October 2020 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN October 2020 Page 25 44 Edgefield Rd. • Quarryville, PA 17566 Tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian. Summer Horse Camp Came in a Box “They had a wonderful curriculum set up and they learned about horse anatomy, wrapping and bandaging legs, how to take your horse’s vitals, equine careers and equine nutrition,” Ronco said. “We had a whole box of materials with feed samples in tiny bags so they could smell, see and feel different types of grain, and they even gave each child a stethoscope to have. They got baggies with different pasta shapes which they used to build a model of horse anatomy. This was so fun!” Eight-year-old Angeli said her favorite parts were learning how to use a stethoscope to hear a horse’s heartbeat and how to properly wrap legs. “They had videos that they were able to watch via zoom to show these skills as well as had instructors with their own horses on the other end to demonstrate skills live,” Ronco added. “I was so happy that this was offered for Angeli’s age group. Because we have been so careful withAngeli’s Covid exposure due to her medical conditions this was a great way to have a camp but stay completely quarantined. 4-H has been excellent with providing virtu- al camps at the state and local level and there have been other activity boxes we have gotten from our local chapter for her to complete, too.” Eighteen-year-old Rachel Bitler said she was excited to sign up for camp, too. “Last year I attended the in-person 4-H equine science camp and absolutely loved it,” Rachel said. “I had signed up to attend again this spring. Even though we couldn’t hold camp in its normal setting this year, I’m thankful that we still had the opportunity to learn in an online format.” Rachel said her favorite ses- sion was the equine skeletal system. “I enjoyed making my own model of a horse’s skeleton out of pasta,” she said. “But I also loved the opportunity to talk with other 4-H members around the state about their personal horse projects. During our last session we discussed our potential future careers. It is amaz- ing to see how many current 4-H members have set goals to use the skills they’ve learned through a job in the equine industry.” Rachel said, for her, the virtu- al camp was about more than what they learned in daily sessions. “I feel that another important benefit of camp (and of 4-H in general) is the opportunity to make connections with and hear the advice of so many successful adults who work in the many careers that involve horses,” said Rachel. “I now have two of [the camp’s] instructors, Mrs. Kocher and Dr. Smarsh, as professors at Penn State. I plan on integrating horses into my future with a career as a veterinari- an. I hope to involve horses in my college experience with a minor in Equine Science as well as joining some of the many equestrian clubs PSU has to offer. I couldn’t imagine a future without horses in it.” Up and down the coast, camps like this happened because a determined equine community recognized the need. “Despite a pandemic, we are bound and determined to make sure our youth still have some great experiences and get educational components from our programs,” Kocher said. She echoed the sentiments of many. For more information about Camp in a Box from Days End Farm Horse Rescue, email info@ DEFHR.org or call (301) 854-5037. For more information about the PA 4-H Virtual Equine Science Camp, contact Andrea Kocher, at alg917@ psu.edu or(814) 0863-3957. (Continued from page 8)