My 11 yo daughter wants to take horseback riding lessons this summer. Steep Hollow Farms has a week long camp we are interested in, but I do not know anything about the farm. Does anyone have experiences they could share?

Thanks!

Christian is a very experienced horsewoman. No direct experience with the summer camps. My only thought is if your child has never been around horses, some private lessons might be a better introduction with one-on-one instruction. Not sure how many kids are in these camps but doesn't seem like the best place to start if you have never ridden or been around horses. (And please note that you must supply an ASTM approved riding helmet.)

Thank you! From what I read, the camp teaches the basic riding and horse care skills. Sounded like what we need.

I have heard a lot of good things about Carousel Acres also, but Steep Hollow Farm is so much closer to our house. I am really leaning to them.

I do not know about Steephollow but I strongly do not recommend Carousel. I have 27 years riding and training experience. Years ago I boarded at Carousel until my horse died in an incident unrelated to the poisoning of their horses. My horses accident was not the issue however. I noticed lots of safety issues and management issues with their lesson operation. I would not ever allow a child of mine to ride in their supervision or lack their of. After my horses death I worked some horses for them and saw even more of the ignorance they practice. Though they have some good horses they also use inappropriate horses for use with childre/ beginners that lead to avoidable incidents. Good intentions are not enough to keep people safe when working with horses.

I also strongly do NOT recommend Carousel Acres.

my daughters used an experienced hunter/jumper trainer for summer camps. I was concerned about safety, etc. as well, and discussed it with the trainer. She insisted on starting with the ground up...i.e. cleaning stalls, grooming, safety around horses, etc. before they even got ON a horse. Then it was lead line until they learned balance, posture, hand position, etc.
I don't know Christian, but I'm sure if you call and ask how she addresses these issues, she will let you know.
Most hunter/jumper trainers are meticulous in their training styles with safety for the rider AND the horse at the forefront. My girls stayed in it for years after that first summer camp !

I am a happy client at Steep Hollow. My horse and I have been there for about two years now. Christian is great with kids and teaches correct and safe horsemanship!

Visionary Equine is also giving a series of summer horse camps. The camps are designed for both the beginner and experienced rider. Their horses are all super safe, and group sizes at the camps are small so that each child recieves lots of individualized attention and hands on time with a horse. You can check them out at www.viseq.com.