Riding Camps
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Riding Camp Experience:
Many riding facilities offer day camps throughout the year (summer mostly, but also after-school, winter, spring) for children, giving your child the opportunity to experience their love for horses. Benefits:
A riding camp gives a child a chance to learn proper horsemanship, develop riding as well as social skills, ability to care for animals, and gain confidences in riding and working with horses in a healthy, physical and controlled environment. |
Safety at Summer Riding Camp & Child Abuse Reporting: When dropping your child off at riding camp, is just like dropping them off at day care or school. It is important that you as the parent make sure these camps are meeting state requirements to ensure that your child is in a safe environment, both physically and emotionally. It is unfortunate that every year children are sexually abused at summer camps. As a parent or caregiver, you must stay informed. Because the risk is high. Unfortunately, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will have been a victim of child abuse and neglect by the time they reach 18-years of age. Child protective and reporting laws vary by state, but for riding day camps, the camp director, barn manager, and/or administrator is often a mandated reporter for any suspected child abuse and neglect of any minor under the age of 18-years. As an example, California Penal Code 11165.7 indicates that "Administrators or employees of day camps, youth centers, or youth recreation programs" (including riding day camps) are mandated reporters. However, if you as a parent or caregiver, if you suspect that a child is a victim, or at risk of being a victim of child abuse, contact authorities in your state immediately (click for a contact list in your state). The state of California has a list of phone numbers by county for reporting child abuse.
Where to find Riding Camps? Finding a riding camp facility and camp director who is knowledgeable, skilled and well trained for teaching and caring for children is vital to make sure your child can learn to ride in a safe and appropriate learning environment. To find a riding day camp, 1) begin by searching for “stables” on the internet, near your city or town, that offer day camp, 2) once you find a stable, or stables, that offer a day camp, call and talk with the barn manager or camp director. Ask if they are the day camp riding instructor and when is the best time to visit the facility and observe a lesson with your child and 3) Once at the stable, talk with children and other parents to get their opinion on the camp as well. Then use the Riding Day Camp Guide to make sure the stable meets safety requirements.
When considering a riding day camp, it is important to confirm camper-to-counselor ratios and ages or counselors. For the safety of children, Standards of the American Camping Association (ACA) recommends that a day camp have one counselor, 18-years of age or older, per every:
When considering a riding day camp, it is important to confirm camper-to-counselor ratios and ages or counselors. For the safety of children, Standards of the American Camping Association (ACA) recommends that a day camp have one counselor, 18-years of age or older, per every:
- Eight campers, ages, 6-8.
- Ten campers, ages 9-14; and
- Twelve campers, ages 15-17.
Finding the right equestrian riding camp. Once you have a few riding camps to select from, use the Riding Camp Guidelines to make sure the camp meets safety requirements and safe for your child.
