Riding Camps

For our English Riding lessons, vaulting lessons, PA Day programs and Summer Riding Camps, you do not need any prior experience in order to join. Our programs are designed to help our students learn from the ground up in a supportive environment. We also ensure that we have the flexibility in our programs to progress students at difference paces within the same class.

For riding lesson series and vaulting lesson series, we will divide groups based on skill progression for each individual in the group.

For our clinics, prior experience may be required depending on the clinic. If you are unsure about registration for a clinic, please reach out by email at info@whiteforestfarm.ca, or give us a call at 613-447-7347, and we would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Casual pants are fine. We don’t recommend jeans as they generally aren’t stretchy enough for riding activities. It is hard to mount and vaulting exercises are very challenging without pants that have stretch, such as sweat pants or leggings. Generally sweat pants work better for boys, if they are slightly closer to the fitted side they are usually more comfortable. Girls generally find leggings most comfortable.

If you are planning to ride regularly, breeches are certainly worth the investment as they are specifically designed to be ridden in and have no seams on the inside of the rider’s legs.

We require close-toed shoes in the barn at all times. They don’t have to be steel toed, just no sandals or flip flops.

For riding, we ask that the close-toed shoes have a little bit of a heel (like a hiking style boot, not running shoes) so that the rider’s feet don’t slip through the stirrup. Blunstones make great riding boots and are very comfortable for everyday use as well. If you plan to continue riding, a pair of half chaps over your Blunstones work wonderfully.

We ask that everyone who chooses to attend camp purchase an ASTM/SEI certified helmet, specifically tested for equestrian sport, that has been fitted specifically to your child. It is the best way to ensure maximum safety for your child in their riding.

If you are in the Ottawa area, Apple Saddlery has a great selection.

In the evenings, we do have mosquitoes and black flies. We ask that everyone bring bug spray, and if we are out at dusk or we go on a hack in a forested area, we make sure all humans and horses get bug sprayed.

During the day at the farm and at the beach, bug spray is not necessary. The cabins that the campers stay in are either completely sealed or outfitted with bug nets over each bed.

White Forest Farm has three cabins on the property for campers to stay in. They are all within a short distance of the house, and are easily visible.

Accommodation is shared with anywhere from two–six campers per cabin. Boys and girls stay in separate cabins, regardless of how many campers are in attendance.

All food is planned and prepared right here on the farm by Bronwyn.

Breakfast is typically eggs and toast, pancakes, fruit (we have raspberry bushes on the farm so they are quite popular for breakfast), cereal, and usually on the day of the show, she makes cinnamon buns as a treat.

Lunches can vary a bit more, depending on the group. Usually, we offer grilled cheese sandwiches, bagels and cream cheese and chicken noodle soup, for example. We also serve fresh, raw vegetables from our garden, including carrots, cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes. We have also served egg rolls and wonton soup, quiche, and tuna melts.

Supper varies, but popular meals include spaghetti, hot dogs roasted on our campfire, or pizza, and we usually serve a salad each night.

We try to keep the meals as kid-friendly as possible, and we do our best to accommodate food intolerance and allergies.

All children registered in one of our riding camps camp will receive a complete packing list in the weeks leading up to the beginning of their camp.

We ask that no electronic devices (laptops, iPads, cell phones) come to camp. We find electronic devices to be very detrimental to the atmosphere at camp. It also greatly takes away from campers’ opportunity to be immersed in nature (one of the great advantages of coming to a camp on a farm).

Bronwyn will post daily updates on Facebook of what we have been up to. She also regularly checks email and phone messages in case a parent or caregiver needs to reach her. We do not encourage regular contact between parents and campers throughout the week as it generally interrupts the flow of activities (we stay very busy!).

There are three options for payment:

1. During online registration. Payment can be made either in one payment, or in equal amounts for each month of the semester.
2. E-transfer of the full amount for the semester prior to the start of classes.
3. The first month by e-transfer to confirm your spot, and then provide post-dated cheques for the first of each month for the remainder of the semester.

We require a 20%, non refundable deposit to reserve your child’s space in camp. The remainder is to be paid in full one month before camp begins.

As much as we wish we could accommodate a full refund for cancelled spots, this is a family-run business and we aim to limit each camp to 8 participants. We need to ensure those who reserve a space are committed to attending.