Summer is here, and on the Central Coast, that means horse camping will be in full swing soon. There are so many opportunities to enjoy this fun activity with our kids and our horses in our local area. However, many of us simply don’t know the “in’s and out’s” of things, or exactly what to expect. Don’t fret, you can learn basic horse camping skills from some extremely experienced campers by joining them on a local one-day Youth Ride featuring a High-Tie clinic at lunch.
The Central Coast of California Arabian Horse Association and the West Coast Rocky Mountain Horse Club are inviting all interested in the fine art of horse camping on their 2nd annual Youth Ride, held on Friday June 16, 2017 in Ranchita Estates – just past Lopez Lake, in Arroyo Grande. The ride will go up to Redemption Ranch, the private property owned by Barney and Gloria Northcote. All breeds of horses are welcome, and youths between the ages of 7 and 19 years old, along with their parents/guardians, are welcome.
Brenda Gilardone, ride organizer, tell us why she loves this ride. “I enjoy the chance to ride with youth of various ages (7-19 years), their parents and grandparents on a beautiful scenic ranch. Nobody is in a hurry; the conversations are interesting and the people are friendly.”
Horse camping is truly some of the most fun that you can have on horseback. If you love the outdoors, enjoy exploring nature with like-minded horsemen and horsewomen, and have the desire to learn new or better ways to enhance your horse camping experience and skills, this ride is definitely for you. The ride coordinators are extremely helpful and enthusiastic when it comes to welcoming with open arms people of all skill levels. Even if you haven’t ever tried horse camping before, this would be a great introduction. Grab the kids and the horses, come out and enjoy this fantastic event.
All interested riders are welcome and the ride is free for all 4-H, CCCAHA and WCRMHC members. Interested riders can sign up to join CCCAHA ($30/year for youth or $35/year adult) and/or WCRMHC ($10/year for youth or $25/year family) the day of the ride. Parents/Guardians who are not members of either club ride free. Adults without children are welcome to join us as ride chaperones, but they will need to be members.
The staging area is the Northcote’s Paradise Ranch and gates open at 9 am. We hope to hit the trail at 10 am. Please pack your water, drinks and lunch. We’ll ride to Redemption Ranch where we’ll experience the beauty of the California grassland and oak trees for a couple hours. Then, we will tie up the horses (please pack a halter and long lead), eat our lunches while learning about knots and how to High-Tie horses to trees. When everyone is ready, we’ll head back and go home.
You must pre-enter to ride and the closing date is June 13. Please contact Brenda Gilardone at gilardoneb@yahoo.com or text her at 805-619-0125.
