WESTERN RIDERS - A SERIOUS CAMP FOR SERIOUS TRAINING!
Reining needs no introduction - you've all
seen the spectacular spins
handy rollbacks
and sliding stops - very intense and FUN!
Reining begins with a simple application
of universally known 'Horsemanship' basics,
Campers will
enjoy a week of the BASICS
of western riding, & use these new skills
improve riding and learn new confidence!
Our Horsemanship Campers who enroll
should come prepared to hit the ring with
the idea that
they will concentrate, absorb
some really great instruction, and improve
their
horsemanship skills to a whole new
level. Our handy school horses can show
campers something - and challenge them
to a new level in horsemanship training.
Our campers can be young, because horsemanship is suited
to all levels of rider! Becoming a skilled rider with confidence,
means dedication to the art, with
focus and hard work. We've
had children as young as ten excel at western riding, if it's a
passion! A connection with their mount is the key - and
you can't get THAT from just any type of summer riding camp!
If you are unsure about whether your young rider would enjoy
our Reining
/ Horsemanship Camp, give us a call or drop us a
line and tell us about them.
We'd be glad to help - and yes, our
English riders will enjoy it TOO!
English & Western are not as
different as you might think, and some
of the basics are
universal between the two disciplines - so all can benefit!
So if your youngster is horse obsessed - and wants a more
in depth knowledge of what it takes to make a wel trained
horse 'tick' - this is the right camp for them - FUN, but ver
educational, with skills development, and a bang for the buck.
With 4 hrs riding daily, this camp is a hard core Western experience!
Lots of practice and great instruction will help our campers challenge
their limits and expand their horizons on horseback.
Matt has a passion for reining and it was his idea to add
this camp to
our roster! Matt will help me out on this
particular week of camp, and assist
our campers to learn
some of the fundamentals of control & precision. Flexing,
suppling, jogging or loping circles, westerm has lots to offer!
It's not unlike DRESSAGE in that it requires a rider to think
about their aids and give them at the right moment for the
best response. It's pretty much like western dressage, in fact.
So riders can be split into their riding level, and get instruction
that will interest them and offer a new challenge. Western is
a safe sport, and our quality tack and one on one instruction is
a really great way to develop your child's riding potential to a new
level. Of course, there will be lots of trail riding during the week!
Here, Matt puts CHAD through his paces. Flexing and suppleness
is a vital part of teaching Reining horses & Chad responds well.
We've all realized, it's hard to get good western training, there are few
barns that focus on western, but if you want to ride English, NO problem!
Well, our western kids get jut as much attention here at camp as our English
riders - because western can be just as fun and just as involved - and why
shouldn't Western riders love their western horses and western horse camp too!
It's very true, that every moment that you ride your horse,
you are training it, or UNtraining it! Good riding is a must
for anyone who wishes to continue on in horses, and the
best place to learn proper skills is in structured lessons
in a good sized ring, on good quality horses. So, if you
don't
want to spend your time in the ring enjoying yourself, AND
concentrating on
perfecting your craft, you should take
up public trail riding! (LOL) Our rider pictured here is a very
good example of the type of
camper for our action packed
'go all day' Reining/Horsemanship camp - determined
and totally engaged with the whole process of mastering
seat and hand, in order to develop their riding skills.
Yes, there will be plenty of time for fun - and we'll
hit the trails for a relaxing ride at day's end and just
enjoy riding!
Horsemanship is important, but so is
developing a bond with your horse - because it's
a TEAM effort and we want our campers to feel
as if this is 'their own' horse for the week. Because
this group of campers is bound to be a sensible bunch
it means
they will be allowed liberties and freedoms
that make this a very rewarding experience for them.
So quality one on one horse time is at a max this week!
A week is a good long time to ride, and we've
had many comments back from parents, who've
marvelled at the increased focus and confidence
of their young riders upon returning home from camp.
This camp is a very detailed, easy to understand
FUN INTRODUCTION or 'ground floor' stepping
stone to Reining/horsemanship, designed to get our
young riders to experience the sport in a way
that is positive, and tweaks their interest!
