Horse
Camps |
Change size of
text:
A
A
A |
Register here.
Serving the communities of Evergreen, Conifer, Bailey, Morrison Golden, Littleton and Lakewood, Colorado,
area near Denver, Colorado - since 1992!
Please check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CentaurRising. Join us by clicking the "like" button on that page. The Horse Camp photo page tells a lot about a day at Horse Camp.
No program is more key to Centaur Rising’s goal of “Preventing
horse abuse, neglect and misunderstanding” than its summer day camp program. Many
a “horse crazy” child wants her parents to buy her a horse. A
horse riding camp gives a boy or girl the opportunity to learn about
the responsibilities of horse care, how to keep a horse and be safe around horses. It also provides an introduction to how to ride and handle horses.
Nearly every day we hear about a child who would like to own his/her own horse, but whose parents are concerned that the child does not know about all of the work and responsibility that goes along with owning a horse. Lots of young people (adults too!) dream of owning a horse, but the day-to-day responsibility and the frustrations of having a horse that doesn't behave as the rider dreamed he would, soon dampen the horse owner's enthusiasm. Some basic knowledge and skills beforehand would have given them more realistic expectations.
We at Centaur Rising care about people and their dreams. We care about horses too. We strongly believe that what we teach people here not only enriches peoples' lives, it also greatly enriches the lives of the horses owned or eventually owned by the people we teach. We furthermore strongly believe in the power of positive relationships - those between people and horses and those among people. We are very proud of the positive supportive environment we have at Centaur Rising. Don’t just take our word for it. Visit us! See what we mean!
We will be offering three types of camps in 2024. The types of camps and the dates they are offered are shown below. You may download our registration form here. Thank you for letting others know about Horse Camp at Centaur Rising. More information about Advanced Horse Camp can be found through the link below.
2024 Schedule - x= openings
Dates |
total
openings |
Little
Kids' Camp |
Basic
Horse Camp |
Intensive Horse
Camp |
|
|
$250-450 |
$375 |
$475 |
June 11-13 |
7
|
x |
x |
x |
June 18-20 |
7 |
x |
x |
x |
June 25-27 |
7 |
x |
x |
x |
July 16-18 |
7 |
x |
x |
x |
July 23-25 |
|
x |
x |
x |
July 30-Aug 1 |
7 |
x |
x |
x |
All
camps are scheduled Tuesday through Thursday. A child who is enrolled in a camp is expected to attend from 9am to 3pm of each day that the camp is scheduled.
Activities
A summary of activities for each type of horse camp is show below. More complete descriptions appear in "Types of Camps" below this table.
Content |
Little
Kids' Camp |
Basic Horse
Camp |
Intensive Horse
Camp |
Horse care/knowledge |
X |
X |
X |
Group lesson |
|
X |
X |
Private lesson |
X |
|
either/or |
Seat lesson |
|
|
either/or |
More advanced "horse knowledge" |
|
|
|
Focus on horse training |
|
|
|
X = offered as part of this camp
Types of Camps
Highlighted words below refer to the six steps of our logo. Check here for more information.
|
Little
Kids' Camp |
Basic
Horse Camp |
Intensive
Horse Camp |
Who is eligible? |
This camp is oriented to kids ages 5 to 7. |
This camp is oriented to kids ages 7 to 15 who have little knowledge or experience with horses. Seven year-olds may attend if they are sufficiently mature and/or have some basic experience with horses. |
Anyone age 7 or over who is serious about learning to ride more effectively is welcome. Campers should have some basic horse knowledge and experience. They will be responsible for catching, leading and grooming their own horses. Help will, however, be provided for less experienced campers. |
Rates |
$250 for 3 half days, $450 for3 fulldays |
$375 for three days |
$475 for three days |
Purpose
(See the Six Steps of Centaur Rising's logo.) |
Little Kids Camp will introduce the child to compassion. |
Basic Horse Camp is all about the commitment required to own a horse. Participants will be exposed to, and actually do much of, the work required to keep a horse. They will learn about horse safety, nutrition, health and exercise requirements of horses. |
Intensive Horse Camp is focused upon developing our relationship with horses through more effective communication.
|
Amount of Riding |
One one-half hour private lesson in the morning and/or afternoon |
One one-hour group lesson/day |
One one-half hour private or seat lesson and one one-hour group lesson daily |
Can I bring my own horse? |
No |
No |
Yes |
How to Register
Please download the registration form. Return the completed form by snail mail or scan and return by e-mail. Registrations will be accepted in the order in which they are received. Sign up early! Don’t be left out! There will be a $20 late fee for all registrations/deposits not received by the "deposit due date".
