When I was little we lived in the country. Then my parents split up and we had to move to the Halifax. I was not happy about it- I missed the air, trees and open land of the country. Mostly I missed the animals. And of that I really missed seeing horses. Like many of you, I was 'horse crazy' when I was young. (let's face it, I still am).
However, in the heart of the city was this magical place called Halifax Junior Bengal Lancers. I would look out the car window straining to see the horses. Like many families, money was really tight and riding seemed like an impossible dream. However, when I graduated from University and was preparing to head off to graduate school my mom asked me what I wanted as a gift. Without hesitation I told her I wanted to go to 'Lancers' for their adult 'learn to ride program'. She was taken aback but paid for it without hesitation.
At Lancers I learned about how to groom, take care of tack and to ride. And I have not looked back. Really, this 6 week program set me on the path to where I own my horses and farm. I am not a lone. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people have learned to ride since it was established in 1936.
Halifax was built on a peninsula and now sprawls far past that. However, land on the peninsula is at a premium and there is less of it. It won't be a surprise to hear that the land that many are eyeing the land that Lancers is on with a view to it serving a different purpose.
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| the indoor arena is the white roof, beside it is the barn and the outside paddock |
The most recent proposal is to cut off part of the paddock (which doubles as a turn out and outdoor riding ring) to build a parkade.
Horse people can immediately see the problem with this. The paddock will be made significantly smaller. As well there is the risk to the horses (and riders) while it is being built. It's not rocket science to know that to actually construct this the machinery will have to be in the paddock during building. Which means that during construction the horses cannot be out. After, there will still a risk having the parkade that close.
As always, these things are never simple. The city/province is not evil- there is a lack of parking downtown, especially for the hospital. I can totally see why someone may look at having horses in the downtown as frivolous and unnecessary. I can even see that some people may look at it as elitist and for rich people And wouldn't the horses be happier out in the country? Isn't that where they belong?
But, I think we lose something if Lancers is forced out of the heart of Halifax. They are part of the city that prides itself on maintaining its historical roots.
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| at one time horses were common |
Halifax still has a mounted police- largely ceremonial.
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| Halifax Police horse in a Pride parade |
Losing this for a parking lot makes me sad.
Sad for the people who won't be able to ride anymore.
Sad for the horses who might get injured.
Sad for the loss of history.
Sad that we have lost our connection with animals.
It makes me think of these lyrics:
"Don't it always seem to go
that you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise
and put up a parking lot"
Oh this is so sad!
ReplyDeleteIt is really sad.
DeleteIt is happening everywhere. The marginalization of country life to fringe and then that taken over and pushed out even more. It’s sad. Why can’t people start thinking vertically? Build a new parkade on top of an existing building or underneath? Save space!
ReplyDeleteI agree! People move to the country and then complain about the smells. I’m afraid that we are getting farther and farther away from animals and it is a sad thing.
DeleteMy lifelong dream was to move to the country. And I do complain about the smells. Cuz they laquer the fields on all 4 sides of us with black fluid cow waste several times a year. Of course I've learned to do what the locals do - shut all the windows and doors and praise the Lord for the miracle of new life (hay!). : ): ) :) I feel bad for my good neighbors who live directly adjacent to the boarding stable's enormous manure pile, steaming with anaeorobic activity. It wafts into the street as I walk by. I just hope my neighbors have lived with that stank so long they don't notice it. We are city folk in the country. We love it here but we cannot ignore the awful stenches that invade from time to time.
DeleteI lived in a high-rise in downtown Seattle and eventually got used to the ambulance/police sirens, I didn't even notice them anymore. And my childhood by Sea-Tac airport, not being able to talk and be heard was normal: )
The smell thing will come: )
(Funnily, I've been away from the airport so long whenever I visit home and a plane "warms up" in the morning, I freak out.
That is such a shame to me. There are a couple barns in Fairmount Park (philly) and I know if this were happening to them I'd be out there chaining myself to a hay bale. No, I don't board there, but I think it's important that there be SOME horse access!!
ReplyDeleteI agree. We need to respect the history of the city.
DeleteI live in an area that has a lot of Amish. I have Amish neighbors and while I don't know them, if you respect them, they respect you. I purchase produce from the various farms regularly (several farm stands withing a 5 minutes of my house) and Amish children pass through either the far end of my property (unlikely) or my neighbor's property (likely) on a daily basis to get to school (I struggle to know where my property ends of other side of my creek).
ReplyDeleteThat said, lately, people are complaining about the Amish. About horse poop on streets (honestly? It washes away and is better than all the litter people leave around...) and accidents and having to pass buggies and all this other stuff. The thing is, the majority of the Amish were here before the people whining. In a neighboring county/township, there is a proposal for horse diapers and rubber horse shoes... There are constant generalizations that NONE of the Amish take care of their horses. Some don't that is true. BUT some "English" as the Amish call us don't care for their horses either. And many Amish do take good care of their horses because a good plow horse or good buggy horse is expensive... When I was trying to save Batt, the vet was talking about the Amish guy who got his horse through a major impaction by giving fluids every hour and having the vet out to supplement occasionally. So, it does happen...
