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Horseback Riding Camps in Fairfield County

4/1/15 - By Jacqueline Miller

I was besotted by horses when I was a child so it was not at all surprising when my daughter spotted a grazing pony from the car window one day and asked if she could have a horse of her own. The answer to horse ownership was, regrettably, no (an answer that had to be repeated several times a day for the next few months), but we did agree to horseback riding camp, and we were happy to find so many options close by. There's no way around it: full-day camp options tend to be quite pricey, but some of the part-day programs are very reasonable (and tend to book up quickly).

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Blue Spruce Farm—Monroe
Blue Spruce Farm offers 1-week sessions that run Tuesday through Friday from 10 am-2 pm. The holistic stable offers an hour of riding in addition to trails rides, yoga instruction, horse care and swimming as part of the camp experience.

626 Wheeler Road, 203-268-6774

Getner Barn—Norwalk
Getner Barn offers two camp sessions: morning (8:30 am to 12:30 pm) and afternoon (1:00 pm to 3:00 pm). The morning session is a basic riding camp that includes riding lessons, horsemanship, and grooming. The afternoon session will includes horseback riding games, bareback riding, and even horse bathing. Children can bring a lunch and participate in both the morning and afternoon sessions.

22 Richards Avenue, 203-838-6245

Kelsey Farm—Greenwich
Kelsey Farm has been offering lessons since 1949, and during the summer they offer a program they call Pony Day Camp that includes daily riding lessons and horsemanship, as well as swimming, arts & crafts, outdoor challenges, and dance.

1016 Lake Avenue, 203-869-5595

Larkspur Farm—Wilton
Larkspur Farm offers camp sessions that are 2 weeks long and campers may attend twice a week. Riders of all abilities between the ages of 7-14 are welcome, and the camp hours are 8:30 am to 2 pm, Monday through Thursday. In addition to riding, campers will learn about grooming and caring for horses

93 Silver Spring Road, 203-762-2995

Mead Farm—Stamford
The Summer Horsemanship Program at Mead Farm offers 1-week camp sessions either in the morning (8 am to noon) for children age 7 and up or the afternoon (1 pm to 4 pm) for children age 4-6. The camp runs daily (rain or shine), and campers will ride, learn to care for horses, and work in the stables.

107 June Road, 203-322-4984

New Canaan Mounted Troop—New Canaan
New Canaan Mounted Troop offers one and two-week summer riding camp sessions for children ages 7 to 17. Most weeks camp runs on Mondays-Thursdays and includes group riding lessons, barn chores, horse care lessons, arts and crafts, and other fun activities. Check the website for pricing information.

22 Carter Steet, 203-966-0634

Starbuck Equestrian—Ridgefield
Starbuck Equestrian,which has both indoor and outdoor riding rings, offers 2-week camp sessions that run Mondays to Fridays from 9 am until 2 pm. In addition to riding lessons, kids will enjoy stable management, ring instruction, arts and crafts, and each day ends with water sports. Campers must be 6 or over.

20 Mopus Bridge Road, 203-438-7749

Whimsy Brook Farm—Redding
Whimsey Brook Farm offers both one and two week sessions that incorporate riding lessons, horse games, and horse management lessons. In addition, for the younger set, beginner trail rides, crafts, and a horse science badge program similar to badge programs offered by the Girl Scouts is included. Camp hours are Monday-Friday, 9:30 am-3 pm.

29 Giles Hill Rd, 203-938-3760

Photo: Mead Farm, courtesy of the author.