Those that have taken there horse to a residential camp....

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Menolly

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I'm taking my horse to a stockland lovell camp next week and it'll be the first time for both of us :)

Just wondered if anyone else had been there or any other camps and what where your experiences. Hoping for any tips on what to expect and more importantly what to pack... Apart from wine!


Fingers crossed the cross country course will be open after this dry weather!
 
Menolly said:
I'm taking my horse to a stockland lovell camp next week and it'll be the first time for both of us :)

Just wondered if anyone else had been there or any other camps and what where your experiences. Hoping for any tips on what to expect and more importantly what to pack... Apart from wine!


Fingers crossed the cross country course will be open after this dry weather!
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I went to our BRC Area camp last year - it was fab!! I was on a green ex-racer who had never been away from home, and we had a great time. The first mount-up is a bit exciting, as all the horses think they're competing, but I'll admit I just had a gin to steady the nerves (as I knew I wasn't driving!) and got on with it!! Met loads of lovely people, and instructors I'd never had whom I've gone on to use... Banter was fab, lessons were great, and luckily weather was too :)

Take extra layers for at night - I was surprised by how cold it got. Equally take extra loo roll and baby wipes in case you get particularly sweaty after the first lesson of the morning... and take extra tack - You don't want a snapped rein or broken stirrup leather to ruin your holiday...

Otherwise, have fun :)
 
Khalswitz thank you :) I'm a bed socks and heating on full wack kind of girl so appreciate the heads up for the extra layers!

Im hoping that after the initial full of beans start that by day 2 we'll both be able to get lots out of it in preparation for a fun summer.x
 
Take extra layers for at night - I was surprised by how cold it got. Equally take extra loo roll and baby wipes in case you get particularly sweaty after the first lesson of the morning... and take extra tack - You don't want a snapped rein or broken stirrup leather to ruin your holiday... Otherwise said:
This!

I've been to Eland Lodge camp for the last two years running (and booked in again for this). Brilliant fun and again met loads of lovely people.

The other thing I would recommend is taking a bit of electric fencing so you can create your own little pen/paddock at the side of your lorry - gives your horse chance to have a little bit of chill out time if you only have the use of temporary stabling.

You'll love it - enjoy! ;)
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My daughter went to RC camp at Stockland Lovell a few years ago. She had a great time and she and her very green pony learnt a lot. In fact she had her 21st birthday while she was there and the lovely cooks made her a fabulous birthday cake!
 
I went on camp with my gelding last year. Had an absolute blast and booked for this year.

it took me a lot of list writing before i was happy that i had everything with me that i needed

Its great meeting new people and having chance to form a stronger bond with your horse while your there and its always helpful having new instructors :)
 
Don't each much before you go! The food down there is fab! :) I always put on a couple of lb despite riding a lot and walking around the xc course watching other groups.

I'd advise you to take some chapstick or lipbalm as I always find I suffer from chapped lips down at Stockland due to the breeze out on the xc course.
There is a small tack shop at Stockland Lovell so you can buy any essentials for the horse you may have forgotten.
They are bedded on shavings so a good shavings fork is useful.
Don't forget your horse's passport as they will need to check flu vacs are up to date before being allowed to go into the stables. (New requirement from last year.)

You will have a great time. I'm off to camp at Pontispool next week, so here's hoping for great weather for us both. :)
 
I've been twice, took green youngsters each time and loved it.

I am booking into the summer one this year as it happens, not sure what horse I will have to take yet though.. If at all!
 
I'm planning on taking one or two that are currently unbroken, next summer or the summer after depending on commitments, I'm already onto the lists :lol: Big on lists...
 
I go to Stockland Lovell with my riding club every year and will be going in a fortnight. The riding facilities are amazing and the accommodation's pretty good too for a 'camp'- especially if you get in the barn rather than the portacabins. The food is excellent, real home cooked honest good food.

Take plenty of layers and windproof clothing for you and horsey- it can really blow a gale there and the barns are quite open. A turnout is a good idea as a top layer to help keep the wind off. Try to get a stable on the right hand side as you go in as they seem more sheltered, although I think if you're on a SL organised camp they allocate you a stable. On a riding club camp we're allocated a block of numbers and fight it out! Don't forget your mucking out gear - I did one year and had to borrow loads of stuff it was really tricky as everybody was mucking out at the same time. Take as little as you can though as storage is limited if the camp is full. You get a saddle rack (numbered) and the space underneath it and that's it. Make up feeds ready and take them in plastic bags, it saves time and space.

The one thing I'd suggest you take on top of the normal gear is a timer switch. They have electric heaters that are pretty efficient but they're either on or off so if you leave them on overnight you wake up sweating at 3am, but if you turn it off you wake up freezing and don't want to get out of bed! I take a timer and set it to come on for 6 am so it's nice and warm when I get up. You can also set for about 4pm so it's warm when you get in from riding and go to have a shower. Talking of showering, if you have one of thse quick-drying towels, take that, as although there's a drying room it's normally full of horsey stuff so you don't want to dry your towel in there and the radiators in the rooms aren't really suitable.

I think you're going to be lucky on the weather front, but just in case, take an extra set of riding clothes so you can change at lunch if you need to - I've managed to get drenched a few times (The one year I couldn't go as my horse was lame it was blazing sunshine, the 3 times I've been we've had rain, snow, sub-zero temperatures and gale force 10 winds) One extra set should be enough as they tend to dry overnight in the drying room so you can put them back on the next day!

Oh and a decent torch. It's pitch black there once it gets dark - very few lights.

Have fun - you'll love it I'm sure.
 
I went to the Active Rider Camp at Somerford Park, Cheshire last September... had an absolute ball, loved it. Its a great education for horses of all ages and abilities. The setting is just perfect, really good sized arenas with fantastic surface, huge XC course and a really really good farm ride with a great selection of jumps to enjoy, with a river crossing (optional). The lessons were really good and the food and evening entertainment was fab! I would highly recommend an 'Active Rider' camp. There's all kind of things to do in between your lessons too, lots of different workshops.

I'm going to Bobbis Camp, again at Somerford park in May. So it's the same location, just run by different people, my friend has been to this one a little while ago and highly recommends it, so were both off there in May and she is going to the 'Active Rider - Dressage Diva' camp in April also :)
 
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