Payments
A deposit of $100 for each week of camp is required at the time of registration. The balance of the amount due for camp is payable on the first day of camp. We do accept post-dated checks, provided they are dated no later than the registration deadline (for the first $100) and the first day of camp (for the balance). We accept all major credit cards, banking cards, PayPal (kris@anchoragefarm.com) and Venmo (@Centaur-Rising). A confirmation will be emailed for each registration after your deposit is received. The registration deadline is two weeks before the first day of camp. There is a $20 late fee for registrations received after the registration deadline.
Refunds
No cash refunds will be made in the event of cancellation for any reason. You may be able to transfer your credits to another week, to another person or to traditional riding lessons - if we are notified of your change in plans prior to the registration deadline or if the cancellation is of an emergency nature. Transfer of credits will be on a weekly basis only and not for daily absences.
Camp Sizes
The total participants in each week will be limited to seven campers.
Horses
Long-time, experienced and well trained school horses will be provided for Basic Horse Camp and Little Kids' Camp. Our school horses have a combined total of over 100 years of experience! Students may choose to ride a school horse or bring their own horse for Intensive Horse Camp. Overnight stabling is available.
Meals
Campers are asked to bring their own lunch, drinks, snacks and utensils. A microwave is available on the grounds. Disposing of trash will be greatly appreciated!
Extended Supervision
With the exception of Little Kids' Camp, your child may come before camp and/or stay after camp. There is an added fee of $15 for 7-9 AM and/or $15 for 3-6 PM. Please note your requirements on your registration form.
Clothing
Please bring boots with heels and long pants for riding. If you have a riding helmet, please bring it. Please don't bring bike helmets, however. We do have a large selection of helmets to borrow. It is impossible to get your heel down in rubber riding boots, so please don't bring these. Your child may wear shorts when not riding and shoes other than boots when not handling horses. Please bring footwear that you do not mind coming home smelling of horses! :-) More information on clothing can be found here.
Professional Staff
Kris Cooper, founder and Executive Director of Centaur Rising, will coordinate all camp programs. She will supervise instruction to beginner campers and endeavor to maximize the personal growth and self-esteem of all campers. Her MS in Counseling Psychology, secondary teachers' certificate and over 50 years of experience in corporate, government and entrepreneurial settings provide a real-world framework for helping kids prepare for their own futures as employees, leaders and teachers. 2023 will the 31st consecutive year that Kris has led Horse Camps at Anchorage Farm!
Jim Cooper, Kris’ husband, will provide instruction to more advanced students. He will give educational demonstrations and be available as a resource. Jim draws upon 55 years of experience in owning and managing equestrian facilities (and state-accredited equestrian vocational education programs) in both Michigan and Colorado. Jim holds a BS in wildlife conservation from Michigan State University.
Financial Assistance
You are welcome to download our scholarship application. Scholarships are, however, dependent upon donors. If you are in a position to donate a scholarship (or know of someone who can), please go to this page.
Since Centaur Rising's rates do not cover the full cost of its programs, we must augment Horse Camp revenue with personal and employer-matched donations. Please give if you can. Tell others about Centaur Rising. Enlist their support. Our Horse Camp (and our other programs) cannot continue without the financial assistance of everyone who believes in the value of our programs.
An Overnight Option
Impromptu overnight camps for adults, kids accompanied by adults and mature young people can also be arranged. Any juvenile horse camper is welcome to stay overnight on the premises if accompanied by an adult in the Bird Suite.
We offer riding lessons year-round in our indoor arena. Please check out our general riding
lesson and after-school horseback riding programs.
We look forward to greeting YOU at Horse Camp this year!
|