The Youth Camp Experience

Youth camp is one of the most successful and enjoyable programs put on by Marcia Moore and Davalee Minden. Compared to other 4-H clinics and youth oriented events, I feel this camp is perhaps the most unique because of its balance between groundwork practice, riding instruction, leadership building and fun activities. Here’s our testimony to what you can expect if you attend this outstanding camp scheduled for July 12-14, 2005:

My daughter, K.T., and I arrive at MM Horse Training and Boarding Stables the evening before camp starts, to a busy scene of campers, travel trailers and tents being set up in the front pasture. Betty and Donny, Marcia’s parents and additional camp leaders, park their RV in their usual location just in front of the barn, where Betty sets up a registration booth and eating/meeting tent. Everyone else unloads their horses into reserved stalls or sets up a pipe corral; some just tie their horses to their trailers for the duration of the camp. I have reserved a stall early by mail registration, so our horse has a run and a large box stall. We pick up a schedule and prepare to get up early!

Camp starts at 6:00 a.m every morning with the sound of wakeup music on the arena stereo speakers and Davalee working the arena. K.T. feeds her horse, gets ready for the day in our camper, and heads for the eating tent for orientation and partner pairing.

Above all, safety is a primary concern for all camp participants. Younger or inexperienced riders are paired with an older or more experienced “buddy” to help them complete feeding and cleaning chores, saddling, or whatever the younger camper needs help with. To encourage independence but also teamwork, parents are discouraged from assisting their campers unless absolutely necessary. This rule carries over into the arena, and it’s a good one because it allows the riders to stay focused on the instructor rather than their distracting mothers, coaching from the sidelines. We moms learn to keep quiet—even one little “cluck” to K.T.’s lazy horse counts.

At orientation, we all learn about what is expected at youth camp. Camp rules are simple – take care of your horse before yourself, respect others and have a teachable attitude.

Every camper must be able to ride in the outdoor arena with demonstrable control at the walk, trot and lope. One year, K.T. and some other campers were not yet able to lope by themselves in the outdoor arena, and one little girl was kicked by her borrowed pony. The instructors determined that it wouldn’t be safe for her to work with her mount any further. These campers were put into a separate group and received riding instruction that was suited to each individual—whether riding on the lunge line on a lesson horse or working in the indoor arena with their own horses. Each camper was then able to accomplish a goal tailored to his or her own ability. I appreciated the fact that K.T., who at that time was fearful of cantering, was not pushed into what could have been an extremely anxious situation for her, but was instead allowed to work at other skills that she could participate in and master with confidence. In short, with the help of additional instructors and parent volunteers, no one gets left out.

From day one, campers are split into groups by ability and rotate between activities. This rotation schedule allows all participants some “down time” between events, an important facet of the overall camp program. These built in breaks are crucial for the younger campers who become fatigued or unable to focus for longer periods of time.

A typical day includes two hours of staggered riding instruction as well as engagement in group listening and speaking exercises aimed at improving horsemanship skills. Sometimes a guest speaker gives a presentation on leadership skills or another topic related to personal growth. K.T. particularly enjoys these sessions as Davalee leads groups in fun games and leadership exercises.

Each evening ends with a potluck dinner in the eating area and campfire time until 8:30 or so. The campers are free to play or visit until this time, when they make one last check on their horses before bed. Lights out at 9:00 p.m.!

On the last day of camp, an awards ceremony is held in the outdoor arena. For the duration of camp, parents and other adults secretly judge the campers on a number of skills like outstanding partnership, different horsemanship skills, herdsmanship, etc. Campers receive recognition and a special gift for their accomplishments. For example, even though K.T. did not achieve her cantering goal, she was able to win an award for being able to effectively execute a correct emergency stop procedure, a highly important safety skill. Late in the afternoon, everyone breaks camp and heads for home with improved skills and happy memories.

If you would like to participate in this extraordinary experience, fill out the registration form included in this newsletter, or contact MM Training and Consulting for more details.