For me, the last horse ride of the summer was at Chaparral Ranch. For la Niña, she had one more week of riding and taking care of Artie the Horse (and sometimes Potter the Horse) at Webb Ranch.
Summer camp here is a working camp… and it’s not easy. She’s responsible for cleaning her horse (coat, hooves, mane and tail), saddling her own horse, and exercising it. She’s also learning knots, how to take proper care of the gear, and how to ride bareback. Lessons are also long and difficult even though her horse is a “smooth” trotter so she isn’t getting blisters on her knees like she did with Shasta.
She’s also getting more formalized instruction and techniques for handling a horse during the various different gaits: walk, trot, canter, and gallop. The best part, however, she’s learning to be assertive. She takes no guff from Artie; and, he respects her for it.
(It also helps that she feeds him carrots and sliced apples from her lunch.)
