Williams Lake Trail Riders Association

08/30/2025

08/29/2025

The sense of smell in horses is exceptionally acute, thanks to the vast amount of tissue dedicated to olfaction within their nasal passages.

When a horse inhales, air is warmed and circulated under pressure, allowing scent molecules to condense and settle onto the sensitive lining of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) for processing.

This enables horses to analyze and remember complex scents with remarkable precision—the VNO’s sensory cells can separate chemical cues almost down to the individual molecule, performing like a biological mass spectrometer.

Horses often display the flehmen response—curling back the upper lip and drawing air into the nasal passages—to intensify their perception of certain scents, especially pheromones and markers of other animals.

This action, apart from being a sign of olfactory investigation, may signal abdominal discomfort such as colic.

The ability of horses to differentiate between myriad scents supports their advanced recognition memory and plays a crucial role in their behaviour and communication.

This ability also is the reason why horses are increasingly being trained and used for scent-based search and rescue (SAR) as "air scent detection" animals in wilderness and missing person searches.

While historically valued for covering rough terrain and offering searchers a higher vantage point, horses’ natural olfactory abilities are now also being actively harnessed through dedicated scent detection training, similar to methods used with dogs, with progressive training methodologies and emerging certification standards guiding their deployment.

📖 Adapted from information in Modern Horse Training: Equitation Science Principles & Practice, Volume 1 by Andrew Mclean

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08/28/2025

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OPERATIONS MANAGER; a wonderful career opportunity with the Williams Lake Stampede

The Williams Lake Stampede Association (WLSA) is looking for a dynamic, hands-on Operations Manager to oversee all aspects of our organization from day-to-day operations and strategic planning to event delivery and community engagement.

If you're a natural leader with strong business skills, a passion for people, and a love for community, we want to hear from you!

Ready to lead with purpose? Apply today and help us continue to celebrate the spirit of the Stampede!

How to apply:

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter – [email protected]. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

We encourage you to check out our website https://williamslakestampede.com/

Williams Lake Stampede Association is an equal opportunity employer which does not discriminate against age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or disability.