EMILY HSUEH
CHAPEAU April 14, 2021
A new ranch in the Chapeau area is hoping to make the Pontiac a better place by pairing those in need with an equine companion on a journey to wellness.
Nathalie Bourque opened Authentik Wellness Ranch in January of this year, after many years of dreaming about it. Bourque has worked with . . .
the animals for her whole life, and for the last 25 years has dreamed of opening her own ranch to help people with the aid of horses.
“I’ve been thinking about it forever. Horses have been in my life since I was 15. So it’s been a lifelong passion,” she said. “Horses have gotten me through anxiety when I was younger, and they’ve been there for me all my life. So I know firsthand how much they can help and how much they understand.”
Bourque was originally from Montreal, but moved to Chapeau with her husband François Gignac three years ago for his work with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. That coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic provided the perfect conditions for Bourque to finally make her dreams a reality.
“It kind of gave me the kick in the butt I needed to go ahead and do this. I think it’s something that people are going to need right now,” she said.
That something is the wellness classes she and her husband offer at the ranch. Their main goal is to help people through issues such as anxiety, depression and abuse, or building skills such as leadership, teamwork or balance with the help of horses.
Both her and Gignac are certified in equine assisted learning, which means they can create and lead programs in which participants improve their lives by working with the animals. They currently have seven different programs to choose from, but noted that any of the courses can be tailored to different situations.
“Basically we work with circuits; we build obstacle courses which are specifically aimed at different objectives like self esteem, communication, building boundaries, etc. And so every program is aimed at specific objectives which we can adapt, because we have so many circuits that have been developed.”
Authentik Wellness Ranch prides itself on being accessible to everyone. No prior experience with horses is necessary. In fact, the horses at the ranch are not ridden at all during the circuits. Instead, Bourque believes it’s best to start from the ground up to form a bond.
“It’s really a fun and safe environment and nobody rides,” she explained. “We partner up from the ground, because we believe that if you’re riding the horse, you’re controlling him; he has a bit in his mouth, and you’re telling him what you want to do. So you’re not going to learn anything from him. He’s not going to be your teacher if you’re controlling him. So we partner up from the ground.”
When participants arrive, they begin with an orientation session which teaches them how to handle the horses and form a connection with them. Usually this is done in an indoor classroom but is all being done outdoors for the time being.
Classes will see a facilitator guide participants and their chosen horse companion to discover their own unique way of overcoming obstacles. According to Bourque, horses are best equipped for the job because of their honest and judgement-free nature.
“It’s a totally different way of learning life skills, whatever they are, because it’s interactive, but with a horse. There’s no judgment and their response is very authentic and very quick,” she explained. “The horse does not care if you’re rich or poor or big or small, he doesn’t care what kind of clothes you’re wearing. To him, everybody’s the same.”
Currently, Authentik Wellness Ranch is still operating, but it’s outdoors only and with lowered capacity. Bourque encouraged those who are interested in taking part to visit their website www.authentikwellnessranch.ca to book a course.
“Keep in mind that everything is adaptable to their needs. Every program we have is really awesome and there’s no way you can come out of this without being more than satisfied,” she said. “Everyone is really in awe with everything that goes on here.”
