Summer camp! Archery, canoeing, friendship bracelets, and horseback riding!
If you miss your summer camp days, or if you never got to go, never fear — there are adult and even family sessions of summer camp out there. You can live your summer camp dreams with some of these versatile equestrian summer camp programs:
Vershire Riding School in Vershire, Vermont, has been welcoming campers for 43 years. Specializing in Eventing, Vershire offers camps for children, adults, and families. Week-long adult camps take place all summer long, and feature four hours (!!) of mounted lessons every day. In the evening there is yoga, veterinarian demonstrations, eventing education, and watercolor painting… sorry, no friendship bracelets. You’ll end the week competing in a three-phase horse trials right at the farm. Family camps include riding instruction and trail riding on a long weekend — a country outing for all ages. Rates from $750 for long weekends. Find out more at www.vershireridingschool.com.
The Mountaintop Inn and Resort in Chittenden, Vermont offers an adult summer riding camp that’s a touch more sophisticated than the usual summer camp experience. No cabins here — campers bunk in the resort’s lodge, with queen size or full size beds. (For a real camp experience, request a room with a queen and bunk beds, then try to get there before your roommate to claim the top bunk.) Meals, ten riding lessons, ten horse care lessons, guest speakers and demos are all included. When you’re not riding, the resort’s amenities, including a private beach, swimming, tennis, and volleyball, are all available to you. Rates from $1800 per person, double occupancy. Find out more at http://www.mountaintopinn.com/adult_horsemanship_camp.php
Paddington Station in Potter Valley, California offers a traditional experience far from the Green Mountains of Vermont. Adult campers are welcome for weekends or week-long sessions, with instructors qualified by the British Horse Society. In between riding lessons in dressage, cross-country, and jumping, campers can visit wineries, go swimming, and relax. There are also horse care lessons and individualized instruction. Campers double up in tents, although nearby Inns offer more grown-up accommodations. The week ends with a camp horse show. Rates from $310 for weekends. Find out more at www.paddingtonstationriding.com.
Will you live out your summer camp dreams at last? Bring home the blue ribbon and make a new best friend forever? With these three options, you’ve got a shot!