, I really can't recommend Athabasca River Ranch enough!
We arrived Friday afternoon, and there was just enough time to get the horses sorted and head out for a quick two-hour ride. Cattie and I saddled up while the men took care of Mya and got supper organized.
Just two horse-crazy girls, doing what we love most!
We headed out through the rolling sand dunes and beautiful old-growth boreal forest, following the twisting, turning trails around the Fort Assiniboine area.
And if you haven't ridden here before, this is a fantastic place to put some miles on your horses and prepare them for mountain riding.
The terrain is much more challenging than your average trail system. There are steep climbs and descents through the sand dunes, plenty of twists and turns, uneven ground and natural obstacles. It gives horses a chance to develop their balance, strength, coordination and confidence over varied terrain.
Another bonus? No horseshoes required! The sandy ground is wonderfully soft underfoot.
Although I would offer one very important piece of advice: KEEP YOUR EYES ON YOUR HORSE!
There's an extremely good chance that, at some point, your horse might decide that a nice sandy spot looks like the perfect place for an impromptu roll.
I've had it happen several times over the years, and apparently Scarlett felt she shouldn't miss out on the tradition. She was no exception on this Friday afternoon ride!
Let's just say that a horse and rider can have slightly different ideas about what constitutes a good time on the trail!
I was riding Scarlett, who has earned herself a couple of nicknames around here. When her mind gets a little too busy, she's my Fidget Spinner. And when it comes to athletic ability, she's The Ferrari!
She's incredibly athletic, quick and maneuverable, but this ride gave me an even greater appreciation for another quality she has: her feet.
Those trails are anything but smooth. There are steep hills, tight corners, exposed roots and plenty of deadfall. Scarlett handled it all beautifully, even loping along those twisting, hilly trails without missing a beat or tripping over the obstacles underfoot.
It's one thing to have a horse with speed and athletic ability. It's another to have one with the brains, balance and sure-footedness to use all that athleticism over challenging terrain. I came away pretty impressed with this girl!
And there's another reason I'm particularly excited about Scarlett's future.
She's currently in foal to a Blue Roan son of A Vintage Smoke for 2027.
We actually produced this exact cross in 2025, and the result was a spectacular, very typey bay roan c**t. He's now owned by Emma Fimrite of Grande Prairie.
If that first c**t is any indication of what this cross can produce, I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what Scarlett has cooking for 2027!
**A little history about this beautiful corner of Alberta...**
The Fort Assiniboine Sandhills Wildland Provincial Park is a pretty special piece of wilderness.
The park was officially designated in 1997, although the idea of protecting this area goes back much further. Local residents first proposed a provincial park here in 1971.
Covering approximately 66 square kilometres along the west shore of the Athabasca River, northeast of Fort Assiniboine, the park protects an interesting combination of sandhill landscapes, river valley terrain, wetlands and forests.
The area is home to an impressive 436 plant species, including some rare species, and contains old-growth mixedwood forest stands that are more than 160 years old.
The Athabasca River forms the eastern boundary, and the park also includes Pemmican Island and several other islands in the river.
There's some fascinating human history here, too. Fort Assiniboine itself dates back to 1823, when the Hudson's Bay Company established a fur-trading post along the Athabasca River. The location became an important transportation and trading link, connecting the Saskatchewan River system with the Athabasca and routes heading farther north and west. Indigenous peoples and their established trading routes were fundamental to this early history.
The park was ultimately given Wildland Park status to protect its relatively undisturbed natural landscape, rather than develop it into a heavily serviced recreational area.
Today, it offers more than 80 kilometres of trails, with opportunities for horseback riding, hiking, wildlife watching and fishing.
And that's really what makes this place so special. You can ride for hours through a landscape that feels wonderfully untouched, with rolling terrain, sandy trails, towering trees and the Athabasca River nearby.
It's been far too long since I've been back here. I had forgotten just how beautiful this area is, and it was wonderful to make some new memories in a place that already holds so many old ones.
A comfortable ranch house, good friends, beautiful horses, a couple of hours in the saddle, a few sandy horse rolls and a whole lot of fresh air.
Honestly, I'm not sure what more a horse-crazy girl could ask for!
Some places are just meant to be experienced from the back of a horse.
It's wonderful to revisit places that hold so many memories, especially when you get to make new ones along the way.
Friday afternoon was just a taste of what was to come. We had two more days of horses, trails, good friends and time to enjoy this beautiful corner of Alberta.
Stay tuned for Day 2!
