Horses and music go together like, well, kids and horses.
show horses enjoy music, especially classical and country sounds.
Therapeutic riding instructor Stephanie Golder and of have joined forces to offer a summer camp for kids that pairs horses with music.
The Rockin’ Horses Camp will also involve arts and crafts.
Golder said that the duo ran a similar spring camp and it was a big hit.
"The kids loved it; parents loved it. We've had so many inquiries for more, so we're going to offer a summer camp."
The summer camp will run from July 4 to 8 for kids up to age 11.
Though they won't be riding, the children will learn about the horses.
"It's kind of a great introduction to the world of horses," Golder said.
And there will be music.
"We do have a lot of plans for keyboards in with the horses and ukuleles playing to the horse and making some music in the presence of the horses as well," she said.
As noted, the horses seem to love the music.
"You can be in a field and play the music, and the horses come right up to you. They just want to be near it. With the keyboards, the horses will often run their nose down it and kind of play the instruments themselves. They love to be in the presence of music. It's really quite neat to see, which is another reason why the camp works so well."
Golder said that horse riding and being with horses is about tempo, rhythm, and relaxation. So the horses and music go hand in hand — or hand in hoof.
There is room for 12 kids in the summer program. The participants will be divided into two groups of six: one group with six to eight-year-olds and the other the nine to 11-year-old group.
"The request has been for the older ones is that they learn how to bandage the horses and they learn some first aid and so I've got some pretty cool games and activities for them to do to learn all of that. [For example] how to take a heart rate, how to take temperature, how to check your horse's pulse, so they're going to get to learn to do some really neat things," she said.
The camp will be held at Centennial Stables.
To learn more or register, go to .
Horse crazy
Demand for all things involving horses has been skyrocketing, Golder said, as lessons were underway behind her at the on Thursday.
Seven instructors teach out of the association's riding rings.
"As 麻豆社国产is growing, the demand for any kind of horse activity — we've got people that do equine-assisted learning so therapy on the ground with the horses, we have horsemanship riding skills, we have competitive jumpers, we've got my therapeutic program, it's just exploded. All of us are so busy we have waitlists right now for students," she said.
"We found a lot of people moving here really want to get their children into horse-related activities because it teaches a lot of responsibility. And it's such a good activity."
The SVEA currently has an application in at the District for a long-term lease for its grounds on Loggers Lane, and fundraising is underway for an indoor arena. With their current short-term year-to-year lease, the organization couldn't secure grants or building permits, Golder said.
The District's , which was adopted by council in December, identified support for the equestrian society to create an indoor multi-use space as a goal, clearing the way for the association to expand its offerings.
"This is the only public use riding arena in the area. There are other barns in the area, but they're all private," Golder noted.
With land becoming more scarce in a booming 麻豆社国产while at the same time there is an increased demand for space and horse activities, proves the value of the SVEA grounds, she said.
There is a plan in the event of a wildfire in the valley, for the region's horses to be moved to those grounds, which are beside the grounds, and the association is partnering with events that are being planned in town this summer to serve as a storage area, she added.
"Being in this central location is huge for us," she said.
