By: Deb Kitchenmaster
Five years ago a hand full of horse lovers who wanted to ride with friends, partnered with adults creating the possibility of their own Horse Camp. This secret society came into existence from the springboard of invaluable friendships, holistic equine passion, and being a ‘good’ NEIGHbor, while braiding safety, interest, and love together as a lead rope from one year to another.
Horse Camp 2020 presented an invitation for horse and rider to develop relationships with each other. The activities that reinforced these relationships were trail rides, a scheduled lesson with an equine instructor at an individual riding level, obstacle courses, mounted games (like a water gun fight), instruction on grooming a horse, ground work, crafts, Farrier visit, dining together, swimming together, and a whole bunch of laughter.
These campers would like you to meet their horses and enjoy what they wanted to share with you about their time at Horse Camp 2020.
Averi: This is my first year at horse camp. I’m very grateful that my horses are boarded here…they love it. Horse camp is fun and exciting. I get to see my friends and have a great time. We get to gallop through fields and jump big fences, go on fun trail rides, and sometimes just stay at the barn or go swimming in the pool.
Chloe: I love horse camp! It gives me a chance to get away from drama and yelling and crazy. At home I have twenty-seven chickens; they are my heart and soul. I love them deeply; they are crazy though. So horse camp saves me from that and I have time with friends, family, and horses! Horse camp is fun, but it isn’t fun with sunburn and bad falls. Horse camp rocks!
Connor: Horse camp is nothing like what I thought it would be. As a first timer at camp, I was expecting it to be easy, but riding a horse is NOT easy. As someone who grew up playing football, baseball, and many other sports, I can definitely say horseback riding is one of the hardest things I’ve done. I am excited and can’t wait for camp next year.
Julianna: Horse camp is an amazing experience that I’m lucky enough to be part of. I look forward to going every summer. I don’t regularly ride and am fairly inexperienced, but this gives me an opportunity to learn everything that has to do with a horse. We each usually ride the same horse all week and that gives us a chance to bond with our horse and learn what our horse likes or dislikes. I have made amazing connections with my friends at camp and will cherish the memories made there forever.
Mason: I look forward to horse camp every single year. We started when I was around 10 years old because we loved horses and wanted to be with friends while we rode. This is our 5th year and it has grown so much. My favorite activity is our obstacle course which builds trust with our own horse. We learn a lot and have fun doing it.
Morgan: Horse Camp has taught me how important it is to value each other. You get to see all the differences in each other. We all get to see how our differences make us work as a group. It is so much fun to see your place in this crazy group of kids! This was my first year, but we all fit together.
Zoe: Horse camp is super important to me. I love getting to have my horse ten feet away from me. It’s a great time to take a break from shows and always trying to look perfect for my trainers! My last favorite thing is the comfort of being with my best horse friends. Whether it’s them saying, “The jump can go a hole higher,” or “You can do it!” we are always there to keep each other going.
Happy Trails Campers!
