Highland Wilderness Tours
Proudly Presents the entirely original

Join us for an exciting week of ropin' and ridin', cows and cayuses!
('Cayuse' means 'horse', case ya' didn't know!)

This camp is open to young girls ages 11 - 18*, horseback riding experience preferred.  The scope of the camp
will be to immerse the children into horses and camping and 'old west' culture, over the course of the week. 
What's the goal?  As with all our camps, fun & education are at the heart of our schedule. We'll be teaching
young horse lovers the fast paced and fun filled riding skills of a life of cowboy'n !! Those that have been to
our camps know, we don't mess around, you get to RIDE!!  Our programs are based on many solid hours
in the saddle each day, doing 'horse only' activities.  And of course, every camper has their very own horse
for the week to enjoy on a one on one basis, plus as always, total immersion into the western theme.
(*requests for children under this age bracket will be considered based on experience)

Daily trail rides are a must!   For at least one of these rides, we take a 3 hr picnic ride to a lake!

Our main features at this camp are:
- sleepin' under the stars, and in a bush cabin, just like cowboys!
- western riding @ 3 - 4 hrs daily, on quality Appaloosas & Quarter Horses
- caring for and bonding with their very own horse for the week!
- 'turn a barrel' with a high powered Barrel Racing Clinic & Race
- work with cattle & take a roping clinic from ORA Champion Roper Harry Hodges
- learning to 'pen' the cattle, and competing in a real Team Penning event!
- and of course, trail ridin' and picnicin' at the lake!

As always, we go for full immersion!  From our cozy cabin
with nightly crackling campfire in an on farm wilderness
campsite ~ to our nightly ritual of goofing around & relaxing
by a roaring fire or watching a movie - it's an atmosphere
that's proven itself to be a popular teenage experience!

Relaxing at night and enjoying crispy marshmallows and comraderie
with their new friends is a feature attraction of all our camps!

Of course, there will be campfires every night - what would any self respecting cowboy
do without a campfire? We'll be camping in canvas prospector tents on our wilderness
property, and sleeping under the stars!  Roughing it in style, we say! Summer in
Maynooth is a hot time of year, so we'll need to swim too! To see a list of what your
child should bring to camp, click here.

While the first few days are spent getting acquainted, learning the barn routine, and getting our riding skills
tuned, from Wednesday the kids learn why we call this an educational camp.  Beginning on day three,
the girls participate daily in several high powered clinics, given by professionals in the industry.

The girls will spend a day with Harry Hodges, and learn all about roping
calves! Harry is fond of teaching youths and is very involved with promoting
the sport of roping among all walks of life.  Harry lives  near Mt. Forest and
is not just a professional calf roper, but he  is also a stronge advocate for the
sport of Ranch Roping.  Ranch roping is a roping method which demonstrates
a very natural and 'real' way to handle calves, causing a minimum of disturbance. 

Harry also competes on the Ontario Roping Association circuit, and in 2005, at the time of Headin' West, Harry was
leading the calf  roping points for Ontario!  A few years back, Harry won the Dodge Championship, and is always
in contention yearly.  Click here for more information and a great look at rodeo'ing on the ORA website, or click here
and check out a bit more about Harry.  We are very fond of Harry, and look forward to seeing him each year for this
fabulous horse camp!  Harry will spend time with the girls and they'll learn all about rope horses, equipment,
and learn the techniques of roping off a horse!  Then, we'll have a game of breakaway roping - it's a great time
and every year, it is one of the girls' favorite events!  And yes - they get to rope a real calf!

Pictured left is Marty White, a barrel racer who really knows his stuff! 
Our barrel instructor will be doing a barrel racing clinic with the campers,
teaching them balance and control.  They'll start off slowly, while they learn
how to turn the barrels effectively. Then, when they're ready, they'll learn how
to guide their horse through the turns, and how to get around the barrels fast!
The goal of both clinics is to improve riding skills to a much higher level! 
Because they are riding hard while playing a 'game', the girls learn much
more quickly how to sit, turn, run, and stop, all while keeping their
balance and keeping their eyes on the target!  Nothing improves riding
skills faster than having fun!  When all is said and done, they will be ready
for our premier event, Team Penning!

 
Throughout the week, our Campers will watch videos, and take instruction in the
rules of team penning.   Part of each day they will learn how to handle the calves on
foot and on horseback, so that when the time is right, they can get down to the nitty
gritty of learning to perform at a team penning!  Their week will be rounded out with a
day long clinic where they will learn how to put on the finishing touches when penning.
Working with calves is FAST and FUN, and team penning is an absolute HOOT! 
The campers will know their stuff , and they'll be ready for their big event!

Because they've spent some time learning how to prepare their horse for a real show,
getting ready for our HWT Team Penning is a spit and polish affair!  They've learned
how to bath, clip, trim, and spruce up their horses for the big event.  Their show tack
will be polished so it gleams like new, so that everyone makes a great impression. 
There's alot of knowhow involved in making things shine, and the children will be
proud of the transformation in their horses! These are excellent skills - showmanship
is important, and gives them the confidence they need to make a great show of things!

Click here to learn about Team Penning!

Then on Saturday, our campers enjoy the experience of a lifetime! 
Our farm and all of our campers will host a real team penning event! 
Everyone will pitch in and learn what is involved in preparing for a
cattle event such as this.  Then, after the usual morning mad scramble
to get ready, our campers will enter and compete in the youth division,
with other young penners.  Team Penning is an excellent sport for youths,
and it is an absolutely amazing sport for parents to watch from the stands!
The HWT Penning Event will be a great chance to relax, show off
their new skills, and meet some new friends the same age (team penning
competitions are known for being very social and friendly because
of the format) It is a GREAT first time experience for the girls, and they
will LOVE IT. Team penning is totally addictive!  Best of all, our campers
will get a chance to perform for their folks, who will have arrived to pick
them up from their week at camp.  This camp is a big hit every  year!

For more information on how to sign up,
please contact

Highland Wilderness Tours
Matt & Penny Nicol, Box 211, Maynooth, Ontario, K0L 2S0
1-613-338-2330  or toll free    1-866-RYD-WILD
info@ridethewilderness.com

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