Horsemanship Camp

Why Horses?

Horses are great communicators and they often help people who have social challenges, learn to communicate better. Horses are herd animals and just like humans, they need to pay attention to others' cues to see how they should act and respond. This provides great learning opportunities for counselors to reinforce how the skills learned with the horses can be applied in other areas of life.

Intake Criteria:

Children entering grades 3 to 10 can attend our Horsemanship Camp. All campers must meet our Intake Criteria and go through an Intake Process prior to registering.

2023 Schedule

Camp Goals:

The goals of Camp Amicus are to increase the campers’ self-esteem, make friends, learn social skills, have a ton of fun and make lasting friendships! Social skills taught include goal setting, friendship building, bullying, social problem solving, de­escalating conflicts, conversation skills, body language, and blowing off steam. We implement social skills lessons throughout the course of the camp during explicit lesson periods and throughout the rest of the day when the campers are engaging in regular camp activities. Real ­life situations provide opportunities for practice and reinforcement of the skills learned.

Activities Offered:

Horsemanship, trail riding, horse care, archery, arts and crafts, camp garden visits, social skills and more!

What Will the Campers Be Doing?

In the morning, campers will ride horses in this program as well as brush, groom, lead and saddle the horses at Homeplace Ranch in Priddis, Alberta. Homeplace Ranch has over 40 years of horsemanship experience. Together, Homeplace Ranch and Camp Amicus have developed a unique program to use horses to teach our campers about social skills through five mornings of horsemanship and riding programming in a small group of 6. In the afternoon, they join our Day Camp program to join in on the fun of Choice programming and make even more social connections. Transportation to and from the Ranch is provided from Foothills Academy. Campers are dropped off and picked up at Foothills Academy in Calgary.

Location

The Horsemanship Camp takes place at Homeplace Ranch in Priddis, Alberta and Foothills Academy. Campers are dropped off and picked up at Foothills Academy. They are transported by a Foothills Academy van to Homeplace Ranch for the morning and return for afternoon activities based out of Foothills Academy.

Dates and Time:

Camps take place Monday to Friday for one week from 9am - 4pm

Before and After Care: 

Before and After Care is offered from 8 am - 9 am and from 4 pm to 5 pm each day at Foothills Academy. The cost is $25/week for each (ie. if you use both Before and After Care, the charge is $50 per week). 

Cost:

The fee for Horsemanship is $800  for this five-day camp (see schedule above). The fee is eligible for FSCD funding. We are able to bill FSCD directly for camp fees.  

Registration Process:

If your child has never attended an Amicus program before, please complete the Parent Intake Form to begin the process. Once it is determined that your child is eligible to participate in Camp Amicus' Horsemanship program, you will be sent registration forms. Returning camper families will be sent an email with a registration link. The completed registration form and a $100 deposit are necessary to secure your child's spot in the camp.