Turn Around Ranch
About the Staff
Owner, Wendy Tredger, purchased the ranch in August of 2009. It has been her lifelong dream to do counselling in a more relaxed, informal, outdoor setting with horse and human partnerships.
Wendy has a Master's degree in Counseling, is a Canadian Certified Counselor and has twenty-five years experience as a counselor, primarily working with youth. Her background includes over ten years working with First Nations clients, eleven years as a school counselor and four years teaching life skills courses for Portage College. She has been a Program Therapist at five different group homes over the more recent years. Horses have been an integral part of her life for over forty-five years.
Wendy has her training in Equine Assisted Counseling, serves on the National Executive for the Animal Assisted Therapists chapter of the CCPA (Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association) and has presented her work at three professional conferences. In 2019, Wendy was presented an Alberta Women in Leadership Award for her work at the Turn Around Ranch.
Jim Litchfield has been around horses all his life, raised registered Quarter Horses for fifteen years and has done a great deal of ranch riding. He is a wonderful horse trainer and starts the ranch horses in their halter training, ground work and riding skills. Wendy and Jim do a great deal of camping in the mountains with the horses in the spring, summer and fall, so the horses are capable trail companions.
Jim is a brilliant fix-it man and keeps the ranch functioning in all kinds of practical ways: ploughing roads, feeding round bales, clearing trails and fixing the 1001 things that go wrong at the ranch. Perhaps his toughest job is to help keep Wendy sane! Jim worked as an iron worker and Safety Manager before his retirement. He is a great hunter, fisherman, trapper and taxidermist. Jim has much wilderness wisdom, great people skills and is a gentle soul with a radiant smile.
International Helpers come to the ranch and trade room and board for farm labor and horse training. We require that they come with strong riding and horsemanship skills. We have been doing this for five years now and have had marvelous, talented helpers from Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, England, Ireland, Spain and Israel. Eating adventures abound as we all share in the cooking for family meals!
