One of the great joys of camp is our horseback riding program. Kids+horses=unbridled joy 🙂 Watching children encounter the beauty, power, and intelligence of these majestic animals is so fun! A first-time camper who comes to our barn will receive a warm welcome, introductory exposure to the barn and to the horses, basic understanding of horse care, and riding lessons in the English saddle for beginning, intermediate and advanced riders.
We have been extremely proud of our equestrian program over the years! Our riding staffs have been fun-loving, hard-working, caring for our campers, and talented with our horses. However, as we’re always hopeful and working towards improvements at camp, we recognized that our programs could be improved if we had more continuity in our horseback riding program, particularly with our instructors throughout the years. As a result, we opened conversations last fall with local professionals who could potentially enter into a long-term relationship with CKC as educators for our campers. Now, after many months of building relationship, we’re excited to announce a partnership with some of our neighbors right here in Transylvania County. Jessica Owen, Owner and Head Trainer of Whispering Faith Equine and neighbor of Camp Kahdalea, will lead our barn in 2025.
We can look forward to all the familiar joys of seeing horses around camp, trail rides, and ring instruction. Joining forces with Jessica and WFE, our campers and staff will have access to our hundreds of acres bordering the National Forest AND they will also also have access to Jessica’s private ranch, only a five minute drive from camp, for lessons and games! For Jessica and her staff, riding instruction is a real passion. “We focus on making learning about horses easy, safe, and fun. We’ve had the opportunity to help countless students acquire foundational skills, develop new techniques, and confidently move forward in their riding journey.”
We could not be more excited to have Jessica and her staff share their talents and teaching with Camps Kahdalea and Chosatonga this summer! We are confident they will strive to lead fun, informative, and safe programs and trail rides for our campers and we look forward to an enduring partnership with Jessica and Whispering Faith Equine.
