For kids who want MORE out of Horse Camp - a whole week of
Horsemanship Skills Development
on MULTIPLE horses over this awesome WEEK!
Our Horse Crazy Camp for girls is designed for
English & Western riders SERIOUS about riding!
An excellent girls' camp for riders with good skills,
Horse Crazy Camp is for those with an obsession
with looking beyond routine riding programs. We
believe that essential riding skills develop and
expand when riding hours increase, and that
working long hours on riding and training a horse is
the backbone for developing skills to a higher level.
There's always great comraderie among our
campers, and this fun & educational week long
program incorporates full immersion into the
details of bringing horses along in conditioning
and training, and is an excellent behind the scenes
view into what the horse industry is all about.
Prior experience with owning or training a horse is NOT necessary ~ this camp is all about learning
important, universally accepted horsemanship skills that are simple, straightforward, and easy to learn.
Campers ride in their choice of seat for the week (or they can switch back and forth if they so choose!)
Learning to manage horses safely makes riding more FUN, because knowledge is POWER! We welcome youths
with confident riding skills, whether a self taught, recreational rider with good skills, or more formally trained.
Confident riding skills and a good work ethic are the pre-requisites ~ this camp is all about learning important,
universally accepted equine training techniques that are simple, straightforward, and easy to learn.
Learning to manage horses makes riding more FUN, because knowledge is POWER! We welcome youths
who want to take the next step into a future in horses, whether it be English or Western disciplines.
As always, we spend MANY
hours in the saddle per day, on our safe and reliable school horses.
What is unique about THIS camp? Our campers are assigned MULTIPLE horses for the week!! (awesome!!)
Riding both in the ring AND on the trail, the girls will enjoy and develop a special rapport
with ALL their
horses over the week. Best of all, this intensive program is presented in an enjoyable
format which
allows the girls
to learn in a relaxed setting, and with the help of our staff and their fellow campers.
Between camping and
swimming & riding - what more could a girl ask for in a summer vacation?
With 4 hrs riding daily, this camp is open
to riders from Western
and English seat. Lessons are set up for maximum effect for BOTH disciplines!
And if your camper is interested in both seats - we can work with that too!
The training skills learned during the week
allow the campers to
better enjoy their potential
future endeavours. Using our friendly and
playful
babies, our ready to start
youngsters
(for demo only)
and of course
our safe and well mannered school
horses,
on which the girls
will
learn
and
practice
their new skills ~ the campers will get some really
great hands on
experience
under the direction of our
friendly staff. The topics covered
incorporate
practical
techniques
from both English and Western seats
because in
reality, the basics of BOTH seats are very
similar, differing only
in the 'finishing off' of the process.
It's a real eye opener for our campers!
Youths enjoy a well designed program covering ALL the basics.
Some of the subject areas to be covered will include:
- Horse training/schooling
techniques - Safety during riding & handling
- Lungeing & Roundpen Skills for both disciplines - Practical theory in the barn and for the horse
- Classroom & riding time designed to maximum learning - Bridles Bits and Bitting technique
- Goal planning to further focus riding skills - Training equipment - Animal husbandry
- Introduction to horse events from barrel racing to cattle work to jumping a course
PLUS a broad range of ESSENTIAL Management skills from
Bathing and Braiding to Buying without Burning!
and of course
LOTS OF TRAIL RIDING
AND ONE ON ONE TIME WITH
THEIR FAVORITE HORSES
!
Throughout the week, the girls will be very
involved with training AND conditioning
all of their assigned horses! From handling and
halter training the weanlings & yearlings, to
'sacking out' and desensitizing the two & three
year olds, to ground driving & lunging in sidereins
young fillies and colts in preparation for their first
ride ~ and working with 3 - 6 horses to bring them
back into summer show condition - the girls will enjoy a
BROAD expanse of horse training skills development.
With plenty of horses at the farm, these girls will be busy!
What matters most - enjoying quality time with a horse!
Throughout the week, the girls will be very
involved with working our resident babies -
it's great for them AND the campers! From handling
the weanlings yearlings & two yr olds, to learning
'sacking out' and desensitizing of the two year
olds - this camp gives a broad base of skills for
riders who might potentially purchase a YOUNG
horse ~ our camp week will have them covering a
large expanse of horse training skills development.
One year , we had SIX babies that our campers got to
maul throughout the week - it was awesome!
This year, we are expecting TWO warmblood foals
(possibly even during the week of camp!)
Besides being interesting and loads of fun,
this
practical hands
on experience teaches critical equine
skills. The girls can safely
learn in a friendly, one on
one setting. It's the perfect camp for
the horse crazy
teen who simply can't get enough of learning
about
horses and improving their horsemanship.
Here, 14 year old Brittany ground drives a two year old
- Brittany is now training horses on her own!
As with all of our unique
programs here at the farm, the main
focus is
simple - time RIDING! Horse Crazy Camp
offers girls a chance
to socialize around the clock with other
youths who share their passion.
And, what better way to
escape the city?! This camp is not just about
important
ring sessions - we get to do lots of TRAIL RIDING. Our
forest
property backs onto the best trails in Ontario, with
stream and lake
crossings, sandy spots to canter, and many
trail obstacles to challenge
each horse and rider. While
focused on education, we of course leave
plenty of time
for swimming, socializing, and the all important R&R on
HORSEBACK! When we devised this camp during our latest
brainwave,
we tried for a combination of all our camps rolled
into one great package.
With a fine blend of camping, trail
riding,
ringwork, english and western
skills development,
plus the addictive adrenalin rush of working horses on
cattle and over fences, this camp tops them all! Meet
new friends
and
wear out the seat of your pants on horseback
- it's a truly exciting blend of fun and educational horsemanship.
The week will be organized, with English riders concentrating
on both FLAT and FENCE work. Western riders will work on
reining, good whoa's, and fine tuning turns and leg yields.
This camp is all about preparing the horses for the summer
camp program, and getting the barns in order - but it provides
a wonderful opportunity for us to show the girls the ropes on
what's involved in running a big stable with a hefty program.
These are valuable skills that will get the girls fine tuned, and
help them should they opt to work at other stables in the future.
At week's end, all the campers get a letter of reference from 'the boss' for future use!
This camp is not just about expanding riding skills.
It's not just about spending countless hours of practical &
educational hands on time working with our equine friends.
Our years in the business have shown us that campers enjoy
spending quality time just hanging out with a horse & their
new pals. There's always something to learn, even in the quiet
hours of the day. And of course at sunset, what matters is that
every camper enjoys their time here at the farm and learns something.
This is a camp that focuses on quality learning time on lots of horses.
Our campers come from all walks of life, and from English to Western,
everyone mixes well and enjoys the experience. This Camp is a horizon
broadening experience, and should give girls a 'leg up' into better
understanding what their futures hold in the horse industry.
What matters most - enjoying quality time with a horse!
OF COURSE WE HAVE TO SWIM!
There are a variety of lakes close to the farm,
and we have an 18' pool for convenience.
After getting warmed up in the ring or on the
trails, our campers cancool off and
enjoy some downtime from riding.
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 experience!
Relaxing at night and enjoying crispy
marshmallows and
comraderie
with their new
friends is a feature attraction of all our camps!
So if your young rider is comfortable around horses, is totally obsessed
with
riding, is comfortable at walk trot and CANTERING or learning to canter, and is keen on learning a
more in depth focus on horsemanship & equine skills - this camp is a perfect solution!
Click here
for a downloadable application form,
and a list of what to bring to camp. Best of all, for THIS camp
there's nothing extra necessary! Just bring one pair of breeches
and one pair of jeans and we're ready to roll!
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!
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