• Type of Camp: Take a moment to consider the type of camp that makes the most sense for your child. Is it coed, all boys, all girls, or brother/sister? Is it overnight camps or a day camp? Is it general, specialty, academic, travel or special needs?
• Cost: As a parent you have to make careful assessment of your family's financial limitations regarding camp costs. There are several very important calculations. How much would you have to pay to feed, entertain, provide childcare, and so forth, if your child stays home for all or part of a summer? Second, be sure to estimate the extras that are involved in going to camp. Extras may include a camp uniform, charges for trips, transportation, the cost of visiting the camp, and the extra spending money needed by your child. Third, remember that a good camp experience can be a long-term investment that will affect many other areas of your child's life. In other words, don't be too concerned about saving a couple of hundred dollars over the course of the summer. If your child does not have a good experience, you both will have lost far more than you have saved.
• Size: Camps may vary in size from under 100 campers to more than 400. Smaller camps may foster a very special environment where campers and staff really get to know each other, and where individual needs can be quickly met. Large camps are often organized into small units thus making it possible to receive the same kind of attention offered by a smaller camp. In a good camp there may be little correlation between size and the quality of the total camp experience.
• Location: Many parents needlessly limit their search for a camp by looking in one state or by choosing an arbitrary distance from home. More important than distance, are the related questions involving camp environment, security, medical facilities, and accessibility. Keep in mind that there are excellent camps in many states, and that if your child is having a good experience, distance will not make a great deal of difference.
• Programs & Activities: Camps have all kinds of program offerings. Some camps may emphasize one activity while others will offer a wide array of programs. Camps in which a camper would devote a majority of his or her time to one activity are often referred to as Specialty Camps. In these camps, staff and facilities are geared to provide an intensive experience in a single area such as horseback riding. Naturally, these camps have other facilities and activities that provide campers with additional experiences.
• Special Needs: There are other special considerations, some examples of which are listed below:

  1. Weight Loss
  2. Kosher Food
  3. Vegetarian
  4. Special Diet
  5. Learning Disabled
  6. Attention Deficit Disorder
  7. Non-English Speaking
  8. Physically Disabled

With this information and your homework, you should be able to identify those camps which appear promising in terms of meeting your specifications. Once you have condensed your list of camps, review the brochures and videos with your child. Don't feel self conscious about asking lots of questions. A good camp will have paid a lot of attention to these parental concerns and should be eager to respond to them. Involve your child in the selection process. Finally, ask for references of families who have had their child attend the camp. Speaking with these families can give you valuable insight about the camp and the families that send their children there.

Here is a list of some camps that provide equestrian programs:

YOUR SOURCE FOR EQUINE PROTECTION AND FARM AND RANCH INSURANCE