Adventure is the Operative Word
Moose Mountain Adventures was founded by Neil MacLaine in 1991 to meet the needs of horse enthusiasts and adventurers who want to experience the Rockies with a well trained, athletic and responsive horse.
Neil has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into building this operation from scratch. He likes to call it a “hobby that went hopelessly out of control”. With his never ending enthusiasm he continues to personally guide most of the back-country and custom wilderness programs. He is a history buff and advocate for his country.
Neil's personal love of adventure and wilderness has taken him on over 2000 miles of canoe trekking and numerous mountaineering expeditions. His equestrian interests include training, reining, competitive trail riding and endurance racing. Though most of the time he is happy just to explore the wilderness with an equally enthusiastic horse.
In addition to the horse business, Neil has been involved with the Canadian Army since 1978. He currently has the appointment of Deputy Commanding Officer of the Kings Own Calgary Regiment, a reserve reconnaissance unit.
Amongst many voluntary roles, Neil has been recently elected President of the Cowboy Trail Tourism Association and promotion chairman for the Alberta Outfitters Association.
Since 2005 Moose Mountain Adventures has been led by Neil and Undine MacLaine. Undine stepped into Neil’s life in 2004 and they work with a shared passion for adventure, horses and nature. Undine looks after guest services, horse training and marketing. She is a graduate architect and together they designed and built the new guesthouse at M&M Ranch. Her equestrian background is in English riding, having competed in dressage and show jumping since her youth in Germany.
Our Philosophy emphasizes respect for both the horse and the wilderness that we cherish so dearly. We seek to educate our guests in the skills that will enable them to enjoy both to the fullest.
While we camp comfortably, we minimize our impact on the fragile alpine environment so as to preserve it for future generations. Most of our treks take place in Kananaskis Country, a 4200 square kilometer wilderness area stretching from the foothills to the Continental Divide. Other riding areas are the Prairies of southern Alberta and the foothills along Highway 22, also known as the Cowboy Trail.
We choose our horses carefully, train them well and treat them in a respectful and natural way.
We value a personal and individual relationship to each of our guests. Some of them return year after year and have become close friends along the way. In small groups of 4-8 riders, you will enjoy the camaraderie around the campfire and new friendships made on the trail.
