For many years, this time of year spelt time for the Annual Pony Club Camp, ran by the Zone. This camp was always a highlight for me, and something I looked forward to every year. I had the pleasure of working up the coloured ‘Troops’ over the years I attended, and even had the honour of being a Troop Leader. As overwhelming these camps could be for the younger children, as far as being away from home for a week, the amount of benefits for both the horse and rider in each combination was immense.
From the many different disciplines that horses and riders got to participate in, to the themed nights, and repetitive routines; the sheer experience that is gained from horse camps is absolutely priceless. Being able to expose your horse to different discplines that you yourself, or your local club don’t have the resources or equipment for, enables you to recognise new disciplines that you and your horse have a knack for, and also perhaps ones you aren’t interested in. Regardless of preference, the opportunity is presented each day to work at each discipline in a structured and safe environment. Getting up early to the sound of the Reveille each chilly morning, to have your horse fed breakfast and mucked out prior to you having your own breakfast, and lining up with boots polished to the nines at roll call, could get rather monotonous and exhausting for those who weren’t used to it. Particularly when a week’s straight of riding came into it! To really cap the energy levels were fun-filled themed nights, that were either for Games or Troop Skits and the like.
Through all this experience though, came significant amounts of growth for both horses and riders. Riders could walk away from the camp with the confidence that came with not only doing set tasks over and over again, but also having those break throughs with their horse in disciplines they had really worked at to get progress. Horses were able to go on and attend events in disciplines with added confidence in themselves too, knowing that certain objects were not scary, and certain tasks, they were quite capable of.
The social benefits for both horses and riders from horse camps is something to be cherished. The friendships that not only riders make, but also the horses with other horses there, make future events when you are there together all the more enjoyable and anticipated. The camps are ran with a positive and supportive environment instilled, but sometimes connecting with new people or people you only saw a few times a year at events just happened naturally. Some of the friendships I made at these camps I still have today, and I think will be lifelong ones.
Overall I can not recommend attending Horse Camps either hosted by Pony Club or an accredited Equestrian Centre enough! Each year you can let them help you to reach the next level that you are hoping to reach, and this is only an asset to you for the rest of the year’s training and competitions. Not only that, the memories and friendships that you have for life to treasure, make horse camps so so worth it!
Feature Image courtesy of Living Equine.
-Skye Pickering Dip. Horse Business Management.