Summer horse camp is supposed to provide a break from the monotony of everyday life, both for riding instructors and for campers. Kids sign up in order to spend more time with horses, make friends and learn as much as they can.
Obviously, summer horse camp activities will vary depending on the ages of the campers and their abilities. Older kids can tolerate more education and less fun, while younger campers are in it mostly for the entertainment value.
One of the questions I encounter most frequently from riding instructors and summer horse camp counselors is how do I fill all that time?
1- Horsemanship Lessons
You can kill an hour or more per day during summer horse camp with horsemanship lessons. These are non-mounted activities in which campers learn some aspect of horsemanship, from feeding to stall cleaning, to grooming.
This might not sound like much fun, but if you throw out interesting facts and give the campers a chance for some hands-on excitement, you’ll have their attention for as long as you need. Kids like to learn how to do things for themselves, so put the brushes, pitchforks, feed scoops and other implements in their eager little hands.
2- Catch-Up
Summer horse camp can become dangerous if you have several kids trotting or cantering around the arena at once. Lesson horses get tired during camps because the summer sun is hot and they are probably ridden more frequently, so give everyone a breather by playing catch-up.
Essentially, everyone lines up on the rail at one end of the arena, and the first rider trots or canters around the arena until they reach the back of the line. Then the next camper goes, and so on. The instructor gets a chance to school each camper individually and the horses and riders aren’t caught up in a free-for-all.
3- Red Light, Green Light
Mounted games are a big hit at summer horse camp, and Red Light, Green Light is one of my favorites. The instructor or counselor stands at one end of the arena and calls out Red Light, Green Light to four or five campers lined up at the other end, facing the counselor.
The game proceeds just as it does with kids on foot, except it is important to instigate rules. For example, very young kids must be allowed only to walk, while more advanced students might be allowed to trot or canter. Use your best judgment.
4- Ride-A-Buck
Older kids will enjoy a challenge at summer horse camp, and Ride-A-Buck is one of the most fun. Each student rides either bareback or stirrupless with two dollar bills ticked between their knees and either the saddle or the horse. At the trot or canter, the last rider to lose both bills is the winner.
Of course, you don’t have to use cash for this exercise. Slips of bright-colored paper work as well, and you can offer a prize other than cash to the winner.
5- Horse Shows
In addition to horseback riding challenges, kids love to show off what they’ve learned at summer horse camp. Invite the parents to the final day of camp and let the kids put on a horse show. It can involve regular equitation classes, for example, or the kids can play games.
The campers can wear their regular summer camp clothes for the event. We used to let kids decorate their own saddle pads with paints early in the week (bonus activity!), which they would take home at the end of the session.
6- Awards
This isn’t exactly an activity, but it can be made into one. After the horse show, you might hold a summer horse camp awards ceremony where ribbons are presented to the campers.
At a summer camp I ran several years ago, we offered the Super Dooper Pooper Scooper Award to one camper each session. All throughout the week (or however long the camp lasted) kids earned points for helping out and showing initiative in horsemanship. The kid with the most points won the award.
7- Movie Night
Whether your campers stay overnight or go home in the evenings, movie night is always fun. This can eat up a couple of hours and offers a quiet-time activity after a long day of working in the barn and riding.
Choose a (PG) horse movie each night of the week. Serve popcorn, boxes of candy and cokes to round out the event and let kids vote on the movies they want to watch.
8- Swimming
Who said summer horse camp needs to be about horses all the time? Kids need a break from the barn (and a way to cool off). Swimming provides a much-needed mental and physical escape, especially if you have an in-ground pool at the barn. If not, an above-ground pool will suffice. Just make sure someone is watching the kids the whole time.
9- Video Taping
I have always video-taped my summer horse camp sessions and allowed the kids to watch the tapes at the end of the session. It allows them to see just how far they have progressed and kids love seeing themselves on television.
10- Karaoke
Again, activities at summer horse camp do not have to revolve around horses. An inexpensive investment in a karaoke machine will keep your campers singing well into the night. Just make sure all the songs are kid-appropriate, and provide a space in which to sing, such as the barn or a recreation center.
Summer horse camp can be an exciting adventure for kids of all ages, but it is important to plan your activities from start to finish. As you host more sessions, you’ll get a feel for what works and what doesn’t, and how long each activity should take before moving on to the next.
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About the Author: Laura Jane Thompson is the Editor in Chief of Riding Instructor University and the Feature writer for the horses section at Suite101. Follow her EquiTips on Twitter or check out her writing Web site.