The only equine college of its kind coming to Lethbridge

LETHBRIDGE-It will be the only one of its kind in North America, and it will be right here in Southern Alberta.

Despite the cold weather, the Lethbridge Community Equine College broke ground Thursday. The new horse training school will bring students from around the world to learn all types of disciplines.

Ernie Knibb is the founder of the college. The concept of having a certified program for horse trainers is something he has been working towards for years. “I grew up on a ranch and realized there was more than one way to train a horse.  I started taking different training from different trainers, so that was the brainchild of getting the course, and designing the course.”

Knibb is a horsemen with a desire to educate and share his passion.  Now he is seeing his dream transform into reality.

“We started in January, four years ago. It took three and a half years to get government approval for the course and a little hard work on my end with the bank.”

The privately-funded college comes with a price tag of $7.5 million dollars and will be located just outside of Lethbridge on Highway 25.

“We have to do the ground work, move the barns in which are already built. Then we have to build the indoor and outdoor arenas along the office,” adds Knibb.

Over 90 students have already signed up to start the programs on March 1^st.  For horse enthusiasts like Angela Bucklaschuk, the news a school like this was coming to the areas was exciting. She owns Saddle It Up, a tack shop in Lethbridge and is eager to see how the new college will impact the area.

“It’s going to be really beneficial, there is a lot of equestrian people out here whether they ride English or Western. It’s just a really good thing for this community and it’s going to bring a lot of people to the city and to the town.”

There will be 68 trainers in total using different methods of horse training throughout the program, offering something for everyone.