To wrap up this week’s Meet the Program Staff series, we end with Horseback Riding Director Isabel Pickett. Isabel is from Hoover, Alabama and this is her first summer with Camp ASCCA! “I’m really enjoying it so far, it’s been a lot of fun,” she said. “I’ve gotten to know a lot of new people and I’m really looking forward to a great summer.”
When Isabel originally applied, she was looking to be a Camp Counselor. “My major at Auburn is rehab and disability studies, so I was more interested in working one-on-one with campers to learn more about disabilities,” she said. However, with her extensive horseback riding experience, she and Camp Director Matt Rickman felt Horseback Riding Director would be a better fit.
As Horseback Riding Director, Isabel gets to spend a lot of one-on-one time with our horse Skip. “He’s really sweet and I think he’s going to be really great with our campers,” she said. Isabel has similar duties, in regards to morning clean-up, like the rest of the Farm Staff. However, a lot of her morning tasks are catered to Skip. She feeds and cleans him and lets him back out in his pasture, while she goes to help everyone else finish.
As she prepares for the weeks to come, Isabel has had time to think about the different activities she’d like for campers to do. “For when they get to ride, I’m thinking about doing different games such as setting up cones for us to weave in and out of,” she said. “I might even use some water toys, depending on how comfortable Skip is with that.” With the different themes that come with each week, she’s even thinking about matching costumes for her and Skip. We can’t wait to see what she comes up with!
Isabel will determine the different activities campers will get to do depending on their confidence level with horses. Those that are more confident in their riding abilities will get to ride Skip around our equestrian ring, with a counselor acting as a side-walker. For our campers who may be a bit more shy when it comes to horses, they’ll get to do more of a “Meet and Greet.” This will involve giving Skip a treat, brushing him off or just saying hi!
She’s really excited about getting the opportunity to share her knowledge with the campers and hopes that they get a good taste of what horseback riding is like! Keep up with Isabel and Skip this summer on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, and right here on our website!
Jasmine Reed, PR
Camp ASCCA 2017
Meet the Program Staff
Located in Alabama on Lake Martin, Camp ASCCA offers campers a wide variety of traditional recreational and educational activities with a unique design for accessibility.
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