OklahomaHorses Magazine May 2022

May/June 2022 • OklahomaHorses 9 A hh, summer camp! Chances are we all have a fond memory or two of this long-standing seasonal tradition. Maybe our camp experience in- volved singing songs and making crafts. Or perhaps we hiked in the woods and cooked s’mores over a fire. But for youngsters who don’t have the opportunity to grow up with horses, horse camp might just be the best summer camp of all. Fortunately, Oklahoma has several such opportunities. If you are looking for an equestrian summer camp for your child to participate in, there might be a program near you. As one might expect, most of the camps center around horseback riding, but that’s not all. Swimming, crafts, fishing, games, and making new friends are often part of the experience. Healing Reins Ranch One such camp is at Healing Reins Ranch in Haskell, where with the help of her husband, Chris, Tammy Blakely runs two one-week day camps every summer. The couple specializes in horse training and lessons, but the summer camps are a chance for unexperienced school-aged riders to try their hand at horsemanship. Young riders with a little horse experience are welcome to join in the fun too. “Our campers ride in the arena and learn basic control of a horse as well as balance in the saddle,” said Blakely. At Healing Reins, campers also learn how to care for horses, the basics of horse safety, and tack care. Kids are assigned to smaller groups to take riding lessons, make crafts, play games, and even swim in the afternoons. “My two favorite parts of camp are mak- ing lap books all about horses and the fam- ily day we do on the last day,” Blakely said. “On the family day, the riders can show off the riding skills they learned during camp to their families.” Healing Reins will offer two camp schedules this summer — June 6–10 and June 20–24. The ranch also allows campers to bring their own horses and board them for the week. See https://www .healingreinsranch.com for more information. Cadence Equestrian Center Cadence Equestrian Center in Edmond hosts the state’s largest summer horse-camp program for riders aged six through 14, with one-week sessions offered all summer. Christy Buchanan is the owner and camp supervisor at Cadence, which has been hosting summer camps since 2007. On most days, campers will ride twice at Cadence, including an individualized lesson in the morning and another in the afternoon. Other activities include playing horseback games, riding bareback, and trail riding on the property. Cadence strives to give campers knowl- edge and confidence with horses and teach them skills such as safety, feeding and car- ing for horses, and more. The camp also has a special fishing day and a water-play day. Buchanan stresses that along with drilling down on horsemanship skills, the campers learn to lead from the ground, groom, and bathe horses. “As horse people, we forget how magical horses are,” said Buchanan. “I love seeing kids who have never experienced this kind of thing become so excited to be here.” Healing Reins campers pause for a photo shoot with Chris and Tammy Blakely. Photo courtesy of Healing Reins Ranch.