Tag: girls summer camp in Maine

Camp Runoia’s Equestrian Program

Posted on by Ali Wight
  • One-Week Equestrian Camp for Girls in Maine
  • A Unique Equestrian Experience: What Makes Camp Runoia Stand Out 
  • The New Riding Arena: A Modern Facility for Young Riders
  • Activities Beyond Riding: Building Confidence and Teamwork 
  • Camp Runoia’s Equestrian Program Among Top Maine Camps
  • Why Choose Camp Runoia?

At Camp Runoia, an all-girls summer camp set on the stunning shores of Great Pond in Belgrade Lakes, Maine, horseback riding is more than just a fun activity–it’s an opportunity for girls to connect with horses, build confidence, and develop new skills. Whether they’re beginners or seasoned riders, campers enjoy instruction in a supportive, friendly environment. From learning the basics of horsemanship to improving riding techniques, campers gain hands-on experience and learn the importance of care and responsibility. On top of the chance to practice daily as one of their chosen traditional summer camp activities, Camp Runoia’s week-long end-of-summer equestrian program is a great opportunity for young girls to grow, make lifelong memories, and discover their love for horses.

One-Week Equestrian Camp for Girls in Maine

Camp Runoia offers a week-long end-of-summer equestrian camp. This fun-packed week offers an intense, focused experience for junior riders, ideal for those seeking an immersive introduction to horseback riding or looking to sharpen their skills on the saddle. The camp is designed for girls of varying levels, from beginners to more experienced riders. Riders will also get to experience some fun activities with their horses that their home barn might not offer. Activities like swimming in the lake with our horses and playing mounted games are always a hit! Known as one of the top equestrian camps for girls, Camp Runoia’s week-long horseback riding program is the perfect way for girls to end the summer with new skills, friendships and a renewed sense of confidence.

Camp Runoia camper loves horse riding

A Unique Equestrian Experience: What Makes Camp Runoia Stand Out 

Camp Runoia stands out as one of the best horseback riding sleep-away camps for girls in New England, offering a truly unique experience that sets it apart from others. With top-of-the-line equestrian arenas, collegiate-level instructors, and a carefully chosen stable of horses, girls of all skill levels have the perfect environment to grow and excel in horseback riding. The all-girls setting at Camp Runoia fosters a supportive and empowering atmosphere where young riders can build confidence in English riding without the distractions of coed competition. This makes it an ideal space for the girls to focus on their riding skills. 

What truly makes Camp Runoia special is its community-focused approach, where campers can form lasting bonds with their peers and the horses they work with. Runoia’s horses, along with private horse leases, ensure that campers can reconnect with their favorite horses year after year, creating a consistent and meaningful experience. Our horses and ponies, who spend the off-season working in collegiate and interscholastic riding programs, return each summer ready to teach, giving campers the chance to learn from top-tier animals. 

The New Riding Arena: A Modern Facility for Young Riders

The new riding arena at Camp Runoia is a total game-changer, offering a modern, safe space that makes horseback riding even more fun! With a smooth, level surface, it’s designed to help riders practice and grow, so campers can ride with confidence. Camp Runoias has not one, but two amazing arenas, each with its own size and setup to fit everything from beginner lessons to more advanced exercises. Whether you’re learning the basics of horse care, working on your canter, or jumping cross rails, our program is fun, challenging, and suited to all skill levels. At Camp Runoia, every ride is an exciting adventure for our campers!

Activities Beyond Riding: Building Confidence and Teamwork 

At Camp Runoia, being a horseback rider is so much more than just riding – it’s about truly connecting with the horses and learning the ropes of horsemanship. Our equestrian program is all about teamwork, with campers working together to care for the horses and support one another during lessons. Each session, riders get to represent their team in our fun and spirited “Bees vs. Elephants” Horse Show, where everyone–from beginners doing walk-only classes to advanced riders jumping 2’6” courses–earns a ribbon for their hard work. But the fun doesn’t stop there–Runoia also hosts an invitational show and takes part in shows at other camps, giving riders the chance to show off what they’ve learned, challenge themselves, and build confidence. It’s all about learning, growing, and having a blast in the saddle!

