Building Better Lives Through Horses

By Jacqueline Louie

Halifax Lancers and The Horses of Halifax have been serving Nova Scotia’s Halifax community for nearly 90 years. They teach riders of all ages not only horsemanship skills, but also discipline, teamwork, and leadership capacity. They help people with disabilities learn to ride, grow stronger, and enhance their health. At Halifax Lancers, riding is not about who is the fastest or best performer; it’s about building a stronger community.

For 38-year-old Megan Pegg, joining the Halifax Lancers has been life-changing. Born with cerebral palsy, Pegg began riding as a very young child. Riding enhances her quality of life in a major way and has given her more freedom.

“It’s opened up so many doors. The horses helped me build my strength and control to walk independently as a small child; they help me live my life to the fullest as an adult,” she says. “The therapeutic riding program gives people a chance to connect with and ride horses, who might not ever have had the chance. Lancers has been such a wonderful opportunity and community. I feel like I have a great family there and a great connection. I feel very blessed [that] I’m able to be part of the therapeutic riding program. It’s something I really enjoy and benefit from, and I look forward to continuing that journey for many years.”

The Halifax Lancers, founded in 1936, is Canada’s only urban not-for-profit riding school and will celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2026. “That’s pretty spectacular,” says Operations Manager Claire Halstead, shown with Mato in 2022. Photo courtesy of Halifax Lancers

Born and raised in Halifax, Pegg started riding when she was four years old. After her parents heard that riding could be a major benefit for children with cerebral palsy, they took her to a farm near Lawrencetown in the Annapolis Valley where Pegg started out riding donkeys. She came to Lancers at age six for the therapeutic riding program — one of Canada’s oldest therapeutic riding programs, which started in the late 1960s. Because Pegg began riding so young, she built enough core strength and balance to eventually walk independently. 

Now, she rides once a week in the therapeutic riding program’s spring and fall sessions; she also does at least one private and one semi-private lesson a month during the therapeutic riding program’s off-season.

Pegg can ride independently when her horse is walking. When trotting or taking part in games — riding in patterns, figure-eights, circles, or bending around a series of poles — she appreciates the support of her team of volunteers. The leader holds the lead-line to the horse, while the side-walkers typically hold her by the ankle for balance, and Pegg focuses on her seat, maintaining good posture, relaxing, and breathing deeply.

Ben (above) is loved by instructors and riders alike for his steady nature and willingness. The 20-year-old palomino is often seen at Lancers’ public outreach activities and is shown making friends during an Easter Seals event. Photo: MJ Photographics

Eunice Abaga (above), aboard Bud, displays her participation certificate for Best Two-Point Position, with therapeutic riding volunteers. Bud is a Clydesdale/Thoroughbred cross standing 17 hands, known as “Mr. Wonderful.” Photo: MJ Photographics

Aminata Karakach (above) riding Cory, a Warmblood cross who joined Lancers in 2020. The largest horse at Lancers with a huge, powerful stride, Cory is good natured and a true a gentle giant. Photo courtesy of Halifax Lancers

After a really good lesson, she can tell the difference — it helps her walk straighter and stay more focused. “Everything is aligned and doing well.”

Pegg has also learned about horse care, grooming, and tacking; she’ll do what she can when time allows and gets assistance with saddling, bridling, and picking her horse’s feet.

“It’s been a very positive experience for me, and also for the next generation of individuals with disabilities, to have something so wonderful to participate in and have that community. It’s been very inspirational to have this in our city.”

Canada’s only urban not-for-profit riding school and equine therapy centre, located in downtown Halifax, Halifax Lancers and The Horses of Halifax are an integral part of the community. Lancers makes their horses accessible to the people of Halifax, whether it’s through lessons, open houses, or their musical ride. Its mission, since its founding in 1936, is Building better lives through horses.

Lancers is an incredibly vibrant and powerful community. As an urban non-profit and historic riding school, it’s unique in all of Canada. For 89 years, Lancers has focused on developing strong horse people and well-rounded individuals through sport instruction (including therapeutic riding), horsemanship lessons, alumni engagement, public programs, and more recently, equine-supported wellness. 2026 marks Lancers’ 90th anniversary. “That’s pretty spectacular,” says Lancers’ Operations Manager Claire Halstead, who holds a PhD in history.

