OklahomaHorses Magazine May 2022

10 OklahomaHorses • May/June 2022 Cadence has 42 lesson horses for chil- dren to be paired with at camp, ranging from ponies to a variety of full-sized breeds. In addition to offering a camp for beginner riders, the center also hosts a Riding Acade- my camp for intermediate riders aged eight through 15. To qualify for Riding Academy camp, riders need to be enrolled in regular riding lessons at Cadence, be fully inde- pendent with horses, and have instructor approval. For more information or to register for camp at Cadence, visit https://cadence- equestrian.com. Cottonwood Creek Ranch Cottonwood Creek Ranch in Oklahoma City offers one-week horse camps every other week throughout the summer for youngsters aged seven through 14. Madi DeBee, an academy instructor at Cottonweed Creek, noted that the ranch predominantly has Morgan and saddlebred horses, and campers learn to ride hunt seat, western, and saddle seat. “The kids ride every day, and we also do different activities such as art, tie-dying T-shirts, and making an educational packet about horses that the kids get to take home,” said DeBee. A typical camp session at Cottonwood includes brushing and grooming, tacking horses up, riding, working on educational packets, doing horse-related artwork, and mucking a stall. “A lot of our campers love it so much that they end up coming back to take les- sons,” DeBee said. “But even if they don’t come back, my favorite part is introducing the kids to the love of horses.” For more information or to register for a camp session at Cottonwood Creek, visit https://cottonwoodcreekranch.com . Silver Wind Stables Chassidy Ledford is an instructor and the camp enrollment director at Silver Wind Stables in Edmond. “We have seven trainers who all have different riding and horse experience, so we are able to offer a variety of summer-camp opportunities,” said Ledford. With two separate locations — Silver Wind and the Patch — the program hosts a rodeo camp, farm camp, basic horse camp, trail camp, junior boot camp, and Camp Yellowstone, which includes an over- night campout. For campers who are less interested in horses but still want a farm or outdoor experience, Silver Wind also offers an art camp. At the Silver Wind location, which has indoor and outdoor arenas and acres of trails, as many as 24 campers can attend a weeklong summer session. At the Patch location, camp is a little smaller, with 10 children per session. “We like to do a lot of hands-on activ- ities. Our horse camps are designed for beginner to intermediate riders, with a focus on tacking up a horse, riding, and basic horse handling,” Ledford said. For more information or to register for camp at Silver Wind, visit https:/ /www. silverwindstables.com. Other Oklahoma Horse Camps Aside from Healing Reins, Cadence, Cottonwood, and Silver Wind, many other equine facilities in Oklahoma host camp sessions throughout the summer. Here are a few you might be interested in checking out: • Heavenly Halo Horse Ranch, Sapulpa: June 22–24, http://www .heavenlyhaloranch. com • Flying Change Farm, Coweta: beginner and Intermediate camps in June, July, and August, www.flyingchange.farm • Laine Brook Farm, Yukon: sessions in June and July, https://www .lainebrookfarm.com • Cross Creek Stables, Edmond: all- day, half-day, and tiny-tots camp sessions in June, July, and August, https:/ /crosscreekstablesokc.com • Celtic Cross Equestrian Center, Norman : horse and Bible summer camp sessions in June and July, https://www .celticcrossequestrian center.com • River Run Farm, Tulsa: Horsin’ Around camp sessions in June, July, and August, https://sites.google. com/site/riverrunfarmok/ • Royal Horse Ranch, Monkey Island, Grand Lake: resident camp in May, June, and July; day camp in June and July, https://www .royalhorseranch.net A Silver Wind camper and horse ride over ground poles in the arena. Photo courtesy of Silver Wind Stables. A summer camper and horse enjoy the day at Cadence Equestrian Center. Photo courtesy of Cadence Equestrian Center.