Avian’s first week of summer vacation began with Horse Camp at Piping Rock Equestrian Center, in Truckee, California.

The program, which went from 1:00-5:00pm each day, teaches kids aged 8-14 the responsibility and work that goes along with horse ownership through cleaning stalls, grooming, and feeding the horses.

They also taught the kids how to understand and handle horses safely and humanely, and taught proper technique for mounted skills. On Friday afternoon, the kids put on a wonderful demonstration for the families.

After the show, the girls led their horses back to the stables, where they untacked the horses and groomed them.

While Avian brushed and fed Byrd, I headed out to the beautiful grounds at Piping Rock to visit the other horses.

Avian has been saving money, for her “horse fund”, by hosting yard sales, lemonade stands, and offering dog walking/dog sitting services to our neighbors. After camp tonight, she re-visited the neighbors, passing out her new business cards, and reminding them of her services. Her obsession and love for horses is now at an all-time high, thanks to this amazing experience at Piping Rock.