Likely the earliest riding school in the Maritimes, Lancers enjoys a strong longstanding reputation. It’s part of a larger landscape of historically organized sport for youth, Halstead notes, and serves a broader community as an integral part of the cultural fabric of Halifax. “All of those in the Halifax community as well as people visiting Halifax get to experience and interact with the horses. It’s really important to us because we are an urban facility, which informs the way we operate and the way we maintain our horses. That’s why we call them the Horses of Halifax. It’s tied to the aspect of service and Lancers’ strong values as a community.

“Horsemanship, openness, respect, service, and excellence [H.O.R.S.E.] define our values — how we as a community strive to maintain those values, always striving for better for our horses, ourselves, and our broader community. That’s the Lancer way,” says Halstead.

Lancers is dedicated to making horseback riding accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities, providing a well-rounded exposure to equestrianism in the English discipline. Currently, Lancers serves a total of 200 riders in all of its programs, with its junior rider program for ages eight to 18 and adult classes serving a wide range of ages, including riders into their late 70s. Lancers also offers classes for children, youth, and adults with physical, cognitive, and emotional disabilities; mental illness; and addiction through its equine supported wellness program, and therapeutic riding program, which starts at age six. The junior and adult programs run year-round, while the therapeutic riding program runs specifically in the spring and fall.

Related: Why CanTRA? There is a Difference!

There are no lessons in August; instead, Lancers runs a two-week summer camp for junior riders in August, with all horses taken to a facility in the Truro area northeast of Halifax. This serves a dual purpose, explains Lancers Executive Director and Head Coach Angie Holt — it’s the only time in the year when all horses are out of the barn at once. Lancers uses this time to do major repairs and maintenance on its facility, a city-owned, designated heritage building dating back to 1908.

Executive Director and Head Coach Angie Holt (above) with Mato, a 2014 gelding born in Germany, who joined Lancers in 2017. He is kind, talented, and a fantastic lesson horse. Photo courtesy of Halifax Lancers

Megan Pegg (above), shown riding Cunningham, with Juliana Boyd. Pegg says Lancers has opened up so many doors for her, and “has been such a wonderful opportunity and community.” Photo courtesy of Juliana Boyd

Angie Holt (above) with daughter Elsa after her final Lancer Musical Ride performance before graduating. Photo courtesy of Angie Holt

Lancers is located across from a high school, and it’s a few blocks away from a junior high — making it extremely easy for junior riders attending these schools to walk there. And the central location is convenient for parents who drive their children to lessons.

Lancers is open to the community; it’s next to a hospital, and hospital staff come here to have their lunch when the horses are turned out; it becomes part of their regular routine.

The 29-member herd consists of geldings and mares and is made up of a diverse mix of colours and breeds, including Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds and Draft-crosses ranging in age from five to 27. What matters most is that they have the right temperament, love attention, and are calm, quiet, and sound.

While the horses spend much of their time indoors, they go outside every day in group turnouts for two to four hours in a large outdoor paddock, and they are also outside for lessons, except in winter. In addition, at any given time two of the 29 horses are on vacation at a paddock at another barn outside the city; these horses are switched out every two weeks. Each horse receives about four weeks of vacation each year.

This same level of care and attention goes into Lancers’ programs, which are designed to help riders develop confidence, responsibility, teamwork skills, and community-mindedness, while enhancing physical and mental well-being. Equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are key, with policies in place to increase accessibility and create a more diverse community.

L-R (above): Manya Sodhi on Lily, Angie Holt, and Misha Sodhi on Eddie. Born in 2010, Lily is a seasoned lesson horse who joined the Lancers in 2023. Eddie is an easy-going, people-loving 2011 Quarter Horse/Morgan cross who came to Lancers in 2021. Photo Courtesy of Halifax Lancers

The 2005 Friesian cross Merlin (above) is surrounded by friends at a horse show. L-R: Genevieve Zimmerman, Sophie Cluett-McDonald, Emily MacLeod (rider), Maya Hocquard, and Ella Cowell. Photo courtesy of Halifax Lancers

Angie Holt (above) leads the musical ride on Alice. The Musical Ride began in 1936 as Canada’s first youth equestrian drill team. Photo: MJ Photographics

“We have riders who have stayed with Lancers for decades,” says Holt. “A lot of our riders are never going to be in a position to be able to buy a horse or lease a horse, whether it’s because of location or socioeconomic status. And so we have this longevity in our program where they can continue to build their skills and work with horses that are maybe of a level that you might not encounter in the average school or lesson barn.”

