It takes good horse sense to do what Angelique Ellerton does for a living. The woman whose interest in horses began when she started riding ponies at the age of eight tackles each day at a full gallop.

    Ellerton (BA Stong '83, LLB) lives in Calgary, Alberta, and is Canada's first equine industry lawyer.

    Her home is in a part of the country where horses are big business. In fact, Ellerton estimates the industry is worth a whopping $10 billion in Alberta alone. The Ontario native says Alberta's the perfect province for her law practice. She's been able to take a lifelong love of horses and use her specialized knowledge to carve out a career.

    "It's important for clients to have a lawyer who understands the risks and liabilities of working with animals," she says.

    Ellerton shows her commitment to the equine industry by the gung-ho approach she takes to supporting it when she's out of the office -- offering legal workshops to horse owners, writing legal articles for equine magazines, and volunteering at the world-renowned Spruce Meadows horse events.

    She drafted a piece of proposed provincial legislation called the Equine Activity Liability Act, designed to foster self-regulation in the industry and define a standard of risk which would be of benefit in terms of insurance and litigation.

    Currently she's negotiating with a publisher for a book she's written on equine law in Canada.

    But the bulk of Ellerton's days are spent doing the nitty gritty of the horse business, something she's been doing since she moved out west with her family in 1990 and started concentrating on building a law practice.

    What exactly does that entail? Setting up partnerships and syndicates for race and sport horses, preparation of lease agreements, breeding and sales contracts, estate planning for people with equine assets -- the list could probably wind around a racetrack.

    It all adds up to long days -- but for now Ellerton says she content with her role as a committed equine industry workhorse.