Horse country: Langley's equestrian life

Spend a weekend on Langley’s back roads and you will meet horses: in paddocks, in trailers, on the trails and now and then on the shoulder beside you. Horses are part of everyday life in the rural Township. This page gathers the places where anyone can watch them, ride them, or share the road with them.

Who calls Langley the horse capital?

It’s not just a nickname people throw around. The Township of Langley uses it itself. Its agriculture page says that, with more horses than anywhere else in the province, the Township “is referred to as the horse capital of British Columbia.” The Township’s November 2019 Agricultural Profile update uses the same label, “Horse Capital of BC.”

The idea goes back at least to 1995, when Township council adopted a Langley Horse Industry Strategy written by the Langley Economic Development Commission with the local horse industry. Its stated aim was “to strengthen Langley as the horse capital of British Columbia.” That strategy put the industry’s yearly economic impact at about $40 million, based on a 1990 provincial survey, and called for a trail network linking the major parks.

Others repeat it. A 2015 welcome message from then-mayor Jack Froese, printed in the Langley Advance Times, said the Township “is known as the Horse Capital of B.C.” The Canadian Encyclopedia says the Township is called the “horse capital” of BC because of Thunderbird Show Park and its other equestrian facilities, and Destination Vancouver’s Langley page calls it Canada’s “self-proclaimed horse capital.” We did not find the phrase on Tourism Langley’s own site.

The numbers behind it come from the 2016 Census of Agriculture, as reported by the Township: about 298 farms holding 2,553 horses and ponies, roughly 7% of the provincial herd. That is the newest Langley-level horse count we could find from an official source.

Watch a show at Thunderbird

Thunderbird Show Park (tbird) on 72 Avenue is the big one. The Township’s agriculture page describes it as about 34 hectares (85 acres). Its 2026 season, as reported by the Aldergrove Star, ran in five circuits and ten tournaments from April 15 to the BCHJA Fall Finale on September 16 to 20, with the summer show jumping weeks (the Summer Fort Welcome and Summer Fort Classic) in August. Spectators use the 248 Street entrance, and tickets are on tbird.ca. See our Thunderbird page for the history and visiting tips.

Ride a horse yourself

These businesses and programs advertise to the public. Prices, ages and booking rules are on their own sites, so check there first.

• Langley 204 Horseback Riding, 543 204 Street, across from Campbell Valley Regional Park. Its site lists trail rides, lessons and pony rides, English and western riding, lease and regular-rider packages, limited boarding, and school-break camps. langley204.com
• Glen Valley Stables Horseback Trail Rides, 1255 208 Street. Destination Fraser Valley’s listing describes guided rides in Campbell Valley Regional Park of one, one and a half, and two hours, in small groups for new and experienced riders. Listing
• Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities (PRDA), South Langley. A non-profit offering adaptive riding, short-term rehabilitation and consultation services for people with diverse physical and cognitive abilities since 1973. The Langley Advance Times reported in 2023 that it owns a 15-acre property bordering Campbell Valley Park. It takes volunteers six days a week, year round. prda.ca
• Brookswood Secondary Equestrian Academy. A Langley School District program, running since 2016, for students in grade 8 and up, with equestrian credits, mentors and field trips. Program page

Clubs and groups

• Langley Riders Society, established in 1965, is a volunteer-run family club that welcomes riders of every breed and discipline. Its site lists English and western shows, jumper shows, games days and a drill team, and members get reduced show fees and off-time arena use. The Aldergrove Star gives its grounds as 4303 208 Street. The paper reported that non-riders are welcome to come and watch. langleyriders.com
• Back Country Horsemen of BC has an Aldergrove chapter. In 2014 the Aldergrove Star reported it was the group’s first chapter and its largest, with 139 members, and that members had put money, equipment and labour into the South Langley Regional Trail. Find current chapter contacts at bchorsemen.org.
• Horse Council BC is the provincial association for riders and horse owners. Back Country Horsemen members join it for insurance, and it publishes a road safety handbook for riders. hcbc.ca
• Pony Club: the Canadian Pony Club runs branches across the Lower Mainland. We could not confirm a branch based in Langley, so ask the Canadian Pony Club which branch rides nearest you.

Where horses ride

• Campbell Valley Regional Park. Riders unload at the Campbell Downs Equestrian Centre. The 11 km Shaggy Mane Trail is shared by riders and hikers, and hikers give way to horses. The cross-country course and riding ring close in very wet weather. See our Campbell Valley page.
• South Langley Regional Trail. Metro Vancouver says this shared-use trail, managed by the Township on the section past South Langley Regional Park, links Campbell Valley and Aldergrove regional parks and is popular with riders, hikers and cyclists. There are hitching posts at the South Langley Regional Park entrance.
• Aldergrove Regional Park. The Rock 'n Horse Trail is 6.5 km return from the Equestrian Trailhead at 272 Street and 6 Avenue, where horse trailers park. See our Aldergrove Regional Park page.
• Derby Reach Regional Park. The 4 km Houston Trail is for walkers and riders. See Derby Reach.

Sharing a trail with horses

Metro Vancouver’s advice for the South Langley trail works anywhere:

• Cyclists and walkers yield to horses. Slow down well before you reach them.
• Say hello. Horses are prey animals and startle at fast, silent approaches. Talking to the rider lets the horse know you’re a person.
• Ask how to pass. The rider knows the horse. Agree on a side, then go slowly.
• Dogs on a leash, close and quiet. A scared horse can throw its rider.
• Riders: stay calm, pay attention to what your horse hears before you do, and go slowly when you pass others.

Driving past horses

Under BC’s Motor Vehicle Act, a person riding a horse on a road has the rights and duties of a driver, according to Horse Council BC’s handbook, which reprints the relevant sections. The Province’s 2019 reminder to drivers asks you to slow down well before you reach horses, pass slowly with about a car width of space, and skip the horn, shouting and revving. If the horse looks upset, wait for the rider to settle it.

Since June 3, 2024, BC’s vulnerable road user rules also apply. Drivers must leave at least 1 metre when passing on roads posted 50 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres above that, and people riding animals are covered. CBC reported penalties from $109 and three points up to $2,000 and six months in jail. On narrow country roads, Horse Council BC’s handbook suggests using part of the oncoming lane when it is clear, and stopping to let the rider wave you by if the horse is nervous.

More nearby

Read farm country: agriculture in Langley, our rural Langley guide and what Langley is known for. The BC Farm Museum in Fort Langley has heavy horse equipment and a BC Heavy Horse Breeders Association area.

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