Related: Horse Community Hero: Ann Caine

At Lancers, no one owns their own horse; as a community, every Lancer cares for the horses. Each rider is required to arrive half an hour early for lessons, to groom and tack up their horse, and they must stay at least half an hour after class to groom their horse and clean their tack. Riders, from the very youngest up, are assigned a miscellaneous barn chore, from sweeping to scrubbing water buckets to rearranging the tack room; and all riders with one to two years’ experience are required to pick out their horse’s stall each time they ride (this is on top of the work the stable hands do every day).

As junior riders mature, Lancers offers progressively more opportunities for learning and responsibility. At age 14, riders can apply to work as a weekend stable hand, and 16-year-olds can apply to be a barn monitor as well as teach. All instructors are required to obtain their National Coaching Certification Program certification.

“I love the sense of community, being able to spend time with the horses and being a junior rider,” says Manya Sodhi, 17, who has been with Lancers since she was eight. She’s now with the Lancers’ Musical Ride and works as a barn monitor, sharing her equestrian knowledge with younger riders and helping them develop their stable management skills.

It’s 6am on Musical Ride day, and Evelyn Fennell (above) is all ready to go with Candy, a 2001 Haflinger/Anglo-Arab cross mare. Photo: MJ Photographics

Callia Sylvain (above), who works at Lancers as a casual stable hand and barn monitor, rides the Quarter Horse Cunningham in the Musical Ride. Photo: MJ Photographics

Megan Pegg (above) rides the Quarter Horse gelding Scooby, led by Ella Cowell (right) and Laodiki Lutwick-Campbell (left), in the Musical Ride. Photo: MJ Photographics

“Lancers is an inclusive community. We are always open to new members joining and different volunteers and people coming through our barn. We want to share the magic of horses with everyone and are actively working towards making this a more diverse and inclusive place,” says Sodhi.

Sodhi, who is the youth representative on the Lancers’ equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility team, was born in China and was adopted at age two; her parents immigrated to Canada from India 20 years ago. Manya’s two sisters were also adopted, from China and Thailand, and both are also part of the Lancers community.

“I always had a passion towards making sure everyone feels included and welcome. In the equestrian world, this is often seen as a rich western sport. I think it’s important to change that view and show that everyone is able to enjoy horses and participate in riding and other activities,” Sodhi says. “It’s a wonderful community to be a part of. I feel like everyone at Lancers is actively trying to make a change and trying to make a brighter future for all the generations to come.”

Callia Sylvain, 17, is a junior rider who has been with Lancers since she was eight. She also works there as a casual stable hand and barn monitor.

“I really enjoy the sense of community that Lancers brings. It’s like a second home for most people. Lancers is a really special place where everyone is so kind and all of the horses are amazing.”

With her sights set on becoming a veterinarian, Sylvain feels she’s getting a head start with Lancers, where she practices both horsemanship and horse care skills. As a barn monitor, she helps young riders as well as adults. “It’s really special to see the barn full of amazing people and amazing horses. We all have fun together and we hang out with each other out of the barn.”

In her role, Sylvain also makes sure that the horses are cared for properly, fed and watered, the barn is clean, and the tack is taken care of — everything to make sure things are going smoothly.

Sylvain rides Clementine, a 10-year-old chestnut Quarter Horse, and has competed both on-site and off-property. She also participates in the Lancers’ Musical Ride. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to ride at Lancers. I am so grateful that Lancers is trying to make riding accessible for everyone,” she says.

The Lancers Musical Ride, which began in 1936 as Canada’s first youth equestrian drill team, involves a large number of junior riders — 20 experienced junior riders and spares; 20 grooms and honour guards and spares; and 20 horses. “All of our horses are pretty multifaceted,” says Holt.

The Halifax Lancers perform the Musical Ride at Hants County Exhibition in September 2024. Photo: MJ PHotographics

While Lancers doesn’t have the finances to afford expensive horses, they do their utmost to find ones that suit their programs, are happy living in the city, and are safe for riders regardless of age. Horses must be no younger than five; these youngest horses are still in development, giving more experienced riders the opportunity to train as well as ride. In the summer, junior riders have the opportunity to compete in hunter/jumper horse shows province wide.

