Over the years I’ve done a lot of camp!  I would qualify myself as a camp expert:  overnight, out-of-towners, day camp, one day camps, school break camps—I’ve even got fairly inventive with camps like—Games Camp, Work-Out Camp, Show Rider Camp, but went really crazy this year with Pony Princess Camp!

O.k. honestly I can’t take credit for this idea.  A client of mine showed it to me on the Facebook page of Triple Creek Ranch in Longmont, Colorado.  Triple Creek calls it Fantasy Horse Camp, and they hold it several weeks throughout the summer.  They have a big production for the parents at the end and even have a complete Pegasus costume.  Triple Creek has a ton of great ideas for camps and lessons on their website at triplecreek-ranch.com, also be sure to check out their FaceBook page.

At the LEC’s Pony Princess Camp, everyone made their own tu-tu (no sew, very simple), which they wore everyday and even rode in during their lessons.  They made wands, crowns and even decorated castles.  And of course, for the “Pony Magic Production” we had a complete pony painting, pony decorating afternoon.

To promote this camp, I only used my email list and the FaceBook page.  We had 12 kids join us, and most of them were not regular riders or campers to our program.  I think you get one mother to see this and it hit the texting, Instagram and went wild.  I mean who wouldn’t want their darling princess to attend Pony Princess Camp?  I think for next year I may even ramp up the Pony Princess camp activities—I have a white Arabian pony, maybe she would wear some Pegasus wings?

Here at the LEC, I consider camp to be a major revenue stream.  Camp is not something that we just do because we have free time and the kids are out of school.  Camp is a major revenue stream to the LEC.  A couple of years ago, I and my camp staff all sat down early in the spring—at the time I was working with a very creative Marketing Director.  Unfortunately, I simply can’t afford her right now, and I really miss the creativity that came from these meetings.  This marketing director said who comes to camp?   And also, why don’t we have more repeat campers?

Of course, instantly I said—our camps are great, our camps are the best, our kids have the best time.  And the marketing lady simply stared at me.  Well, course your camps are the best—but look at the reality on paper—most kids come to a camp one summer.  So another marketing term, “retention” was introduced to me.  “Retention” basically falls into the category of repeat business.  A child comes to a horsemanship camp and they are so enamored with you, your horses, your camps, their new horse friends that they sign up for next week’s camp, they cajole their parents into signing them up for lessons after camps—you have “retained” that camp into your programs.

So after thinking, “Oh my gosh”, the kids don’t really like us—they don’t even like camp or the horses, or should I hire new instructors. My marketing lady—still just staring at me—said, “of course, they only come to camp one year—because next summer or next week they’re signed up for Zoo Camp or Dance Camp or YMCA Camp”.   Camp is simply an activity parents plan for their kids.  Each year they sign up for something new and exciting.  “Oh last year, little Timmy came to horse camp—oh, did he like it?”  “Oh, yes he loved it, but this year I saw this new zoo camp where you get to feed little birds by yourself, so I’ve signed him up for it.”  At least this is what I imagine mothers are saying to each other.

So this really got to me.  And it should get to you as well.  First off retention—you must really try to retain as many of your camper (or the lesson rider who walks in the front door), they must love you, must love their instructor, must love their new friends, must love Mr Ed their favorite pony in the whole world.  You must work on informing them of how great lessons can be, what their opportunities are here at the most wonderful stable in the world.

But then you must work on getting that next crop of campers in the door.  Hmmmm, really makes you think doesn’t it.

Camp Staff is the post for today.  I have done tiny camps with 6-8 kids and just myself managing and directing, and I have done week-long camps with 60 kids, all beginners with a full staff hired simply to work the camp (which would include a camp manager, 2 instructors, 8 Senior Camp Counselors, 15-20 Junior Camp Counselors, and a Junior Camp Counselor Manager).  The one thing they all have in common is that the success of each camp was determined by the staff, their work ethic and enthusiasm towards each day of camp.

Planning, planning, and planning have to be your top priorities.  When a camper joins us for a day, half a day or a week of camp, the goal has to be for them to have enjoyed themselves.  For any camper this means they have to feel safe (not over-mounted and not over-faced (asked to perform something they don’t understand or are not capable of doing)) and they can’t be bored.

Even with a small camp of only 6-8 campers you should probably consider hiring even one other body to help you.  Unless your camp is made up of experienced 13-17 year old kids, you shouldn’t leave your campers alone and unattended.  Even then you had better be close by.

I had just graduated from college, had planned and planned for my first summer of camp.  I was having a week of day camp, something this stable had never done (although we did have an extensive overnight camp program).  I was so excited, I had all of these activities planned, and I had seven beginner to beginner-intermediate kids signed up.  We got our horses ready, two of the campers had little to no experience, and I had no one set up to assist me.  So we had our safety talk, barn rule discussion—everyone so excited.  We get our horses tacked up walk up to the indoor arena, and then it happened.  I mean really it’s only 9:30 a.m., the kids just got here!

One of the first timers leading her pony to the arena, literally the safest pony in the world.  I mean anyone could ride him, he had been ridden and done camp for decades.  And then he saw a tuft of grass next to the barn door.  And he thought, ummm, yummy grass—unfortunately for the little girl, horses have heavy feet.  So at 9:02, the best pony in the world, stepped on the little girl’s foot and broke it.  So since I didn’t have any counselors or staff to help everyone had to put their pony back in the stall, so I could call the parents.  And no it was definitely not just badly bruised.  So all the other campers had to sit in the barn office and wait.

So my first day of my first camp was certainly momentous.  I’m not sure the other campers had so much fun that first day.  And fortunately, the little girl’s parents were very understanding, and the little girl came back the rest of the week, in her cast, boot and crutches.  She made crafts, cleaned tack and brushed ponies.  This little girl did end up going on to continue riding and even showed academy.  But if I had had an assistant, simply an experienced senior counselor, my other campers would not have had to sit in the barn office for two or three hours.

The important thing to remember is—the phone can always ring, a horse can always colic.  So I would highly recommend hiring someone to assist you with any size camp.

With this blog of camp staff, I am only going to talk about “hiring” camp staff.  It is important to have someone assist you, but how do you pay them?  Here at the LEC we pay with both cash and trade.  We have a pretty extensive “work credit program”.  This work credit program has been developed over years of working with both adults and kids.  Active LEC riders can earn “work credits” towards in-house programs such as lessons, camps and tournaments.

Here at the LEC we have a Lesson Helper Work Credit handbook as well as full guide of rules for both Junior and Senior Camp Counselors—in both of these books, the work credit guidelines are fully explained.  I would warn anyone in simply “trading some work out”.  Both you and the “helper” need to understand and accept what work will be done and the “payment” that the “helper” will receive.

A good way to cause hard feelings is to tell one of your riders that if they come help you with camp they will receive some riding lessons.  I hear stories about this all the time, and I also hear stories about how the instructor felt cheated and the rider/helper felt that they were being over worked and under paid.  If you don’t have all of this worked out in the beginning you lose a rider.

If anyone would like me to email a copy of our lesson helper guidelines, just drop me an email at louisvilleequestriancenter@gmail.com.  I am also always looking for ways to improve our work credit program so if you have any creative ideas, please let me know as well.