10.
Here is your chance to keep your horse at an absolutely fabulous facility. Fancy Hill Farm has stabling
in the indoor where your horse can watch and absorb vicariously while the lessons are going on before him. Or, if
the great outdoors is more to his liking, you can stable your horse up on the hill behind the arena where he can
feel the delicious fall breezes tickle his whiskers and whisper inspirational messages like "stretch down and out
while gently chewing the reins..."
9.
Relive your childhood fantasies of going to camp. If this one leaves you thinking "What is she talking about, what fantasies?"
just contact Paula Everett from Shen VADA and ask her...
8.
It is a great chance to meet new friends who share your passion ( OK, obsession, my husband calls it ) for dressage and indeed
for horses in general. We are all using this as a chance to dump all our household responsibilities on our spouses,
children, significant others. Hey, give me a break, my husband will have
just gotten back from his annual backpacking trek out west a few days
before I leave for camp, so I'm entitled...
7.
These great new friends just might play some practical jokes on you... Why do they call them "practical" jokes. What is so
practical about having toothpaste smeared all over your door knob and having your bed short sheeted? When you are
frantically getting ready for your 8:00 ride, who has time to search for your halter that has played musical bridle
racks with all the other halters in the barn?
6.
Before your early ride you can join your new friends for some wake up yoga to help find all the muscles that you
damaged in your lesson the day before. As you lay on the ground assuming
the position formerly taken by some agonal pigeon and wondering if you
are the only middle aged woman who cannot in fact wrap her knees around
her neck. Of course the fact that the yoga leader can not only do these
"poses" but look good at it...
5.
You will have the opportunity to have your saddle fit evaluated by a professional and, if you are in fact
fortunate, it will require only a minor adjustment that will drastically
alter not only your position but your horse's way of going such that you
will suddenly passage off across the arena and leave all your new
friends in a total state of shock and awe...
4.
You will find yourself
renewing old friendships and finding new reasons why you liked this
group of people in the first place. To quote a former camper, "we are
all at our best at camp". You will be sorry when the weekend is over
because you will have to wait a whole year to spend this type of quality
time together again.
3.
The food is great. I don't just mean good, Jan
Keener is a fabulous cook. The only reason that you won't gain 10 pounds
is because you will work it off in your lessons. The variety of desserts
alone makes it worth coming to camp. Chocolate Walnut Pie, Key Lime
Cheesecake, doesn't that sound wonderful?
2.
Where else will you find
the chance to work with such talented, generous, kind and knowledgeable
ladies as Harriet Peterson and Liz Steacie? They are world class
trainers, riders, teachers and they have a gift for communicating the
magic of dressage to the rest of us. They have even become our friends
over the years that have joined us for camp. No where can you get
this kind of instruction for this price. Harriet brings the eye of the
judge to her sessions and Liz is the National rider/trainer and they
both can even climb aboard and SHOW you and your horse what it means to
be light in the hand and over the back and yes, even YOUR horse can do
it...
And lastly, the number 1 reason why you should come to camp is
that when you finally have that light bulb moment and trust him enough
to let go of his face and ride him forward into the half halt and feel
it go through and the big mystery is unlocked, and your abs hurt but NOT
your shoulders and thighs and you FEEL what it is supposed to feel like,
your horse will thank you for it. For more information on attending camp
contact Laura Nelson at 540 382 0078 or at
galliard@charter.net . Hope
to see you there...
