Enrollment opens for horsemanship academy

UW-River Falls Falcon Youth Horsemanship Academy, under the direction of Professor Kris Hiney, is hosting summer day camps for youth ages 7 to 18 at the UWRF Campus Farm.

Two five-day camps will be offered July 7-11 for beginners and intermediate students and July 14-18 for intermediate and advanced students. Get Ready, Get Set, Show! is an additional three-day camp available June 13-15 focused on preparing youth for success in the show ring. Experienced UWRF faculty and staff teach all of the camps.

Daily instruction, a lab book, camp t-shirt and the use of Western tack and a horse for the duration of the camp are included in the cost. Students are allowed to bring their own horse if granted prior approval. Participants are required to provide his/her own lunch and water.

Facilities include an 85 feet by 180 feet heated indoor arena, heated 50 stall young horse training barn and outdoor rodeo arena. Discounts on registration fees are available for qualifying participants. Youth attending multiple camps and campers returning for a second year after attending a 2013 camp will receive a discount.

There is also a discount for families with multiple children attending a 2014 camp. The primary goal of the Falcon Youth Horsemanship Academy is to emphasize control, softness and response of the horse to basic aids, increase communication and trust between the horse and youth, and to develop youth not only as riders but as knowledgeable caretakers of horses.

The equine emphasis program is part of the animal science major in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and is one of the strongest equine programs in the nation.

Students in the equine emphasis program choose from three plans, depending on their chosen career path, including science, management and minor options.

There are two deadlines for registration and fees. The deadline for the three-day Get Ready, Get Set, Show! camp is Friday, May 30. Registration and fees for the two five-day camps in July are due Monday, June 23. For details and to register, visit http://falconyouthhorsemanshipacademy.wordpress.com. For questions, email kristina.hiney@uwrf.edu or call 715-425-3704.