Summer Riding Camps in/around Chapel Hill (Raleigh: cul-de-sac, preschool)

[MaimounaKande]

Anyone know of good 1/2 day riding camps for kids in or around Chapel Hill? I know there are lots of stables in the area, but don't know which have good childrens' programs.

Thank you,
Nellie

[toot68]

Spence's Farm is just down the road from us in Chapel Hill, we're planning on using it for summer care in a few years.

http://www.spencesfarm.com/

[MaimounaKande]

I love Spence's Farm! Do they have actual riding lessons on their own or only as part of their summer camp day? I guess I should go to the website and check
Thanks.

[sapphos]

I am an avid equestrian and really miss having my own horses. I've been checking out a lot of programs and just happened to see this one that also had a summer camp. Looks like a program worth checking out. Look forward to the day my daughter can start riding.

http://blueskiesmapleview.us/

[CAKD]

Meredith College in Raleigh has a phenominal Riding camp for young girls from what I understand.

[alice_61]

Would someone mind explaining what they like about Spence's Farm? We went there to check out the after school program for our daughter. The traffic noise was very loud from I-40. The building was pretty messy inside. Outside a couple young kids were hanging from a knot swing. A couple kids were helping Spence to build some shelter. Most of the fun sounding activities: horse back riding, wood shop, pottery, required an extra fee. It just seemed unorganized. Granted they said the activity director was away that week but I didn't see anyone taking up the slack.

Thanks,
Alice

[MaimounaKande]

Hi Alice,
I've never seen or used any of their organized programs like camps or after school care. We've just gone when they have some sort of "festival" going...like they did a big Halloween day where there were a bunch of activities (like riding, bobbing for apples, etc) and you just picked what you wanted to do. My daughter's preschool also did a field trip there one day--also lots of fun (picking veggies, feeding animals, riding, playing in a hay maze, etc). I actually don't remember hearing 1-40, but maybe that's b/c there were lots of other kids around being even noisier!

From what I hear though, the things you saw like swinging from a rope and building shelter are the kind of things peple want their kids doing...instead of sitting inside coloring in a picture or doing really organized activities, kids do more of the "old fashioned fun" things..I don't know about cost, or what you pay extra for, but the idea behind it is that kids don't have the chance to do a lot of "nature things" outdoors anymore with so many people living on cul-de-sacs running from soccer practice to gymnastics practice..so this is kind of the "anti that". But again..I have never had my kids in their programs so I can't say how it all works out specifically.