Camp Runoia’s Equestrian Program Among Top Maine Camps

Maine is known for its incredible summer camps, and Camp Runoia is a standout when it comes to horseback riding. Set in the heart of Maine’s stunning natural beauty, Runoia offers the perfect backdrop for the girls to connect with nature and develop their equestrian skills. As one of the top equestrian camps in New England, Runoia allows campers to ride daily, participate in horse shows, and hone their skills all while enjoying a traditional camp experience. 

We cap the number of lessons we offer to ensure each rider gets attention from instructors and the horses are not over-worked. Two of our riding instructors teach each lesson, ensuring that every camper receives the individual attention they need to grow. This low rider-to-instructor ratio allows for focused, hands-on learning, while still creating a fun and social atmosphere where girls can bond with other campers. Runoia’s skilled staff are passionate about working with children and ensure that your daughter will thrive in a supportive, empowering environment. 

Camp Runoia equestrian horse rider jumping

Why Choose Camp Runoia?

For generations, Runoia has been empowering girls to grow both as individuals and athletes and is known as one of the best all-girls camps in the country! One of the camp’s standout features is the amazing horseback riding program, perfect for girls of all skill levels. Whether your daughter is just starting to ride or is already an experienced equestrian, she can choose horseback riding as a daily activity during the traditional summer camp or take part in the week-long horseback riding camp at the end of the summer. It’s a fantastic opportunity for her to ride every day, care for horses, and even participate in competitions. Runoia’s equestrian program is a major highlight of our Maine sleepaway camp.

Camp Runoia’s equestrian camp for girls is more than just a place to ride–it’s an opportunity for personal growth, bonding with like-minded peers, and creating lasting memories in one of the most beautiful spots in the country. With state-of-the-art facilities, well-trained horses, and a team of knowledgeable staff, our equestrian program truly stands out. At Camp Runoia, girls have the chance to learn what it takes to be a true horseback rider in a safe, supportive environment, surrounded by empowering staff and fellow campers. Whether it’s one of our lesson packages through our traditional camp programs or our immersive week-long end-of-summer equestrian camp, Camp Runoia’s equestrian program is a must for any girls looking to learn more about horseback riding!

 

On Choosing a Camp: what is the right fit?

Posted on by Colleen O'Malley

As we round the corner into what feels like the back half of fall, many families are, possibly for the first time, searching for and choosing a brand new camp for their kid(s). Choosing a camp requires placing a lot of trust into camp professionals to care for your child and to provide a dream experience – but that trust doesn’t need to be blind. At Runoia, it is our goal to help campers find their best fit camp. We are always thrilled when that happens to be Runoia, but each camp is entirely unique from the next. It’s important to know what’s important to you (and your child,) ask the right questions, and pursue that experience. After countless parent phone calls and Zooms, here are the top things we suggest parents and guardians think about when choosing a camp, and some helpful questions to ask a camp director when looking:

Narrow-focused or well-rounded?

The label ‘camp’ can mean anything from a soccer day camp to a sleep-away camp with dozens of activities. Are you hoping that your child focuses on building one particular skill – sailing, riding, a team sport, etc. – or do you hope that they will broaden their horizons, try new things, and gain skills in multiple activities in one summer?

Runoia falls into the latter category – with 30+ activity choices and exceptional programs in multiple areas like our complete waterfront, on-campus riding program, trips, and more! Here are some questions you can ask a camp director:

  • How many activities do you offer at camp?
  • What would you say are your biggest programs?
  • How do you offer skill progression in different activities?

Structured or elective?

This is an important question to ask, especially after deciding on the prior! Once you know how many and what kind of activities a camp offers, it’s important to also know how much of a camper’s schedule is in their own control. If you are leaning towards a camp that specializes in just a handful of activities, you may also be looking for a structured camp that sets campers’ schedules for them. Runoia’s culture is one of choice and individual expression – our campers choose their own schedules in 2-day and 3-day blocks at camp. Our campers choose their schedules at camp for each block at a time, so they can pursue a new-found passion, change their minds, or be a completely different person from one block to the next! Here are some great questions to ask a camp director to get a sense of their structure:

  • Do campers have full, partial, or no control over their schedule and activity choices?
  • Do campers do activities with their cabin group or are classes mixed?
  • Do campers choose their schedules before arriving or at camp?
  • Do you offer any special-focus programs for campers to enroll in?

Small community or big population?

