Summer & Outreach Camps

 

We offer inclusion horsemanship camps during June & July each year.  Our camps are designed to accommodate both special-needs and typically developing children.  Horsemanship skills include riding, horse care, grooming, anatomy, tacking, and a daily craft activity.  We encourage each individual's ability to build teamwork and camaraderie. 

The summer camps are supervised by nationally-certified therapeutic riding instructors as well as state certified public school teachers.  Our camper to counselor ration is 2:1.  We accept campers ages 4 through 18 years and campers are placed in the most appropriate group based on their abilities and current horsemanship skills.  Campers must be potty-trained, able to follow verbal directions, and have an interest in learning more about horses and horse care.

 

 

We are proud to have collaborated with the following groups on specialized summer camps:

*Special Olympics

*EDEN Florida

*Therapeutic Integration Services in Naples

*Florida Gulf Coast University Occupational Therapy Students

2011 will be NEC's 12th year running Inclusion Summer Camps. 

In addition to our Inclusion Camps, we also offer "Outreach Camps" to groups of children from Youth Haven, David Lawrence Center, Boys & Girls Club of Naples, and Foster Care Council.  Many of these campers have never been close to a horse and their initial reaction is often, "big, scary, and smelly"!

However, during the course of the camp, each child learns how to behave around these large, gentle animals, learning new skills and forming a relationship with the horses.

 

 

The children's self-confidence and self-awareness increases as they learn how to groom, tack, ride, and untack.  They also learn about barn etiquette and horse behavior.  By the end of their time at NEC these campers have completely changed their minds about horses and can not wait to come back again!

 

 

 

For More Information On Camp Opportunities Please Email Us:  info@naplesequestrianchallenge.org