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Destiny Equestrian Complex proud to be part of Innnisfil community (10 photos)

Equestrian company has been part of the Innisfil community for the past 15 years, and have recently moved into a new space

Certified Animal Healer Rebecca Ritch has owned Destiny Equestrian Complex for 15 years and continues to celebrate her success at her new location in Innisfil.

Certified by Equine Canada, Ritch has been teaching horse riding for over 25 years, since the age of sixteen, and provides private and small group lessons on the property located at 5th Sideroad and 5th Line (off Innisfil Beach Road).

Destiny Equestrian began in Stouffville with 14 horses but relocated to Innisfil when Ritch and her family moved to accommodate her husband’s new job.

Ritch trains students from beginner to competition level (and in some cases, Olympic level) and is also a certified animal healer with a side business called “Pawsitive Touch” offering canine massage therapy.

The complex runs monthly seminars and workshops and offers mobile services. Due to COVID however, some events and services have had to be postponed.

“I was concerned when COVID-hit,” expresses Ritch. “I thought, how am I going to feed these animals? We rely on lessons to pay for the horses."

Since the industry has begun to open back up however, Ritch has slowly re-started her lessons with more precautions and cleaning measures in place to protect not only the riders, but the horses too.

“Horses can pass diseases from each other,” explains Ritch. “Humans are the transmission though. Like if someone has something on their boots and the horse eats it."

Ritch began riding horses at the age of 10 at a local summer camp (Super Camp). She quickly became certified and started teaching lessons herself while also  becoming a certified massage therapist and acupuncturist.

A mother of two boys, Ritch balances family life with her three female horses; Scarlet, Maggie, and Flicka who reside at Destiny Equestrian Complex.

“We run all year round,” notes Ritch, adding that the outdoors is great for lessons right now, but the facility also offers indoor covered options for when the weather gets colder.

“Covid has definitely challenged everything” admits Ritch. “We would love to be full throughout the winter though."

Ritch has a four-horse trailer and would normally be registered for several fairs which the horses are showcased in, but have since been cancelled due to the pandemic. Her focus now remains on schooling-level competitions and teaching new riders how to handle the horses correctly.

“If I have a parent and tot riding, and the kid can do better than the adult, that partnership between horse and rider is just magic,” shares Ritch. “It’s my favorite part!”

Currently Ritch can have up to 10 students daily and typically teaches four days a week with six to eight students a day.

Ritch also takes on clients for unusual situations as well; on one occasion, Ritch was hired to teach a gentleman to ride a horse just so he could propose to his fiancé on horseback.

“We had to bring the horse down into Toronto for the proposal,” remembers Ritch. “There was a mariachi band as he dismounted from the horse and got down on one knee to propose."

Through Destiny Equestrian, Ritch strives to empower her clients by learning to ride on 1000-pound animals, and for some riders, she helps them tackle their fears.

“Sometimes I have riders cry because they are so nervous,” shares Ritch. “Nobody wants to fall off a horse. You end up where you look. Don’t look at the dirt – look up! If the horse is doing something wrong, there’s a reason – safety is our number one priority.”

Ritch thanks the community for their continued support with their services at the complex and hopes to remain busy in the coming months.

“If a 35-pound child can ride on a 1000-pound animal and do figure-eights around a barn, [anyone] can tackle [their] fears!” asserts Ritch.

For more information about Destiny Equestrian Complex and its lessons, visit their website here