End of Week Seven!

 Wrapping Up Week Seven

We had such an incredible "Wild West" week here at Hoofbeat! Below is a summary of what we did the past five days as well as a few more photos from our time at camp. We hope you enjoy -- have a great rest of your summer! 

Monday

We had a blast getting to meet everyone on Monday! Each day, we participate in a riding class, Horse Science, Horse Fun, Arts & Crafts, Sports, and “Skill Surprise.” Of course, the riding class was the highlight of everyone’s day! We used our wonderful indoor riding arena and were able to accomplish many fun things. In our riding class, we practice Hoofbeat’s 5 S’s, which are starting, stopping, steering, spacing, and “squirreling” off your horse to dismount. We practiced these S’s every day with activities such as cutting across the middle of our ring, halting our horses, and even asking our horses to trot! In Horse Science, we did a Hoofbeat barn introduction with colorful coin pieces to collect as we learned about our barn. We even learned how to saddle and groom a horse! Next, in Horse Fun, we put our grooming skills to the test,  doing some beautiful braids on our horses. Down the hill from the barn, we made wild west “wanted” posters in Arts & Crafts! We even got to dip them in coffee to make them seem older. In Sports, we put on our fancy imaginary boots and did some line dancing. Finally, in Skill Surprise, we got to make our own homemade sugar scrubs. It was a great first day of camp!

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we had a regular riding lesson, practicing and improving upon the skills we learned on Monday. We even worked on our riding skills in Horse Science - we got to hold bridles and have a partner steer with the reins so we could understand riding pressure cues! In Horse Fun, we had a chance to learn to lasso. Campers had so much fun working to lasso poles, fences, and even their counselors! In Arts & Crafts, we cooled off by creating western silhouette scenes on paper using water colors. They turned out so beautiful! We then had to abide by the “Cowboy Code” in Sports, playing mini games inside while trying to remember certain rules such as saying “howdy” instead of “hello.” In Skill Surprise, we looked to the future, writing letters to our future selves to remind us of our wonderful time at camp.

Wednesday

Due to a heat advisory on Wednesday, we planned to have a condensed schedule up at the barn in order to keep horses, campers and staff cool. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans for us! After about two rotations, it was clear that it would no longer be safe to ride. As we waited out the rain, campers had the choice to play group games, practice their braiding skills, fill out horse coloring sheets, and more. After the rain let up, we had a full afternoon of fun, indoor activities to beat the heat! Campers moved between six different rotations. In the first, they had the chance to take a mini art lesson from one of our talented staff, learning how to draw a horse. Next, campers participated in a horse “magazine race,” racing through horse books to find certain images before the opposing team. Back in the arts & crafts room, we had a relaxing time filling out horse “zentangles.” Ask your camper to show you what this means! After this, we worked together to match animal cards to their correct environments in the “biome game.” Next, we played some fast-paced, cowboy-themed group games in the Day Camp Barn! Finally, campers had the chance to guess what was in the “box of mystery” as they blindly reached in to feel various items. Mystery items ranged from marshmallows covered in soap to horse hair! Overall, though the weather did not cooperate, we had a fun and memorable day at camp!

Thursday

With temperatures up to 93 degrees on Thursday, it was important that we continued to use a condensed barn schedule. Luckily for everyone, this meant that we had time to ride AND to swim at the pool! Though the rotations were slightly shorter, everyone had a chance to horseback ride. Campers also learned about horse injuries and illnesses in Horse Science, using unused vet bandages to practice on their counselor’s leg! In Horse Fun, campers had a chance to make some delicious horse treats. The horses sure appreciated it on such a hot day! Thursday is also our special tie dye day, and campers had a blast making colorful designs and patterns on their shirts. We love seeing these all hanging up on the clothesline after camp! In Sports, campers were able to play with the goats and get some rounds of bowling in before it was off to the pool. Pool days are some of our favorites as we get to spend time together as one big camp. It was truly a great end to a wonderful day!

Friday

On Friday, we continued with our condensed barn schedule in order to beat the heat. Everyone still had a chance to ride, and staff could not help but note how much everyone’s riding had improved from Monday to today! All the campers (and horses!) should be very proud of themselves. During our Horse Science class, campers learned to better identify the horses they love by learning all about colors and breeds. We got creative in Horse Fun, creating beautiful horse collages from magazines. They all look very beautiful! Down the hill from the barn, campers got to make adorable cactus crafts in Arts & Crafts, using a cutout of their hand as the cactus plant itself! In Sports, we played a few rounds of Four Corners and Musical Chairs, and we got to make our own floating “penny boats” in Skill Surprise. After we were happily exhausted from these rotations, we had a lunch break to fuel up for an afternoon of fun. Getting the counselors wet in water games, visiting the camp store, and getting competitive in group vs. group games were just some of the highlights from the afternoon. Though we never want the week to end, we had such a blast getting to know each and every camper. Thank you so much for a wonderful week, and we hope to see you all again soon!