Horseback Riding Camp Teaches Kids Responsibility

It's all fun, games, and horseback riding for the kids at Wesleyan College's Equestrian Camp.

"My favorite thing to do is horseback riding," says camper Carley Braman. "And since that's what we do here, that's what makes it so exciting for me."

Karsen Ochs says her horse, Charlie, is a beginner's horse, and she was a little nervous to ride at first.

"Once I got used to it, then I was like, 'hey this is really fun!'" says Ochs.

Courtenay Bun, the camp's barn manager, says the campers are learning more than just how to ride.

"They learn about the safety; how to take care of them. We try to teach them that if the horse gets sick, they need to take him to the vet," says Bun.

Campers say caring for the horse is the fun part.

"When we untack them, we water them down with a water hose and make them clean and stuff like that," says Ochs.

The kids say they're learning a lot about taking care of animals, and one camper says she knows what the horse may be thinking when she brushes them.

"I think they're like, 'Oh, that feels so, so good!'" says Paige Suk.

After hosing down the horses, campers find ways to cool themselves off with water games.

The camp runs for six weeks, and new campers come in every Monday.

The camp is full for the remainder of the summer, but sign-ups for next year are as early as February.

Autism Treatment New Strategy : Horseback Riding

Mary Cusack has been raising her son who has been suffering from autism for eight years. Her son suffers from repetitive hand movements, also known as “stimming,” that are commonly associated with his condition. If the hand movements are not treated and curbed, they can begin to interfere with his everyday life. However, the family was able to find a solution to the problem -therapeutic horseback riding. The reasons behind the treatment are not fully understood at this time, but his hand movements seem to disappear when he rides the horse.

“Stimming interferes with his abilities at school,” said Cusack. “But I always say, ‘Don’t worry, as soon as we get him back on the horse I can guarantee that for every month that he hasn’t been riding, it’s going to take one week and then we aren’t going to see the stim again.’”

It is an interesting take on how to treat the condition. There are many treatments available to help lessen the repetitive hand movements that are normally associated with autism. Cusack’s father said that the therapeutic horse riding is the “one therapy we would never give up.”

In the program, children will have one session per week and will horseback ride indoor and outdoor ring at a varied pace with the same horse every time. Allowing the children to bond with the horse is a big part of the program. They are also accompanied by a trained instructor and a volunteer to ensure that the children remain safe during their ride.

We Have A New Home!

Bellaventage Farms is proud to announce our new location.

We moved - lock, stock and saddles - to the beautiful city of Bradbury, conveniently located off the 210 freeway between Covina and Pasadena.

Come by for a ride!