Cowgirl Kickback, HorsePlay offers guests unique horse-based agri-tourism experiences

The Cowgirl Kickback experience at Transitions Acres in Oxford County has been named an Ontario Southwest Signature Experience.

By Tamara Botting

There’s a few common reactions when visitors to Transitions Acres first encounter the horses.

Sometimes they’ll stop in their tracks, mesmerized.

“Lots of times, I see happy tears,” said Alisha Wilson, founder and operations manager of the Oxford County-based non-profit, adding that sometimes she takes the feeling for granted, “because I’m around them all the time, so I automatically feel that way.”

Wilson grew up on her family’s home farm and spent time as a teen working on a ranch in Florida before eventually making her way to her current home just outside of Tavistock..

“I’ve been around horses my entire life – it’s been a lifelong passion of mine,” she said.

“In 2021, I decided to put the horse to work, so to say, and try to get other people to experience the benefits of being around horses that I’d experienced growing up.”

The model that she started with is largely what’s still in place today, including summer camps, classes and the experiences.

“Over the past five years, it’s really morphed into a place of wellness and holistic health, and having a safe space,” Wilson said. “A lot of times, when I have people come out, it’s because they’re looking for the wellness aspect of things; they’re looking for more of a therapeutic connection.”

There are a lot of connections made during the Cowgirl Kickback sessions – which have been named an Ontario Southwest Signature Experience – and the HorsePlay ultimate date night experience sessions.

Both of these experiences start with a drink by the fire, then move on to the ‘Whoa Game,’ which is the safety demonstration.

“Basically, we walk around the horse and do things that look unsafe or are unsafe, and then people have to yell at us not to do it,” Wilson said, adding that there’s one particular horse who usually helps out with these demonstrations because he’s so calm and good natured.

“I go as far as crawling underneath the horse,” Wilson said.

The safety talk is an important part of the session, because a lot of the clientele who come out to Transitions Acres aren’t from an agricultural background.

“Being on the farm, we take a lot of the things that we do for granted, and we kind of expect people to know, but they don’t. So, we have to make sure that we’re really aware of making sure that people are being taught properly about the risks and things to keep an eye out for,” Wilson said. So, “If you can make (the safety talk) comical and interesting, it’s more engaging.”

As with any agri-tourism enterprise, safety is paramount.

“We don’t tend to run any of the machinery or anything like that when we have people out, just because that also helps keep the risk down,” Wilson said. (While she doesn’t farm the land, there is another local farmer who does cash cropping on the property.)

The parking areas are clearly labeled for guests to help prevent mishaps. Undergirding all of the precautions, Wilson has made sure to have the proper liability insurance – key for any agri-tourism business.

Besides making sure the guests are safe when they come out for a visit, though, is making sure they have fun.

After the Whoa Game, guests are able to get up close and personal with the horses, taking part in grooming, doing some fun obstacle courses and learning how horses communicate. The sessions wrap up back by the fire, with another drink and charcuterie while enjoying the sunset.

Wilson said that even though she grew up in Florida, which boasts some pretty spectacular views, “Honestly, I can say with all truth, they’re nothing compared to an Oxford County sunset over a field.”

With both experiences, guests enjoy a greater sense of connection with others.

Wilson said the Cowgirl Kickback is “directly driven towards women and those in their feminine energy. We’re really looking at having a good time, connecting with your friends, having some ‘aha’ moments, taking a time to just be at peace with yourself.”

Participants can choose to book a session for just their own group of friends, or be part of a larger, public party – sessions can have as few as two people, and up to 30.

“Those ones are fun, because then you’re working with strangers, and a lot of times the people become friends by the time it’s all done,” Wilson said.

The HorsePlay sessions are also proven to help couples find a greater connection – for at least one couple, it was their first date, and “It actually resulted in them eventually getting engaged and they had their wedding on the farm, so that was kind of cool,” Wilson said.

A lot of people find it very calming to be around the horses.

“Horses have a really large electromagnetic field around their being. It’s scientifically proven that they will help us to regulate our heartbeat,” Wilson said, adding that after the initial excitement of meeting a horse, people’s heart rates tend to lower.

What’s more, “Horses immediately go into working with you instead of against you … they provide immediate and non-judgemental feedback.”

Even if they get spooked, it only lasts a minute or so, and then they’re calm again, Wilson added. “They don’t hold a grudge, and a lot of people don’t get to experience that in life.”

It’s a profound feeling, and one Wilson wants to give to as many people as possible; that’s why she intentionally markets her horse experiences to people in larger city centres.

“(They) are looking for a bit of an escape, from the hustle and bustle. They want to come out and slow down, experience what it’s like to be on a farm in a peaceful setting.”

She’s seen it many times, with the Cowgirl Kickback and HorsePlay, as well as the kids’ camps.

“We’ve kids come out who have never seen a tree before. It’s really neat to have those types of things happen,” Wilson said. “We had two groups come out from London, and the kids were in awe, because they’ve never been around a farm at all.”

All of Transitions Acres’ programming takes place outdoors; there isn’t an indoor arena.

This was partially a financial decision, since an indoor arena would be a large investment, plus the ongoing maintenance costs, but also, “I think it’s a little bit more impactful, as far as the peaceful aspect of things. The horse pasture butts right up to our arena, so not only are (guests) interacting with a horse on the ground right with them, but they can also observe the herd behaviour and the horses in their own natural environment while they’re working as well,” Wilson said. On top of that, guests get to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, birds and wildlife, etc.

“There aren’t many places like mine who do outside things year-round.”

People can also come and visit the farm for a nominal fee, without doing a full experience or camp; they can enjoy the environment, have a blind date with a book, have a refreshment in the lounge or by one of the fire features, and check out the gift shop, which is stocked with items from local artisans.

For more information about the farm and the programming it offers, visit transitionseq.ca. 