Over the last seven weeks, more than forty young riders, ages six and up, rode into Canterbury Stables of Cazenovia, NY from as far away as Boca Raton, FL, and Boston, MA, to take part in this summer’s pony camp series. The 2009 Canterbury Stables Pony Camp included more boys than ever this year, saw several siblings in the saddle sharing the ring, and even featured four fun-seeking cousins during one week. They all shared a common bond - their love of horses and adventure!
Canterbury’s Pony Camp has grown in popularity, especially with out-of-state visitors in large part because of some very generous grandparents living in the immediate area. Those Pony Campers coming to Canterbury from beyond New York’s boarders were home visiting their grandmother and/or grandfather, and were treated to a week (or two) of pony camp.
Young riders were given private lessons each day, but also learned all about horsemanship. By the end of each camp, these young men and women had gained first-hand knowledge of what kind of care ponies and horses require; they learned all about the dozens of different breeds, colors, equipment, supplies, feed, and countless other topics. However, more than this, they had a fun and supportive opportunity to challenge their senses and make new friends while expanding their comfort zones - building unparalleled levels of self confidence at their young ages.
Any of the three full-time professional trainers or dynamic camp director at Canterbury will tell you that some of the Pony Campers would walk into the stables on day one, and immediately feel at home, drawn to be around the ponies and horses; excited about mounting up and getting right to work. Others may have begun the week with a little more vigilance, unfamiliar with these gentle giants; but by the end of the week, they had bonded with their favorite pony and were wishing the excitement would never end.
Ten more advanced riders who successfully show locally, ages twelve to fifteen, from Manlius, Fayetteville, Cazenovia, and the Syracuse area participated in two week-long equitation workshops featuring daily video evaluations with Canterbury trainer Kimberley Asher. The videos featured close-ups of areas needing attention and slow motion analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of their individual riding styles.
According to Grace Cherney of Cazenovia, NY, a rider at Canterbury Stables, “the videos were fantastic and really showed me what I’ve been doing and how to improve!”
The level of fun had by everyone, campers and trainers, could best be summarized by Henry, one of the most memorable pony campers this year, or any, who at the beginning of the week-end celebratory trail-ride exclaimed after one of his many high-fives, “Yeehaw!!”
