Photo Karen Graham.
Erika Flak with one of her favourite horses.
There is a calmness that surrounds Erica Flak of Sky Haven Stables, which must be comforting to her horses.
She understands how to communicate with horses, and it begins by exhibiting poise and focus that puts the animals at ease. It has the same effect on her young riding students.
With experience in dressage, jumping and western riding, she has competed at the international level as a young rider. Six years ago she began providing horse riding lessons to children and adults at her family farm outside Bethany. She is certified by both CHA and Equine Canada and focuses on hunter-jumper riding with her students.
At Trent she studied a variety of subjects from chemistry to psychology and philosophy, but her future studies will be very focused on horses. She is currently studying Natural Horsemanship looking to obtain certification from renowned horse whisperer Monty Roberts, with equine massage and bio-flex laser treatment certifications next on her list. Her ultimate goal is to become a certified horse naturopath and equine massage therapist allowing her to train horses and riders at the competitive level.
For now she is getting her feet wet managing her family-owned business in the rolling hills north of Bethany, where they board and train horses, offer lessons, summer camp experiences and host horse shows each season. The facility offers both indoor and outdoor riding rings, and their large heated barn is well equipped for both riders and horses.
For adult customers, she prefers to conduct individual lessons whereas beginner students usually start with group lessons in dressage or hunter-jumper riding styles. In addition to learning the mechanics of the sport, students learn how to interact with horses, how to communicate with the animals through body language, and how to calm the animals as well as themselves.
She is now getting organized for her third year of summer day camp programs. The stable offers three weeklong sessions for ages 6 to 14 with all levels of riding experience. The days include daily riding lessons with a certified coach, horse education and stable management lessons, arena rides, arts and crafts, outdoor games and swimming. There is also a week for teens in August, which is open to girls and boys ages 12 to 16 that can currently walk and trot without assistance. Campers are welcome to bring their own horses if they choose, but the stable has plenty of their own animals to suit all rider levels.
Like organizations such as Horses Help Canada, Erica is a firm believer in the ability of horses to help people address stress and emotional issues and hopes to build her equine business by practising equine assisted learning. She hopes to design programs to help youth people with social and emotional difficulties through direct interaction with horses. With this top notch facility at her disposal and her skill, compassion and commitment to her work, she is well-positioned to make Sky Haven Stables a unique destination for horse lovers of all ages. KG
