There is an indoor arena, a round pen, a sand arena, a jumping arena and a turn out arena and extensive trails. You may see a horse now and again on the trails. NHA also hosts the Burnaby Lake Pony Club, the Urban Horse Project and Girl Guides and so it is a very busy place with a lot of people and horses all day, every day coming and going.
When you park your car you may see riders jumping in the outdoor arena or a few horses running at Liberty in the turn out area. People often hand walk their horses on the trails for grass. They live dandelions, clover, blackberry shoots and grass! Some folks will ride their horses out to a grassy patch on the highway trail and hop off and let the horse graze and then hop on and ride back
The place is also shared by resident bears that appear in spring out of hibernation and disappear in the colder months. We always keep our eyes peeled for bear scat on the trails. Some horses are used to seeing them and others get jumpy so some riders will carry a whistle or some bells on their saddle so the bear has ample warning. Generally everyone coexists. There are also occasional coyotes, rumours of the occasional bobcat or cougar in the area, many wood peckers and a few shy owls have also been spotted. Today I am riding in the indoor arena.
It’s a quiet place for people to pursue their love of horses. It’s a community of like minded people and very low key. Some folks are into trail riding exclusively while others train their horses to jump or do dressage. A handful of riders trailer off site to show their horses. For most people this little bit of rural equestrian experience is a great antidote to city life.
