Campers impatiently wait over toasted bagels and cream cheese for Elsa to call their name for horseback riding before sprinting to their bunks to change into long pants and close-toed shoes.
On the day our names were called, we began our journey by stepping in a white van that took us across the street to a barn near Camp Danbee we didn’t know existed. A whiff of “horsesiness” hit us as we entered: a mixture of grain, hay, and saddlery. We were introduced to the horses, invited to stroke them, and bonded with them as we prepared to pick the horse we would ride. Some were eating hay, some were admiring nature out of the window in their stalls, and some stuck their heads over the door of their stalls, seeking affection. After the horses were picked to ride, Danbee staff members tacked them up, and WriCampians led them to the riding arena.
In the ring, campers were taught how to walk, trot, and pull the reins to direct their horses. Campers also learned about horses, like the thin layer of muscle underneath the horses’ skin that allows them to shiver to shake off flies, since they can’t scratch themselves like we can.
This year there are seven horses (Dusty, Freckles, Pickles, Tater, Mister, Poe, and Pip) who inhabit the stalls of the Camp Danbee stable. “We have seven geldings, all fixed males. It’s a fluke,” said Nicole Lacasse, the Equestrian Director. “They’re all very sweet boys who like teaching people how to ride.”
The horses at camp are from Pond Hill Ranch in Vermont, where thousands of horses stay during the year, and go to a variety of camps in the summer.
Not only did campers have incredible experiences, but they were also influenced to make decisions that they might not have made before. “This experience inspired me to get into horseback riding at home,” explained Mika Elsner, a middle camper.
One senior camper, Izzy Kim, rediscovered her love for equestrianism after riding at camp. “Riding made a positive impact on my experience at camp because I got to do something I haven’t done in a while,” Izzy said.
Another middle camper, Romy Xing, shared, “Horseback riding opened a window for me to connect with nature and wildlife. It made me feel free because it was a way to step away from the technological world we live in.”
