HIGHLAND
WILDERNES TOURS
ONTARIO CHILDREN'S SUMMER RIDING CAMPS
PERSONAL - INTENSIVE - EDUCATIONAL - FUN!
Our Ontario Children's Riding Camps are the premiere
focus of our Year Round Adventure Business,
and we'd like to introduce you to our program! Since 2001, our farm has hosted a
growing number of
personal and private children's camps, open to only 12 - 16 campers, each camp featuring a
unique 'theme'.
Our program revolves around ALL DAY "HORSES ONLY" activities which
increase horsemanship skills.
AN AWARD WINNING BUSINESS!
HIGHLAND WILDERNESS TOURS WINS THE ONTARIO WIDE
2003 CFDC Outstanding Entrepreneur OF THE YEAR Award
Before moving to Maynooth, Ontario, the Nicols had a city lifestyle. Penny Nicol was an Anthropology
student at the University of Western Ontario, and Matt Nicol spent several years as an electical appentice.
After University, Penny spent 13 years as a QC technician at a candy factory in London, where she met Matt.
Matt worked in Electrical and Landscaping, which down the road turned out to be skills that came in handy!
In 1999, the two married and moved north from London to Maynooth, to pursue their love of the outdoors.
Within two years of moving to the area, the two began their year round business, which now offers guided
adventure tours by horseback, dogteam and snowmobile, and a cottage rental. Regularly hosting large
groups from
Canada's military - Base Borden and Meaford Training Facility have contracted to the business
for military adventure training for it's personel. In 2006, their business also hosted the Attache's Association
from the Canadian Embassy in Ottawa, and providing tours for over 56 guests by dogsled and snowmobile,
complete with scenic sleigh ride - giving folks from all over the world - Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Australia
& New Zealand, Korea, Russia, Germany and the Czech Repulic, and many more - a great taste of Canada!
These groups have continued to visit every year, proving that love of the wilderness INTERNATIONAL!
And our horse camps are no exception - campers from Israel, Monaco, France, Sweden, Mexico, and
from across the USA have visited to enjoy our summer riding camp program every year - returning yearly!
No matter what the season, this lively and fun business is a destination for adventurers from across the globe.
Matt and Penny are proud of the high profile that the business has developed, and it's international appeal!
Our horse camps are designed to be fun and educational, while keeping it small enough to be very personal.
THE OWNERS
Horse Camps are a dime a dozen, but what makes our horse camp special is
the dedication of owners Matt and Penny Nicol, who take great pride in offering
a fun, unique, totally enjoyable summer camp experience to youths of all ages and
riding levels. Both Matt and Penny directly oversee the day to day farm activities ,
and have well over Twenty years combined experience in owning and training
horses. Firm believers in continuing education, both keep up with modern riding
techniques by participating in off-site clinics, and regularly invite informative and
educational guest teachers to the farm. From team penning to dressage to jumping,
the pair are very 'hands on', and thoroughly enjoy putting on a sensational program.
Matt & Penny have certifications in First Aid, CPR, and Wilderness First Aid, while
Penny has her Bronze Medallion . Our riding camp program adheres to CHA
(Certified Horsemans' Association) guidelines for safe riding programs.
OUR PROGRAMS
Every single one of our Ontario Children's Riding
Camps
was developed by owner Penny Nicol, with the goal of
offering unique horse camp experience that revolves solely
around our equine athletes here at the farm. Kids love horses,
and our program is designed to give them the maximum
number of hours with the horses that daylight allows!
OUR STAFF
are selected for their ability to work well
with our campers, with a sensitive, caring
approach that encourages confidence.
Clinicians (Rick Bishop - pic left) are also
chosen by this criteria. Our regular staff,
are chosen for their patience & horse skill,
with qualifications that assist in giving
our campers a safe, comfortable place
to develop their horsemanship skills.
We choose our staff very carefully and
absolutely couldn't do without them! Other
helpers include a selection of volunteers
with horse sense that are well versed in our
program, and everyone works together to
ensure a quality program for our campers!
We're very proud of our staff, because their kindness,
hard work and dedication make our program a success!
