by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Oct 08/97) - The cows may have headed south, but the horses are here to stay and more are coming.

Yellowknife will soon be home to a state of the art equestrian centre.

The facility, located next door to Tuaro Dairy, will include a 20-stall barn, 36 metre by 21 metre heated indoor riding arena and an outdoor paddock.

"It's a dream, but it looks like it's coming true," said Dr. Tom Pisz as he stood in within the massive framed structure.

And it's coming true quickly. The barn will be ready for horses in a week and the riding arena finished by the middle of next month.

"I grew up with horses and my wife loves horses," said Pisz, a veterinarian and owner of the Great Slave Animal Hospital. "So we brought some up here, but we need a proper place for them in the winter."

"This is the only one (in the territories)," said Pisz, "It's a new idea, but we've been researching it for a while. We looked at a lot of places down south, and this will be in the same class or better than those."

With a sand covering, the terrain is ideal for riding. The bush in the area is laced with a series of trails, some leading to a nearby lake. Across the highway there are the wide open spaces of the sand pits. A horse-crossing sign on the highway just before the centre warns motorists to watch out for riders.

Pisz, an 11-year resident of Yellowknife, bought the 1.6-hectare property from the city last year. This winter 10 horses will be lodged in the stable, including Icelandic, Arabian and American saddle-bred horses.

"It will be a recreational facility to teach people how to ride," explained Pisz, "It will be something to do in the winter besides ski and watch TV."

Today, Pisz has brought out his horse, Ginger Snapper, an American saddle-bred he bought three years ago as a yearling and broke in himself.

Ginger Snapper is one of five horses that Pisz and his wife Joanna have in Yellowknife. Their stable includes another American saddle-bred, three Arabians and two Icelandic horses.

"They're very special," said Joanna of the Icelandics, the smallest of the lot. Very docile, the breed was introduced to Iceland by the Vikings.

The stocky horses are ideally suited to northern winters, but Pisz said the cold up here doesn't affect any of the horses, which grow thick coats for winter.