It's a natural step in to trying REINING or
showing on the club circuit in Horsemanship!
No matter what, our campers will RIDE BETTER
at the end of the week, and go away with a
better understanding of just what can be
performed with western at a whole new level.
(*advanced riders will work on advanced patterns, our beginners will work on seat and hand control!)
One of the truly great things about western is all you
need is a pair of jeans and a good horse and you've
got all the tools you need to have a blast on horseback.
Even the dress code for the demo is a simple matter of
a button down shirt and a pair of jeans and boots. And
if you don't have the right clothing, we'll help you - it's
affordable to dress for western riding!
As for the good
horse part, we have you covered there, too! Our horses
here at camp are gentle, well trained, well bred, and
totally suited to what the kids will be doing all week.
And the tack is also very good quality, made to work,
good brands of saddle that give the kids the support
they need to encourage good riding skills. Left, is Lena,
a granddaughter of Ima Doc Olena on one side and
High Sign Nugget on the other - how much better bred
can you get than the two top Appaloosa's in cutting
and working cowhorse history? And on the right,
Sassy Madual whos' sire, Madual, brought his
owner to Non Pro top ranks in NCHA, and has
over $25,000 in NCHA earnings? A son of Dual Pep,
who needs no introduction - well, that's a mighty
fine camp horse, wouldn't you agree?
Some of the subject areas to be covered will include:
- Consistent riding
techniques - Safety during riding & training
- Roundpen Skills for riders - Bridles, Bits and Spurs and uses
- Turnarounds, Rollbacks, and good STOPS! - Simple or flying lead changes
- Putting together patterns and executing them with precision
- Walk and Trot for beginners, Loping and Galloping for advanced
- Reining and Horsemanship, and how to get the most from a pattern
- Putting it all together and giving it a whirl in the SHOW PEN!
IN A LAID BACK, FUN, SKILLS APPROPRIATE
WAY, OF COURSE!
OUR GOAL -
TO BOOST THE
CONFIDENCE OF OUR NEWCOMERS!
PARENTS will be treated to a relaxed sample of what our
die hard campers learned over the course of the week
in a Saturday morning demonstration
!
And just so that we don't get TOO SERIOUS -
LOTS OF TRAIL RIDING
AND ONE ON ONE TIME WITH
THEIR FAVORITE HORSE!
Pictured are Penny & Elli last Fall at the Rocky Hills Horse Show
where they did very well in the Reining Event. Penny and husband
Matt will help the girls master the finer points of the sport.
As always, we go for full immersion!
From
our
cozy
cabin
with nightly
crackling campfire
in an
on farm
wilderness
campsite ~ to our
nightly
ritual of goofing around &
relaxing
by a roaring fire or watching
a movie
- it's an atmosphere
that's
proven
itself to be a popular experience!
Relaxing at night and enjoying crispy
marshmallows and
comraderie
with their new
friends is a feature attraction of all our camps!
So for those of you who want a bit more from camp,
this one is for you. It's fun, it's informative, it's
one on one and it includes a FANTASTIC amount of
riding time, with friendly, successful horsemanship teachers
who are VERY good with kids and know how to keep riding FUN!
So if your young rider is comfortable around horses, is totally obsessed
with
riding, is comfortable at walk jog or lope, and is keen on learning a
more in depth focus on these two unique western disciplines
- this camp is a perfect solution to liven up their summer!
Click here
for a list of things to bring to camp,
and here for an application.
Best of all, for THIS western camp
clothing is quite simple - a couple pair of good jeans,
some cowboy boots, and a good attitude!
Follow this link to a page we've made highlighting all
the greatest tack stores
just in case you wish to purchase something for your child's summer horse camp
experience.
We'd like to help you outfit your campers within budget!
For more information on how to sign up,
please contact
Highland Wilderness Tours
Matt & Penny Nicol, Box 211,
Maynooth, Ontario, K0L 2S0
1-613-338-2330 or toll free 1-866-RYD-WILD
info@ridethewilderness.com