A Young Riders’ Experience Horseback Riding at Camp Ton-A-Wandah
A young rider recounts her experience learning to horseback ride and spending lots of time with horses over the past five summers at Camp Ton-A-Wandah in the mountains of North Carolina.
by Caroline Amrol
Before I came to Camp Ton-A-Wandah, pretty much all I knew about horses was that I loved them. The first time I set foot in the stables, I knew it wouldn’t be my last. The first year of camp, I only took horseback riding lessons once every two days, and quickly decided that wouldn’t cut it.
Caroline Amrol riding at Ton-A-Wandah. Campers ride the University of South Carolina Equestrian Team's horses.
The next year, I decided to try everyday horseback riding, which meant I could spend two periods a day at the barn. I loved the extended riding schedule and learned so much about horses. By the end of my second summer at camp, I could groom and tack up a horse, and I had learned to do a passable posting trot. Every night, our counselors would ask the campers what our favorite part of the day was, and every night I would say the same thing, horseback riding.
The next year I signed up for everyday horseback riding again and had the same great experience. The counselors who taught were half the fun; they were always patient and supportive and had the best corrections for every student.
The summer going into 8th grade was when I really fell in love with the horses. The horse I rode every day, Indie, was big and beautiful, and the USC equestrian team had specified that only someone who wouldn’t kick or jerk could ride her. The counselors immediately thought of me because I would refuse to ever touch the horses too hard for fear of hurting them. She was the first horse I ever cantered on, and I would always stay at the barn well past time to go so I could spend time with her. That year I decided I wanted to spend all day at the stables, because due to my busy home schedule, riding is out of the question.
This past summer at camp, I was a BIT (Barn-staff In Training), which meant I rode in the mornings, then spent the rest of the day working and learning how to take care of horses. Even though Indie didn’t come back, last summer was my most memorable. I was placed in the advanced group and every day I would try to keep up with all the girls who rode year round. I became fast friends with everyone in our small group and learned an incredible amount for such a short period of time. By the end of the session, I was jumping over cross rails and could tack up my horse just as fast as anyone else. The rest of the day was also a whirlwind of information. I learned to muck out stalls, feed the horses, water them, bathe them, and do all of the other backstage necessities that make a barn run.
Camp Ton-A-Wandah has a traditional hunt seat riding program which focuses on teaching fundamentals, confidence and advancing skill levels.
I especially look up to Mere, who helps run the barn. She was always so nice to me and she would put up with my questions while I watched her do everything from cleaning bridles to bandaging a horse’s tail. I’m so thankful that I was provided with this wonderful opportunity to grow and learn, and the people I was surrounded by made it so much better.
Learn more about Ton-A-Wandah and other great camps with top horseback riding programs in the Equitrekking Horse Camps Guide.
About the author: Caroline Amrol is a 15 year old rider from South Carolina, who has gone to camp for five summers. She has done daily riding for four of those years.