“We don’t have horses that can compete at the higher levels at horse shows, but we do have this other avenue via training that allows riders to continue to progress their skills. Most of the junior riders go through that progression. When they start off they learn basic riding skills, spend time refining those skills, and when they are in their later teens they are able to work with some of the younger horses,” Holt says.

“We want horses who come into the program to last as long as possible, teach as many people as possible, while [we are] always prioritizing their welfare and never having to sell them. Because we are a not-for-profit, the only reason horses ever leave the program is if they’re not happy or not working out in the program, at which point we secure them the best retirement scenario we can find.”

A staple of the Lancers’ programming is its therapeutic riding program, which for participants is extremely affordable and involves the entire community. People who aren’t necessarily riders have the opportunity to volunteer; the training process allows new volunteers to learn the basic elements of working with horses.

Related: Horse Community Heroes: Stella French

Riders in the therapeutic riding program range from children as young as six to seniors. To enroll, participants require a referral from an appropriate medical professional and must be able to sit upright independently and wear a helmet for the duration of the lesson. Program participants include people with physical, cognitive or emotional disabilities (for example, autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, hemiplegia, paraplegia, and visual impairment). One instructor is supported by many volunteers, and each rider receives volunteer support according to their needs. Those with physical disability are supported by three volunteers: a leader and two side-walkers (one walker on each side). A wheelchair-accessible ramp allows riders to mount from a platform.

“It provides an incredible service to the disabled community in a metropolitan setting,” says therapeutic riding instructor Juliana Boyd. “What we say in the industry is that the action of riding a horse is therapeutic in and of itself… It’s a sport they can participate in where they’re supported. Then there is also the social and community aspect; a lot of riders become friends.

“This program has also become a stepping-stone for people achieving a goal that they would not normally have pushed to achieve. Here we do what I would call a soft launch into horseback riding. They get a year of classes, then they have more experience and skills training than most able-bodied beginner riders walking into a barn. They are well set up to go anywhere.”

Some riders in the therapeutic riding program may have a learning or behavioural disability. “Once they learn to self-regulate and how to act safely around horses, then they can leave the therapeutic riding program and ride anywhere and be very well-equipped to start beginner lessons at a traditional riding facility.

“Everybody comes to the therapeutic riding program with their own goals,” Boyd adds. This could include everything from learning about horses and how to ride, to improving their balance, to learning better self-regulation. “So the program is not just about exercise and physiotherapy — we try to meet people’s individualized goals, and there are many.”

A Musical Ride performance in October 2024. (above) Photo: MJ Photographics

Jack and Mato (above) are a well-matched pair in the Musical Ride. The two black geldings are also best friends and are often seen playing together outside. Photo: MJ Photographics

Sophia Andriopoulos (above) with barn favourite Rupert, a 2003 gelding with a quirky personality. Photo: MJ Photographics

The therapeutic riding program’s success depends on a host of factors. “First, having calm horses, and they are hard to come by. Keeping a horse is not like a soccer ball. You can’t put it in a closet and bring it out the next time you want to play. If a rider had to pay for the horse time, arena booking, instructor, leader, and two side-walkers, they wouldn’t be able to afford it,” says Boyd. “I’m always thanking my volunteers. I would not be able to put the majority of these riders safely on a horse if it wasn’t for the volunteers.”

Boyd notes that the Lancers’ location in downtown Halifax is an advantage in attracting volunteers, with a constant influx of newcomers. Many volunteers are recent arrivals from places as far flung as Ukraine, China, and South America.

The Lancers also runs a five-week equine supported wellness (equine assisted learning) program for all ages, geared towards mental health initiatives, in partnership with a wide variety of community organizations. This program serves a diverse range of individuals, including first responders, women who have been through domestic violence, refugee youth, and people who have become disabled due to trauma, among others.

“One of the things we are struggling with, and have been for a number of years, is capacity,” Holt says. “And it seems to be happening at other stables in Nova Scotia as well where there’s a real increase in demand for the types of programming we offer. Even though we try very hard to be inclusive and welcoming, [everyone still has to] wait years to actually get space in our program.” In total, about 1,500 people are on the waitlist.

