By Justin Suder
The Parsons Advocate
Horse camp is occurring this week in Canaan Valley! Double S Stables is at it again with their annual horse camp allowing returning kids and new sign-ups participate in the learning of horsemanship.
Owner Angie Shockley began this camp over four years ago with a team that works with children from ages six to currently fifteen, with many being a core-group of followers attending. The horse camp is not just for locals, but includes some out-of-state participants as well.
“We have kids who have never ridden, and some that be been riding for years,” Shockley explained. She continued explaining they teach horsemanship, horse care and riding, with many different levels of riding from beginner levels to more advanced levels with there not really being an age cap.
According to Shockley, the horsemanship portion of the camp is to focus on being comfortable and safe around horses and to utilize body language with both the rider and the horse. It is important to read and understand the body language of a horse. This helps the student with both life skills and communication skills. It is important to tailor to the level of the rider.
For next year, Shockley stated she hopes to have two camps per year. One will be early in the summer which will focus on beginners. The second will be shortly before school starts back up for those riders who are more advanced.
The new location of the arena and stables are on Cortland Road. The arena is approximately a year old, with both it and the stables being finished last summer. It took a little over a year to build according to Shockley. The east facing side is completely open with big sliding barn doors. This allows views of Dolly Sods and Canaan Valley Wildlife Refuge.
“It’s unique and awesome to have,” Shockley explained.
According to Shockley, the arena was built completely by her husband Matt as well as Keith Bishop and Robbey Nelson, along with clients at Q&A Associates. From outside of the business, Mike Wardwell donated his equipment and time to help with the excavation work at the location where the arena and stables were built, and Calvin Dearborn also donated his own time to help.
There is a scholarship program called Saddles & Smiles which is a non-profit organization.
“We raise money to help support working with local kids that have autism and spectrum disorders and other needs,” Shockley stated. “It’s a mixed camp. We have kids with no challenges and some with autism and developmental challenges. With Saddles & Smiles we were able to give two full scholarships and one half scholarship this year. This is the first time we have been able to do that by raising money.”
The Chili Cook Off that was held at Deerfield Restaurant and Pub in Canaan Valley earlier this summer was one of the many ways that helps raise money for these scholarships.
At the beginning of the horse camp each attendee receives a shirt with the current year and Double S Stables Horse Camp printed on it as a gift. On the last day of camp there is a pizza party where parents get to join and enjoy everything their kids have learned during their week at camp.
When the camp is not occurring, Double S Stables offers rides daily at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. upon reservations, which they just started offering this year. The cost is twenty-five dollars per person for one hour. The rides are only for small groups. This helps keep the ride very personal according to Shockley. Double S Stables also offers horse boarding, horse training, riding lessons for ages six to adult, and farrier services as well.
For more information about the camp and pricing, contact Angie Shockley at 304.642.9070 or Keith Bishop at 304.704.9606. There is a special price for siblings who attend. The camp occurs daily from 10a.m. to 4p.m. during the week it is scheduled to occur.
