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Hello all, I'm thinking of sending my daughter to Thunderbay Riding Academy for a weeklong camp. Does anyone have ANY experience with this riding academy? She's an English rider and is begging me to let her go. Feel free to DM me, Thanks a bunch!
Hello all, I'm thinking of sending my daughter to Thunderbay Riding Academy for a weeklong camp. Does anyone have ANY experience with this riding academy? She's an English rider and is begging me to let her go. Feel free to DM me, Thanks a bunch!
Don't know it ,but I was an accomplished English style competitive rider for 20 years and I would say this.
The website is dreadful-links don't work etc etc
Prices seem awfully high
I can't find the name of the owner or anything about them
No information regarding qualifications/experience of instructors
Are we talking about the same place? She seems as if she has many accolades and qualifications. I was hoping that at least one person would know something, good or bad. Campthunderbay.com
Appears to be a few TOO many accolades, I'm not sure how many are actually real. It bothers me that most of the pictures on the website aren't even from the farm, and I'm betting they don't have permission to use those photos either. A little pricey but not insane for lessons, and the horses do look well fed and cared for. I would definitely make a visit and use your judgement.
Yeah, I I guess what she does is brings her horses to a place called the Arc (in Monroe?). So the photos are of the Arc. My obvious concerns are: will my child be safe? and are the horses well taken care of? She currently rides at a small barn outside of Durham by a woman who is a lifelong horse person. I believe she is getting quality instruction even though her instructor isn't professionally trained to instruct kids, so I thought I hit the jackpot with this place in the Charlotte area. I don't really think $850 is too much for week long residential camp (is it?). She's been asked to go to a Girl Scout camp with her troop (they too have horses), but she doesn't want to go because she knows it won't be as good as a horse camp, and we know they don't have the level of expertise that we are looking for. Anyhow, thanks for your feedback. I will do a thorough check before I commit.
From what I see on the website - I would proceed with caution. The picture on the main page (black/white, girl with forehead touching horse) is a copyrighted image. This is a still shot from the movie "The Horse Whisperer" ... I just watched the movie "Buck" this morning, and this was the exact image shown when they referenced back to the "The Horse Whisperer." In my mind, using a copyrighted image like this loses credibility with me.
I absolutely do not like that there is very little information on the main website (Horse Lessons Horse Camp Pony Parties Charlotte NC) about who will be supervising the children during camp. They will be under the instructor's supervision while working with the horses, but what about at the end of the day? Adult supervision in the sleeping cabin? At least with Girl Scouts, you have the peace of mind that camp counselors have at least gone through a background check and basic first aid/CPR training before being put in charge of children.
The horses appear to be in good health, and the facility appears to be clean. Knowing what I know about the horse world and how deceiving a website can be, I would do a site inspection to confirm what is protrayed is actually what is at the facility.
According to my correspondence with her, the kids are supervised at the end of the day. She has hired adult staff to manage the girls and she stays with them at night as well. I'm not as concerned with that part as much, I was mostly concerned with the safety and management of the girls and the horses. I have seen stubborn horses and bad horses. I get that that there are serious safety issues with horse riding. I've seen my child fall, and its pretty scary. There just aren't many opportunities like this where I live and I think she would get a lot out of it. But I will definitely think long and hard and do more research before we send her. Thanks for all the feedback!
According to my correspondence with her, the kids are supervised at the end of the day. She has hired adult staff to manage the girls and she stays with them at night as well. I'm not as concerned with that part as much, I was mostly concerned with the safety and management of the girls and the horses. I have seen stubborn horses and bad horses. I get that that there are serious safety issues with horse riding. I've seen my child fall, and its pretty scary. There just aren't many opportunities like this where I live and I think she would get a lot out of it. But I will definitely think long and hard and do more research before we send her. Thanks for all the feedback!
Who is "she"?! I couldn't even see a name on the website.
As I said before, having ridden and competed on my own horses I absolutely would not send my child to a residential riding camp where I did not know that at least one person was a qualified riding instructor.
I don't understand why someone who is serious about teaching riding wouldn't take the ARIA exam.
I would also want to know who she was bringing in to supervise the kids at the camp ie not just more older kids!
Don't underestimate kids or horses!
Just my two cents, not about the riding camp director or her horses... but I would not let my daughter ride at the Ark. There are many many distractions (spooky for the horses). It is a great place that I would like to ride my horses, but its not a camp setting. There are camels and llamas, and dogs, and goats, and donkeys... just too many things that could potentially spook a horse.
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