There are certainly benefits to each different camp population size, from a trip program with just a handful of staff and campers, to communities with hundreds of staff members and thousands of campers in one summer! When choosing a camp, ask yourself and your child whether they would prefer a tight-knit community – one where everyone knows one another and friendships span all ages – or a large community with the opportunity to meet hundreds of others? Runoia is a community like the former; our director team knows our campers’ names and each are involved in all aspects of the community on a day-to-day basis. Here are some questions to ask a director about their community:

  • What is your community size in each session?
  • How many campers and staff are in each cabin?
  • What is your overall staff to camper ratio?
  • Are your senior-level staff and directors involved in the daily community?

Tradition

As a camp entering its 117th consecutive season, we’re no stranger to tradition – when your camp has been standing since 1907, you pick up a few along the way! We try to strike our best balance between tradition and progression – honoring our foundations while moving forward. Here are some great questions to ask on tradition:

 

  • What traditions are important to your camp?
  • Does your camp partake in any intra or inter-camp competitions?
  • Do you have something like ‘color wars’?
  • Do you ever reevaluate traditions with a DEI lens?

 

An immersed experience, or connection to the ‘real world?’

We believe that camp poses a unique opportunity to ‘unplug’ to connect to nature, others, and ourselves. Therefore, Runoia offers a truly classic, immersed camp experience for its campers and staff. Technology is a no-go at Runoia, and we keep it old-school with letter-writing. Runoia also communicates with parents throughout the week through multiple modalities. We find that our system of communication really helps our campers make the most of their time at camp,

connect to others, and fight off feelings of homesickness. Each camp is different, however, and it’s important to know what level of communication you expect from your ideal camp. Ask these questions:

  • Are phone calls allowed at camp?
  • Can you describe how mail works at your camp?
  • Do you have a system of regular communication for updates from the leadership team?

Session length

Again, each camp is so different from the next, and the topic of session length is no exception! Camps range from offering just 1-week sessions throughout the summer, to only offering a summer-long experience. Runoia offers two 3-week sessions and limited opportunities for a full summer. We also offer a 2-week ‘try it’ program for our youngest campers called Harmony Land Camp. When thinking about session length, try asking these questions:

  • Do you offer a shorter ‘starter camp’ program to try? What ages are eligible if so?
  • What are your session dates and how long is each session?
  • Do most campers choose to go for one session or the full summer?

 

Location, location, location

We might be a touch biased to say that Maine really is the summer camp capitol of the world, and Maine does it well! Offering plenty of water, beautiful green land, and mountains to boot – you just can’t beat it. And since each year we welcome campers who have traveled from not just states away but countries away, we’d have to say it’s a worthwhile journey. Here are some important questions to ask about location and transportation:

 

  • What are the options for transportation to camp?
  • What does opening day look like for each mode of transportation?
  • Do parents and guardians tend to travel in the area for the duration of camp?

Diversity

When choosing a camp, it is important that your child finds a community in which they can see themselves represented by other campers, staff, and in camp policies. Runoia is happy to have seen its camper diversity grow organically in recent years, and has responded with the formation of its DAC, Diversity Advisory Committee, and intentional efforts to positively impact access to camp and the experience of camp for all families. Whether this directly impacts your camper or not, it is an important component in a camp’s culture and community. Here are some questions to ask a director on diversity at camp:

  • How would you describe the diversity of your camp? Has it grown recently?
  • Does your camp have any official advisory, DEI professional, or DEI policy in place?
  • Do you offer DEI training to your staff members?
  • How does your camp approach gender identity and pronoun expression?

What does it mean to be accredited? 

To help reduce risk, Camp Runoia is voluntarily accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). We follow standards pertaining to: program, site, facilities, transportation, vehicles, administration, personnel, and health care. If a camp holds a current ACA accreditation, it means that it has also been evaluated to meet the same rigorous set of standards as Runoia. Here are a few questions to ask about accreditation:

  • Is your camp currently accredited by the ACA?
  • Has there ever been a time recently when your camp was not accredited?

There are many factors to consider when choosing a camp, and each individual family and camper will have a unique set of ideas of what ‘camp’ should look and feel like to them. We hope you utilize these helpful questions in your next conversation with a camp director and wish you luck on your camp search!

Interested in Runoia? Reach out to request more information!