OUR HORSES
Well, they're just plain SPECIAL! We've spent years
developing our herd,
and we're proud of them! Each and every one has proven they have the
RIGHT STUFF to take care of our campers, provide a safe and fun ride, and
rise to the challenge of moving between programs without difficulty. From
jumping a course to juggling cattle, our gang is pretty darn talented and fun
to be around. We don't sell our horses each year like other camps - they
stay on board to help keep things running smoothly year after year.
Click here to read more about our special
blend of horseflesh.
OTHER DAYTIME ACTIVITIES
An Ontario Residential Riding Camp wouldn't be any
fun without swimming!
Our farm is located in the prime Crown Land area surrounding Algonquin Provincial
Park - home to hundreds of lovely crown lakes ~ so when the dust and the heat drive
us off the horses, it's time for our daily dip at the lake! Cardwell Lake, located
around the corner, comes complete with a private and sandy swim spot sheltered
by tall Red Pines, and the kids LOVE it! Our schedule may revolve around the horses,
but when it gets hot, even horse crazed campers head for water! We also have a small
pool on site for quick dips during the heat of the day - whether it's the lake or the pool,
swimming daily is definitely a VERY important part of our program!
Other daytime activities
include an occasional nature walk in our
woods,
the inevitable games of cards, information sessions &
instructional videos, and
of course,
the kids absolute favorite -
our nightly HORSE movie, complete with pyjamas, flop
pillows,
and twelve giggling campers strung out across the TV room!
OUR BREEDING PROGRAM
Every year, we choose a few of our quality mares for
breeding, so that we can raise babies
to enhance our future prospects. Every spring, there's a foal or two, and
whether they are
registered Canadian Sport Horses or Warmbloods, American Quarter Horses, or Appaloosa's
~ they're always adorable! We've even found a way to include them in our
program.
Click here
to check out Wrangler Camp, and what our foals teach our campers!
WE OFFER UP VARIETY!
A small business offering a one on one experience for only weekly horse
campers
each week, we try to steer clear of ho-hum, humdrum 'week in' ~ 'week out'
programs,
which cause Staff/Horse burnout. Our solution is to JUICE it up a bit ~ so each
& every
weekly camp is a NEW experience, designed for maximum FUN! Whether it's roping,
sorting or penning calves, OR jumping a course, each horse camp theme embraces
a unique equine sport that will expand our campers horizons - the sky is the limit!
OUR CAMPERS - CAMP!
(well, it depends on your definition of camping I guess!)
For the last five years, our campers have told us
that the most fun part
about our horse camp program is getting to camp! So we've maintained our
'full immersion' concept, and our campers get to experience the wilderness
surrounding
our
farm as well as the fantastic camp program. Our residential
cabin is nestled in a clearing near the farm, is brand new and customized to be
roomy, with two bunk rooms that sleep up to eight campers each, with 4" foam pads
and lots of room to store their gear. There's a common room with couches and chairs,
a games table with a good supply of board games, and a glass doored woodstove
to use during our winter programs.
There's a roaring campfire, room to goof around,
and hoot owls to sing us to sleep at night - campers have the company of our camp
counsellors to ensure that all their needs are met - and they really enjoy our little spot in
the woods, where they can hear the horses nearby to remind them why they are here!
LESSONS BY THE PROS!
Whether it's a lesson taught by our on
site staff in one of our two sand rings,
or a clinic taught by a real cowboy,
all our riding sessions are presented
for maximum value and effect. Over
the course of the summer, our camp
features many high calibre clinics
and demos, an expansive program!
(campers 'learning the ropes' with Harry
Hodges - Dodge Circuit Champ Roper)
YES WE DO SHOWS!
Working towards a goal is extremely important in
motivating our horse crazy campers.
So each year, several of our camps feature a show at weeks' end. Not only do we
spruce the place up for maximum effect, but the campers help to do it! Putting on a
schooling show is one of the highlights of our Hunter Jumper Camp, where our campers
get a say in designing the course, arranging the agenda, and putting the polish on for
their thrilled parents. Showing is fun, and our goal here at the farm is to allow our
campers
to relax and enjoy the event in a non threatening atmosphere - a dry run for our campers,
some who may have an interest in going on to bigger things. There's a Team Penning
at
Headin West (complete with a whole herd of cows!) a schooling show at our "Show
Camp"
for both English and Western riders, and of course, the 'BIG' event, the HWT Hunter
Jumper show, which features classes for all levels of English riders. Even our Youth
Camp
offers a relaxed and hilarious Fun show on pickup day, to strut their stuff for the folks.
