Adult camp

debsflo

debsflo

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I'm taking my 6 yr old mare to camp this week and starting to panic.
I've never been , will be camping in a tent and riding twice a day with our first completion on day 4 .
I'm worried she will struggle as we mainly hack and will be stabled the rest of the time and we will both be out of our comfort zone.
My rational head is saying it will be good experience for us both and a chance for her to be in an indoor arena and white boards and see something new.
Any words of advice pls.
 
You will have a fab time. I can't comment on the camping part as I hate camping! But the rest will be awesome.

When I first went to camp I was worried about my horse being stabled 24/7 but he was absolutely fine as everyone else was in and they were tired with all the lessons anyway. You may also be able to take them out for some hand grazing which breaks up the stable time a bit.

If it is like the camp I go to, everyone will be very supportive and the lessons will push you a bit but not scare you.

Relax, take plenty of snacks, wine, beer etc and have a blast!
 
As tiga71 said, I'm sure you'll have a ball!

I was worried about 24/7 stabling when I first went to camp but it honestly wasn't an issue. We were allowed to hand graze whenever and for as long as we wanted, and the horses were very relaxed about everything.

Have fun!!
 
Relax - it's meant to be fun! She'll be nice and tired after being ridden twice a day so being in a cosy stable for a snooze will be very welcome for her! My boy doesn't like being in for more than about 12 hours so I would take him out on a lunge line to graze for half an hour first thing in the morning and last thing at night (he usually had a roll too, which is what he wants more than anything!) and that, combined with plenty of work meant he slept most of the time.

She's a good age to be trying these things - young enough to have some energy, old enough to have some stamina so I'm sure she'll be fine but if she's too tired in the second session you can always stop a bit early or ask the instructor for a quiet 5 minutes to recover. The competitions are very low key so ideal for a first one.

You'll have a ball, I promise.... Now for the "What should I pack?" post :D
 
We've started going to Supreme Showdown near Liverpool.
You meet lots of new people and can have fun.
The only downside for ours was the unfamiliarity of indoor rings with crowds, cameras, mirrors etc.
 
thanks all ,i have several lists on what to pack which is incredible given im only there four days.
I would dearly love my own lorry as i could pop it in there but am stuffing the car with a tent and will take horses bits in a hired lorry.
Im 53 and my staminas not what it used to be so think were both going to get a shock but im also excited as they have several other things on ie yoga ,equine physio,feed talk ,pub quiz and its a lovely venue with a bar x
 
It's amazing what you end up packing, but you probably won't use much stuff at all! Think really carefully about what you'll need. I usually just take a brush (whichever you use most), a hoofpick, a small bottle of shampoo (I own greys) a sponge, a sweat scraper and a basic stud kit if you use them. Water buckets can double as feed buckets or used for washing down. Make up feeds in advance and put them in plastic bags so you can just empty them into buckets and then there's less to take home. A basic first aid kit for the horse is also a good idea - a poultice, a vet wrap a couple of wound dressings, some salt, purple spray and some Vaseline is what I usually take. Anything that requires more than that will probably need a vet anyway.

For you, pack plenty of layers, plenty of baby wipes, plenty of treats (it's a good way to get talking to people if you're offering a chocolate or a pringle!) and plenty of alcohol. Sun cream and waterproofs are also essentials! Take enough riding clothes that you always have a dry set to put on for the afternoon if you get soaked in the morning but one set for the evenings is fine. Nobody will notice or care that you're wearing the same as last night.

Enjoy!
 
Just make sure you take a change of clothes for every lesson! I did a camp at Nick Gauntlett's a couple of weeks ago and I had no where near enough clothes and ended up getting cold and having to miss an evening session because of it. For the horse I'd also make sure you have a cooler rug and a rainsheet in case there's any waiting around even if you don't usually use rugs. Needless to say we had a great time :D (Po' is the black one photobombing :p )

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GO ... you will have the most amazing time and so will she. I came back from a three day camp and was feeling the same as you initially and kept wanting to take my been there done it all gelding but knew my mare would benefit the most. My mare travelled on her own perfectly, she stabled most of it with minimal turnout perfectly and although we were both knackered we had the most amazing time. Im still buzzing from it now :)

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vallin said:
Just make sure you take a change of clothes for every lesson! I did a camp at Nick Gauntlett's a couple of weeks ago and I had no where near enough clothes and ended up getting cold and having to miss an evening session because of it. For the horse I'd also make sure you have a cooler rug and a rainsheet in case there's any waiting around even if you don't usually use rugs. Needless to say we had a great time :D (Po' is the black one photobombing :p )

20246038_10207731348676556_47971808999838903_n.jpg
Click to expand...

Fab pics x
 
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