Related: Bareback Riding Lessons in Alberta’s Foothills at Eagle Feather Riding

Holt thinks part of the reason for the Lancers’ incredibly long waitlist is the difficulty in finding an affordable place to ride. “Relatively speaking, the sport is very expensive.”

Lancers is always looking for ways to make riding lessons more accessible in terms of location, building design, or affordability. As a not-for-profit, Lancers keeps its fees as low as possible; members are expected to volunteer their time and contribute to fundraising efforts. 

For the junior program bursaries are available, and the lesson fees themselves are as low as they can go, Holt says.

The Lancers’ sponsored rider program, in its infancy, is something they’re trying to grow, “to give opportunities to kids who wouldn’t even put their name on the waitlist because the idea of riding a horse is too far out of reach financially,” Holt says. Currently, two junior riders are fully sponsored, funded by a foundation.

The fees for the therapeutic riding program are subsidized; few riders in this program pay what the program actually costs, although they have the opportunity to pay more if they choose. As well, “we don’t ever turn anybody away for not being able make the minimum payment,” Holt says. If an eligible rider is unable to afford the program, Lancers will consider waiving the fee.

Callia Sylvain (above) with the 2015 Quarter Horse mare, Clementine. Photo: MJ Photographics

Megan Pegg (above) with a side-walker in Musquodoboit Harbour, at a demo ride for the Therapeutic Riding Program on Canada Day 2024. Horse Name: Scooby. Photo: Erin Taylor Imagery

Manya and Misha Sodhi (above) with Cory. Manya is the youth representative on the Lancers’ equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility team. Photo: MJ Photographics

Lancers applies for grants, fundraises, accepts charitable donations, and offers sponsorship packages to sponsor a child’s lesson fees for a year. They seek annual sponsors for their programs, including the therapeutic riding program and the musical ride. Grants are another important funding source. One of their new grants comes from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, which allows Lancers to use equine-assisted science to teach science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts to youth — a new focus that Lancers is folding into all of its current program offerings.

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Looking to the future, Lancers hopes to one day be able to grow its programming, particularly the therapeutic riding and equine supported wellness programs, which are less intensive for the horses.

“Moving forward, we hope that our growth plan can be realized, one way or another,” Holt says. “We expect Lancers to continue to be an important part of the athletic and cultural fabric of the city of Halifax forevermore.”

Related: Equine Assisted Learning: Changing Lives Through Horses | Horse Journals

Learn more here: Halifax Lancers

More by Jacqueline Louie

LETTER: Honouring Sallie Murphy, Pioneer of Therapeutic Riding in the Maritimes

The story of the Bengal Lancers of Halifax, NS, [above] was uplifting. Congratulations to the Lancers on their 90th anniversary!

However, I feel impelled to share an important piece of the story that somehow slipped under the radar. Brief mention was made in the article of a rider attending a program “at a farm near Lawrencetown [north of Halifax] where [she] started out riding donkeys.” That small satellite program was founded by Sallie Murphy, a pioneer of therapeutic riding in the Maritimes, and a tireless volunteer instructor and organizer with the Halifax Therapeutic Riding (HALTR) program, which was based at the Lancers stables for many years.

In 1996, when the program at her farm had to close, the IWK Hospital was so impressed by it that they offered her a grant to start up a replacement. Sallie then resurrected it as the Byfield Therapeutic Riding Centre, geared towards riders who would eventually move on to ride at HALTR once they had outgrown the Byfield ponies. All this while playing a central role in the HALTR program since the 1980s, working with physiotherapist Wendy Roberts and other volunteers. When HALTR finally closed its doors years later, the Lancers picked up the baton and continued with the program.

Sallie’s heart has always been deeply centred in therapeutic riding, no doubt stimulated by her childhood brush with polio. At that time, her determination to ride again put her back in the saddle and gave her a strong empathy with her young riders. She also quietly and faithfully volunteered for many years with the Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association (CanTRA). As Maritimes liaison for CanTRA, she was the “mother hen” supporting those of us developing our own local programs in the region. As a result of CanTRA’s nomination, in 2020 Sallie received the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers.

— Daphne Davey, President, The Joyriders Therapeutic Riding Association of PEI; former President, Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association

Related: Horse Community Heroes: Rupert and Buck: Beloved therapy horses leave hoofbeats on countless hearts

Main Photo: Manya Sodhi riding Cory in the Halifax Lancers Musical Ride. Credit: MJ Photographics