HORSEBACK RIDING AT CAMP WOODMONT
One of our favorite activities at Camp Woodmont is horseback riding. Riding at Camp Woodmont is western trail style and we make sure that every rider gets lots of time on the trails. Many of our riders have little or no experience in the saddle so we spend the first day in the ring learning to start, stop, and rein the horses and how to control them at a walk (all of our beginning level riding is done at a walking pace on gentle, camp horses: all of our horses are used to being ridden by beginner level children riders). Some more advanced riders may get a chance to trot or canter as well.
After each rider has demonstrated proper control of the horses in the ring, we proceed to the trails. Miles of beautiful wooded trails highlight every riding period (the shady trails are especially nice because we have frequent mountian breezes. In addition to gaining experience in trail riding, campers also learn basic grooming, horse care, the parts of the horse, and saddling and tacking up for the ride. Riding at Woodmont is high on fun and on gaining riding experience on the trails; while ring training is great for campers with extensive equestrian training and advanced interest levels, we have found that ring work can be somewhat hot and tedious for many riders; our riding program focuses more on gaining riding experience and experiencing fun riding on the rolling hills and gentle trails through the woods.
SAFETY
Our number one priority at the stables is safety. At Camp Woodmont, we have three CHA (Certified Horsemanship Association) instructors who have been through an intensive evaluation process from a national independent evaluator against a respected standard. Instructors attend a grueling, week-long training program that involves all aspects of working with horses and teaching riding lessons.
On the trail rides, we typically have at least 2 “walkers,” along with one lead instructor. The Counselor Assistants walk with the riders to provide extra comfort to inexperienced riders, and assist riders who are tailgating or lagging behind. Because our program is tailored to the beginning rider, we do not trot through the trails. For our more experienced riders, we allow some trotting at one highly supervised location after they’ve proven to be comfortable at trotting (usually at the end of a two-week session). Thanks to our safety precautions and prevention training, we have had very few falls, and no serious injuries in 27 years.
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