Pictured is Sarah Frank - past Hunter/Jumper Camp Instructor!
FUN BY NATURE!
Perhaps the most exciting feature of our Ontario
Children's Riding Camp
is the fact that our farm is located in the middle of thousands of acres of
wilderness, just outside the east gates of Algonquin Provincial Park. Our
campers enjoy trail rides through the glorious highlands near the park, and
there is always something great to experience during their stay. Whether
a herd of deer romps through our campsite in the morning, a pair of loons
swims by us at the lake, or a bunny bounces past down the laneway, the
wilderness is the highlight of your child's total summer camp experience.
OUR FACILITIES
Our 134 acre farm, with five km of trails on site, is
also surrounded by crown
land & over 100 miles of forest trails. With a brand new 60 x 30 barn
(with tie and box stalls for each horse) a sturdy 60 foot round pen, and two large
riding rings, there's plenty of room for our busy schedule! The 80 x 120 'green ring'
is securely steel panel fenced for our cattle events, and our 140 x 240 sand ring
hosts a colorful variety of jumps for our english events. Campers take their meals
at our farmhouse, store their gear in their very own cabin, and relax nightly for movies
in the cabin's TV room. From the home cooked food to the friendly family atmosphere,
our Children's Summer Residential Camps are a big hit with young riders.
OUR CAMPERS
We've not only hosted a wide variety of great children's camps, but
we've had the
opportunity to meet a really great class of camper! Our campers come from as far
away as Europe, the USA, and Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia ~ and each and every
one is a real hoot! With airport pickup for convenience, our goal is to provide our
unique children's camp experience for kids from all walks of life, and from all over the
globe. And best of all, for those that just can't wait till summer, our March Break
Camp
provides the ONLY combined dogsledding/horseback riding camp in the world!
Click here to
read more about what we offer over the March Break Week.
Make no mistake - year round fun for everyone!
SPECIAL SERVICES
Penny is an avid photographer, and one of her favorite past times is using her
camera to not only grab some amazing camper shots - but also to help our campers
with their riding endeavors. So during each lesson, with Camera around her neck,
Penny tries to capture just the right pictures to give our campers a good look at how
things are going. At lunch and supper, everyone crowds around the computer to see
what the shots look like, and laugh together about the silly ones and glow with pride
at the good ones! Then, every evening, when the campers are busy with their movie,
Penny crops and edits a shot of each camper, and sends it home to the parents with
a short story on the days events. The parents have grown to love this service, as it allows
them to see how their child is doing, and help them to cope with missing their child
during their stay. We understand their feelings about having to send their children
away, and believe us, the photos really help everyone enjoy the camp experience!
And at the end of it all, there is a camp slideshow that is fun and interactive, so that
if our campers have not taken the shots, we have, and they can show their friends
and family with our online photo slideshow, seen on the website under each camp.
Some of our campers are photogenic - just like this adorable Farm Camper!
WHAT OUR CAMPERS THINK!
"Hi Penny!
I miss Highland so much, especially now that summer's over and it's back to the books.
I finally got around to organizing my camp pictures in an online album!! Yay! I just
wanted to let you
know what an unbelievably amazing, unforgettable time I had at camp!! It was my first time
at an
overnight camp and certainly won't be the last. I don't think I could even pick out my
favorite moment.
I loved it all, from grooming, to morning lessons and afternoon trails, to the three
clinics, the
Team Penning, swimming at the lake and even the little things like watching horsey movies
at night! I wouldn't have changed a thing! You can sure bet I'll be back next year,
hopefully even
before to visit!! Say Hi to all the horses for me!!! And of course George and Flex
!! - Kim!"
<< (GEORGE
& FLEX ARE OUR GOOFY BUT ENTERTAINING DOGS)>>
SOUND GREAT? HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Please don't hesitate to email me with any questions
you might have about our program. We're more
than happy to chat with you, or provide references to
ease your mind about sending your child off to camp.
If a week or two in the beautiful Ontario Highlands
aboard quality horses doing a variety of 'horse only'
activities sounds like a great thing for your young horse
lover, we've got just the thing for you! And be sure and
check out our two NEW 'co-ed' riding camp, which offers
boys and girls of all ages the same opportunity to shine!