Riding Club Camp! Hints/Tips?

Q

QueenDee_

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I've been on the waiting list for Riding Club Camp and just got offered a place, cue much excitement! I was in PC a few years ago so went to a couple of their camps, however has anyone got any hints/tips for these kind of things?

It is 3 days long and I was planning on taking an air mattress and sleeping in the trailer (gold Duke of Edinburgh led to me swearing never to wrestle with a tent again).

Are there any really useful items of kit you'd advise taking? I was thinking of investing in a treat ball to keep the horse entertained, they're in the whole 3 days but I was planning on hand grazing him to get him out the stable other than riding.
 
I have done camp in May for the last 3 years. I sleep in the horse area of my 3.5t van so probably quite similar to a trailer. I am too lazy for an air bed and I have a fold out camp bed and a thin self inflating air mattress on top of it. A good sleeping bag is key. The key things I have found are to take more clothes than you think you need so you can layer up for warmth and you're also ok if it rains. I have a good torch which has a magnet on the back and a hook, it's great for sticking to the walls in the van or hanging on the tie ring to light the whole place up. If there is the facility to get hot water a hot water bottle is great inside your sleeping bag!

Your horse will be fine, there is do much going on and they are usually ridden more than they are at home so they are usually glad of the rest in their stable. I usually take loads of hay so he can have it ad lib whilst we are at camp, I also usually give him slightly bigger dinners and if there's time I include a lunch for him as well. Make up feeds in carrier bags so you're not faffing about mixing feeds.

Enjoy it, camp is one of my favourite weekends of the year! :)
 
Tents are warmer than trailers :) Or you can put tents in trailers. Air mattresses are also cold....
I doubt your horse will be bored being worked two (or three if you take him out alone?) times a day and hand grazing. Especially as on camp you have all day to pamper and preen them :)
Enjoy!
 
Get yourself a camp bed which is made like a bed on metal rods. I had one, it folds down to nothing so easy to transport and less hassle than an air bed. I had 2 single bed quilts, one to lay on and one to cover me, a good pillow, bed socks and pj's It gets cooler than you think at night, make sure you leave a door open in your trailer, ie the back little ones above the ramp if like mine its an Ifor Williams, to let air in so you dont have condensation on the roof to drip down on you. Plenty of thin layer clothes too. Your horse will be too busy to be bored. Ive been to 2 Camps now and they are great. At ours we all got together at night for food and drinks, alcohol keeps you warm too...
 
Ive just stocked up on pimms for my camp next week. I must go looking for the things mentioned above...
just remembered, Ibrufen gel is worth taking too.
 
Lots of clothes, alcohol and chocolate. I would be surprised if horse got bored as a lot going on.
Tack cleaning stuff. I got a fair bit done while watching lessons.
 
Pack 2 bags of clothes - 1 of purely riding gear & the other with general stuff. Put several plastic bags in both so when something is grubby you can shove it in the bag. (always worth remembering you might get sodden more than once!)
Riding kit inc hat, body protector, plus spare boots & gloves (nothing worse than pulling on sodden boots or gloves if you cannot dry them overnight!
Pack a 'meds' bag for you - paracetamol, plasters etc, also basic 1st aid kit for horse.
Print out a list of emergency contact numbers you might want to call (inc vet, farrier, yard, family & friends) in case your mobile dies for any reason & you need to make a call.

Usualy stuff: grooming kit, tack inc spare bits & nosebands if you change for different things, plenty of spare saddlecloths, tack cleaning kit, spare headcollar & leadrope, cooler, fleece & rainsheet. Water & feed buckets. Barrow, broom, fork, rubber gloves. haynets.
Take extra feed in case you need to up amounts slightly over what you usually use.

Snacks: sweets, biscuits, crisps - all junk foor to give a lift if you need it ;)

I'm lucky, the camp I go to is at an Ag college so we stay in student accom, stables are indoors & we have 2 indoor schools if wet. :)

Enjoy - have fun :)
 
To add: take a couple of mugs & a glass!
I take an insulated mug so I can make a cuppa & park it with lid on whilst mucking out & then wander off to hand graze with mug in hand.
A ceramic mug makes a nice change at the end of the day - and the mandatory glass for vino/soft drinks :)
 
Plenty of layers is the key to successful camping I find. And tops that are long enough to tuck into your pants! I always find the bit that gets coldest is the gap between tops and bottoms so you need to eliminate it. In the evening, put your pyjamas on as the bottom layer and clothes on top, that way you don't have to get undressed and cold to go to bed.
 
Oooooo I'm at camp in 3 weeks 😁 excited!!!! I have small living area in my truck ( bed over Luton .. Table and benches ... Fridge and sink and a camping stove) I tried to get a friend to go with me .. But for different reasons couldn't 😩 I'm hoping I will meet over singles .. So share coffee cake and wine with !! And laughs of course 😉
 
B doing - more layers than you think you'll need, put several under you as well as over.

I have a kettle and small camp stove, great to make an early morning cuppa. Make sure you ventilate the area when using.

Pack all your clothes! Lol. Far better to have too many than have to wear wet or damp clothes.

Some snack foods and a nice bottle of plonk.

Love the suggestion of getting into PJ's ahead of time under the rest of your clothes, worst part of any day is getting cold between clothes and PJ's.


Have fun
 
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