Senior High Girls Camp

We were prepared for the senior high but worried with the weather the time at the lake would be called off because of the storms in the area. As of 10:30am the people in charge sent the call the campers were coming. We loaded 4 horses in Emily's trailer and 4 in the stock trailer and took off driving into a cloud bank that made it look like we were driving towards the mountains in Colorado.
We arrived at the Herman Lake in Norris, IL with enough time to eat the lunch Beth had prepared before the trial horseback run.
Rachel on Sunny and Ruth and Sandy were the first to get into the lake. Emily brought Cindy out of the lake at a canter.



The horses all did so well Mark Herrmann on Larry and Rachel Sauder on her Haflinger Sunny had some fun cantering around the field before the girls showed up.

The buses started arriving and the horses got busy, we were able to give 175 people rides each lasting around 10 minutes, going down a trail, into the lake with a bit of speed as they came out of the lake up the hill. We never had a break taking out 8 horses at a time for almost 3 hours. Below are just a couple of pictures of the groups. Horses used were Sunny, Sandy, Larry, Cindy, Paris, Mika, Bunni and Sally.


We were so pleased with how the horses behaved, no one fell off and everyone did very well. This senior high girls camp was well attended, 200 campers and counselors all doing dangerous things like rope swings, blob jumping, bareback horse riding, high dive jumping, canoeing, water sliding and not a single one of the girls got hurt, in fact the only injury was FEDE, Ruth's husband, falling off the high dock and hitting the low dock with his heel. Now how does that happen, 200 girls at girls camp and the only one hurt is a guy.
When we arrived back at the farm Faith Reinhard came over to play with Emma and Darcy, she was so cute with these big dogs we had to snap a picture.
Once the horses were put away from camp Rhoda and Emily took Dalia and DaMita on the death trails here at the farm. Both mares did so well they decided to take them swimming. Below is Emily on DaMita as DaMita launched herself into the lake.
Both mares enjoyed a swim.
Rhoda and Dalia came out first with Emily on DaMita close behind.


All good things must come to an end and it was time to say good-bye to Emily. Emily doesn't get here that often but when she comes we pack plenty of horse back riding into the hours she is here. Emily is taking Jewel for the summer and Mike was having a tough time letting Jewel go.
Jewel was loaded into the trailer and off they went. What a LONG but very successful day!