Horse Camps for Kids
by Nicole Watts
Seven one week sessions of Basic Horse Camp, from mid-June through mid-August, will be offered at Brown Bear Farm nestled within the apple orchards in Flat Rock, North Carolina. There will also be a week of Young Riders Camp from July 6 –10.
Spending time around horses can help children learn important life lessons, such as responsibility, teamwork, friendship and physical fitness, in an environment that is natural and fun. The Basic Horse Camp option is open to children ages 5 to14. Riders of all skill levels are welcome at the Basic Camps, even if the camper has never ridden a horse before. TheYoung Riders Camp option is open to children 12 to 17, who are already proficient at the walk and trot, and may be starting to canter or jump. These riders may choose a dressage or jumping focus for the week, which even includes a field trip to a farm in South Carolina for a picnic and schooling in Cross-Country. All weeks of camp will run Monday through Friday, from 9:00am until 3:00pm. Additional hours can be reserved ahead of time if parents need early dropoff or late pickup around their work schedule.
Basic Course campers learn how to groom and saddle the horses, and will ride for two hours each morning. Campers bring a bag lunch Monday through Thursday, and the farm provides pizza and ice cream for a party on Friday. In the afternoons, campers enjoy arts and crafts time, during which they can build bird houses, create horse shoe picture frames, make soap, learn about leather working, bake pony cakes, decorate t-shirts and much more.
Campers also have Horse Education Time each day and learn about tack, nutrition, First Aid, foaling, holistic therapies, jumping and dressage. They even get to paint the parts of the body on a real live horse. There is also time allotted during the week for outdoor games, nature walks and scavenger hunts. The farm even has a range of fun indoor activities planned in case of inclement weather.
The cost for horse camp is $500 per camper for each session. A discounted rate of $350 per child will be given for campers who attend multiple weeks or for more than one camper from the same family or organization. Payment plans may be arranged ahead of time if needed.
For more information on all equine services and the horse camp for kids which Brown Bear Farm offers, or to register a child for one of the camp sessions, call 864-276-8536 or email nicole@brownbearfarm.biz.