Ontario Children's Co-Ed Camps

Every year, we've turned away dozens of campers who wanted to join up with us for Headin West, which in the
past has always been a 'girls only' deal. So in 2008, we're once again coming through for ALL our campers and bringing
back the 2007 HIT camp that's 'mmmmoooo-re' exciting than ever! With calves such a huge highlight of several of our previous
Ontario Children's Riding Camps, NOW they're the primary attraction! A whole week of learning all about the riding
sports revolving around cattle - team penning, sorting, and elements of working cowhorse, roping and cutting - another
one of a kind horse camp for BOYS AND GIRLS. Last year, we had EIGHT boys - and what a blast it was!

Whoever thought cows could be so adorable? Our campers
always name the calves, and it never ceases to amaze me
how they remember the names of thirty head! Of course, they
come up with some hilarious handles for our bovine buddies.
Make no mistake, cows come in all kinds of colors, shapes
and sizes, and the calves we use here at the farm are just the
right size for some really great fun! Safety is always first, and
we find these young critters VERY cooperative & easy to handle.

As hard as it sounds, working cattle is fun & easy to grasp - and what youngster doesn't love chasing animals?
It doesn't take much more than a quiet and well broke horse to introduce children of all ages and riding levels to the
fun of working cattle. In daily lessons, our Cowhorse Campers will learn how to work calves from the ground up, while
honing their riding skills along the way. Our 'cow saavy' horses help them along, and it's always a real thrill for our
campers to learn what working cattle entails. Fun, simple, and addictive!

Working a group of cattle is not a complicated process! It's more just a matter of learning where their buttons are, and
then 'pushing' them with just the right amount of pressure to get the job done. There are several
cattle 'games' the kids will learn, each one a new way to enjoy western riding and of course, cows!

We've always found that kids learn fastest if a riding session is set up as
a game, where fun is the centre of everything. When kids are focused on a goal
(ie moving a calf from point a to point b) they have to apply the correct aids and
pressure to get the job done. Suddenly, 'heels down' and 'sit up' comes quickly &
naturally! Over the course of one week of our Ontario Riding Camps, we've seen
riders improve their skills with incredible speed. After all, fun is what horse camp is
all about ~ and what can be more fun than herding cows?! The campers will learn
about 'Sorting' cattle - they'll learn the ins and outs of 'Team Penning' - and they'll
learn the basics behind the very unique sport of other exciting Cowhorse events!

We've spent years developing the wonderful herd of horses here at the farm, and
we're very proud of each and every one. We don't sell our horses every year, we keep
them ~ the benefit being that they become fine tuned to what is expected when they
perform under our campers. Most of our horses are registered quarter horses and
appaloosas with good working backgrounds. Pictured here is "Markie", a daughter
of the well known Ontario cutting horse stud "Mark the Colonel" by "Colonel Freckles".
Our program here at the farm is demanding enough that we must have horses that rise
to the challenge. They must be quiet enough to contribute to our excellent safety record
~ and Markie is no exception! Our talented equine partners have proven that they have
the right stuff to move between programs, and perform well no matter what level of rider
we ask them to partner with during the week. We love 'em & so do kids.

As with all of our ten Ontario Children's Riding Camps, the Cowhorse Campers
will enjoy a variety of activities throughout the week. Every day, we'll swim at the
lake to cool off after a day of equine (and bovine!) activity. There will be trail rides
through the hundreds of miles of crown land surrounding our farm. As always, the
area offers a whole bunch of great scenery to take in on horseback! There will
be night time farming information sessions working with the cows, and there are
always all sorts of fun things happening around the farm every day! During quiet
lulls in their action packed days, whenever possible, the campers spend quality
time with their horse, grooming it and giving it that little extra bit of attention that
makes being at our camp a very relaxing and fun horse experience. Nightly
marshmallow roasts, sleeping under the stars, a nightly horse movie
(camper favorite) in our farmhouse tv room - everything leads to an enjoyable
week immersed in the spirit of camp for our new cowhands.

As always, we go for full immersion! From our cozy cabin
on our wilderness farm, and crackling campfire at the
campsite ~ to our nightly ritual of goofing around & relaxing
around a roaring fire in camp ~ it's an atmosphere that has
proven itself to be a highly popular teenage experience!
And we have had some truly wonderful youngsters enjoy
this program, which attracts a large variety of camper.

WELL OF COURSE! What is a week of honing our cowhorse skills, if we didn't have
a chance to SHOW OFF? On the last day of camp, we're hosting a small Team Penning
NIGHT SHOW, to allow our young campers to show off their new skills for the folks.
Our campers will break into four teams of three (yes they can even pick team names) and
entertain us all with a short but lively game of team penning - it's always a hoot!
If you've never seen children penning cows with a time limit, you've really been missing
out! Their hilarious antics will put a chill down your spine, put a smile on your face,
and tears of laughter on your cheeks! Best of all, it's a great chance to see how a week at
horse camp has improved their riding skills. Working a cow from horseback is a great
confidence builder for all kids, and you'll see - it's FUN!

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!

Click here for a downloadable application form,
and a list of what to bring to camp. Best of all, for THIS camp
it's boots, jeans, and a cotton shirt - cheap and easy to outfit!

Follow this link to a page we've made highlighting all the greatest tack stores
just in case you wish to purchase something for your child's summer horse camp
experience. We'd like to help you outfit your campers within budget!

So if your young rider is comfortable
around horses, is totally obsessed with
riding, is falls within the experience range
(see main camp page for description)
this horse camp is a perfect solution!
Contact us if you have ANY questions!

Jazz and Cowboy.jpg (16234 bytes)

Click here for a downloadable application form,
and a list of what to bring to horse camp.

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