Emilie Underhill

Emilie Underhill knows the 15 horses at Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge as individuals, each with personalities, preferences, and needs of their own. As equine experiences manager, she leads the lodge’s dedicated barn team and introduces guests to a side of the wilderness best explored from the saddle.

Emilie joined Clayoquot in February 2024 and lives on property year-round with her partner, Sean, and dog, Sunny. While horses have long been her passion, some of her most rewarding moments come from working with guests who arrive unsure of them. “It’s nice to get nervous guests out and have that be successful,” she says. “It really changes their whole outlook on horses.”

She’s equally proud of the team members who return to the barn each summer, bringing experience, dedication, and a shared love of horses. Together, they create an environment where both guests and horses feel comfortable and cared for.

If there’s one experience she thinks everyone should try, it’s taking a horse into the river. The herd loves to swim, and, occasionally, they make that decision before their riders do. “It’s absolutely hilarious watching them take people on unplanned swims,” she says. For Emilie, it’s all part of sharing the animals she loves in a landscape she’s come to call home.