Anyway, there are people move out to the country and then seem upset that it's not more built up and that country ways still exist... Or in the case of the Amish, try to push them out. In my area, as long as the Amish remain, hopefully some farmland will stay though as more and more Amish are employed at businesses and such, they don't all own farms and some do live in houses with 1-2 acres (if that) where they can keep a single horse for transportation. Times are changing...
THere will always be a push for development. But we als need to protect our green spaces.
DeleteSarah, thank you for explaining this. I am fascinated by the Amish and have no freaking clue. I'm from Seattle that's why. : ) I wish I knew more.
DeleteI have a similar situation in my part of the United States. A lot of Amish moved in a few years ago and personally, I love the farms and buggies! The only legitimate complaint I have is that the buggies are dangerous after dark, as some families feel it is against their religion to use lights or reflectors.
DeleteAnother element of the parking issue is municipalities investing in mass transit to diminish (or at least put a hold on) "needing" land to build more parking lots. Then there's the environmental element of rainfall run-off from paved spaces, etc. - not to mention preserving the heritage of the equine space in your community. Every time I go off island through what used to be a wholly agricultural area, I want to weep at strip malls as far as the eye can see.
ReplyDeleteI love the original version of Big Yellow Taxi, and done by (fellow Canadian) Joni Mitchell. :D
Joni Mitchell is awesome. I have some concerns about having a regional hospital in the heart of the city. It’s not very accessible for people traveling in.
DeleteOur town is small enough that we need to travel to Vancouver for most hospital type things and it just adds so much extra stress...parking and accommodations in any downtown city are such a drawback.
DeleteOh, this is so disheartening.
ReplyDeleteIs there anything we can do? (ie. letters?)
I think that there's info on the website about what to do.
DeleteUgh yes this is so sad, we're seeing something sorta similar but not really here where places which were once rural are turning into suburbs and houses are surrounding horses and then the homeowners complain about horse noises and horse smells and its' like "Dude they were here first.. learn to live with it, stop trying to push people out!"
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wonder if it's not our own fault for now being more open to those who don't understand horses.
DeleteUgh. And for a parking lot? Jeez. If it was like we're gonna build a playground, I'd still want the horses to get their paddock, but for a parking lot. Screw em.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it seems like a horrible idea.
DeleteI live in a horsey area - there are tons of barns and top class trainers, vets, and related professionals and rated and unrated horse shows and riding trails. However many of our barns now have a lot of empty stalls and it feels like we're becoming a dying breed. :(
ReplyDeleteOh that is sad.
DeleteIt's a shame that the animals always suffer for human expansion. I'm sure they could figure something out that wouldn't affect the horse facility. But unfortunately it all comes down to money and whoever has enough money gets what they want and screw anyone or anything that gets in their way.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, you seem to be right.
DeleteWe have a place within the city that I believe is technically owned by the city but is on a long-term lease. It's primary purpose is the disabled riding program, secondary is riding lessons, and third would be boarding (boarders have limited arena times available and can't use the arena while lessons are happening). The city actually chipped in a bunch of money so that a new arena could be built a couple of years ago, mostly based on what the primary uses of the facility are. It's probably safe to stay for a while.
ReplyDeleteThe problem that we seem to be having is expansion of the city into the countryside. There have been a couple of smaller barns that have been swallowed up by new subdivisions over the last few years. There is currently a large facility that was recently sold, and is expected to be rezoned.
Spruce Meadows in Calgary is another facility that has had the local landscape change considerably over the years, and now has city subdivisions on two of it's four sides. It's happening everywhere!
I love these little pieces of the country in the city. When I was in university the Whitemud equestrian centre in Edmonton kept me sane, and I always like going to Southlands in Vancouver. Fingers crosse they can figure out a more reasonable compromise in Halifax.
ReplyDeleteParking lot? Not horse related but I lived 4 years in a high-rise in downtown Seattle and enjoyed an underground parking lot. Until the nearby massive hospitals ("Pill Hill" is where I lived) need parking and decided to "share" our parking spots. That means, every time I came home from work, I had to arrange for a Valet guy to remove the guest car from my spot. Every time. To reimburse us they simply offered "more security (that Valet guy) and jump starts if you need them." So, one day I needed a jump start and the Valet guy literally set my car on fire cuz he did the jump start wrong. My best flannel shirt was sacrificed to the flames to unclip his mistake.
ReplyDeleteI know that's not on topic with your post but it sort of is because it was simply a need for more hospitals needing more parking spaces and taking over my apartment's garage. : )
I'll never trust anyone to give me a jump start again. (But it's never needed in Germany, cuz of the fanatical upkeep required on cars.)