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horse camp... is it worth it.

2K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  Hidalgo13 
#1 ·
I would like to go to horse camp again before or when I am 18. The only thing is, it's a lot of money. SO I need you guys to tell me what you would do if you had saved up the money and had to make a decision.

The camp I want to go to is this one:

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My reasons for wanting to go this camp:
-I would just plain looove to go to sleep-away camp again. The first horse camp I went to was where I first learned how to ride. It was so much fun and I made loads of good friends. The experience was just so great that I really want to relive it before I grow up completely and don't have the time anymore.

-This camp is the best camp I've found! There are much closer ones to my house, but none offer 5 hours of riding a day! I'll be sore like hell, but I'll be smiling like there's no tomorrow at the same time. :D The others are also just as or almost as expensive, but as I said, they don't offer as much riding!
This camp is pure horse, there aren't really activities like going canoeing, swimming, and blablabla.
When you don't ride you can spend time with the horses, socialize or sometimes they go for ice cream, or to the shops nearby for a small, fun trip. ANyhow they explain everything really well on the website. If you have the courage to go through it, they explain very well what it's like.

-Because you can ride up to 5 hours a day (4 if you're really not up to it) I would be able to progress soo much in just a week.

-Hell! THEY FILM YOUR LESSONS! They then sit down and watch it with you, trying to show you what you need to improve and such.

My reasons for not being sure if I should go:

- The price is 1485 for a week, plus 350 for extra expenses (because they go to shows on the weekends so if you wish to participate you need to pay for the fees, and as I mentioned before, they do small excursions to town for ice cream and such so you need cash for that too.)

Almost 2000$ is A LOT! Ok I would get a lot of riding out of it. And if I put money away each summer from my job, and maybe ask my parents to pay a small amount, I could afford it... but issssssh. I keep thinking if I wouldn't have better uses for all that money.

My lessons are currently 40.50$ for semi-private, or 45 for private. For private, I'd be able to have 33 lessons for 1500$. (or 37 with semi-private). With the camp I'd probably ride 30 hours in lessons, plus a little more if I show.

I don;t know if anyone has read so far, or is getting what I am saying, but basically spending a lot of money all at once scares me because I don't make that much, and I hate to think: Oh, with that money I could have spent it more wisely or differently or... grrrrrrrrrr.

PLease, I really want opinions. Whatever is said, I might go and I might not. Worse case I'll go when I am older.

Another thing, for my 18th birthday my 2 older sisters (11 and 9 years older then me) want to take me to New York city for a nice sister shopping trip. Lot's of pretty clothes and bargains! :) And even if they'll pay for the trip, I need to bring money for shopping. Ok I won't bring like 700$ or anything, but still.

And then next summer my best friend wants to do a road trip with her high school friends to Florida (with a few mothers of course). If my mom and dad let me (omg that would be amazingly surprising and awesome) I would come along too. My best friend goes to another school, but I am really close to her school friends. It's my dream to do a road trip, especially with my best friend. Basically IF my parents let me, I would have to pay mostly for that too. Don't know how much it would be, but at least part of the hotel, and again... expenses.

Ugh, I am only 16, but I there is so much I want to do in life, and of course, I ain't got the dough like some. The camp seems like a dream, just a dream, but I want to know if some here think it's really worth me putting other things off to live it.

Kudo's to you for reading the book of my life. lol :D Thanks, you are persistent.
 
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#2 ·
never mind. :) I spoke to my mother and she helped me realize it's not feasible. It's too far, and to spend more money in one week on horses then I do in a year with lessons, well I can't and shouldn't do it.
I'll just stay grateful for the lessons I have now and stop dreaming lol. :) Though it would be a nice experience.
 
#3 ·
I definately understand where you're coming from, Hidalgo! I went to my first riding camp this past summer (I'm fifteen though o.-) and it costed me $900 plus airfare. I had an absolutely amazing time and learned many things, but looking back I'm not sure that I'd do it again. Do I regret it? Ofcourse not. But that $1200 that I ended up spending could of been used for so many other things- including buying the filly that I want but now cannot afford.

I do think that the years worth of riding time would do you more good than cramming it all into a week's time, simply because it will give you more time to mature, look back on mistakes and correct them through laying out good habits, and to condition yourself.

Have you thought of possibly going to a different camp, maybe one that isn't so...expensive? There are quite a few $500-900 camps that teach very well if you look hard enough =]
 
#4 ·
Oh I looked. In my area there aren't many that are good and come under 800$. I could always go to the one I did many years ago, but it's more of a camp younger kids go to for introductory horse lessons. It was soo much fun and the land around was so beautiful. However I wouldn't learn anything horsey wise. Or at least not much.

There is one camp near my house that takes girls up to 17 years old and does eventing. It's a really good camp and I know a girl that went there and loved it. You have a 2 hour riding lesson every day... which is more then some camps... but I would like a camp that has at least 3 hours of riding a day.
It's nice and all, but for 850, I don't want to spend half my day doing camp games you know?

I'll keep looking... for fun :), and maybe I'll find something reasonable that fits all my perks.

But I think maybe it would be wiser for me to lease a horse instead. Anyhow, thanks for reading my post! :)
 
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