Working as a Barn Counselor at Summer Camp
Authored By:
Venla S. of Finland was a counselor at a summer camp in Connecticut.
What comes to your mind when someone mentions they work at the barn at summer camp?
You might imagine teaching kids riding, but what else comes to mind? Well, wonder no more, as I worked at the barn this summer, and I am here to tell you what it is like!
How did I end up becoming a barn counselor?
I’ve been a horsey girl for as long as I can remember. I started riding lessons when I was 8, and we bought our family’s first horse when I was 16. I started working weekends at the barn when I was 15, and after having a little break, I returned to working at the barn after I graduated high school. Altogether, I have a combined experience of 15 years with horses, out of which I’ve spent 3 years working professionally at the barn.
Before coming to camp, I had had a couple years' break from working with horses. I rode daily, but had started my university studies and had gotten a new job at a grocery store. I applied to camp because, as an English major, I really wanted to spend the summer improving my spoken language through teaching campers about my passions. I would say, this job was a perfect fit for me.
However, you do not have to have as extensive experience with horses as I have! We had counselors from different disciplines and backgrounds, and the most important thing when becoming a barn counselor is being confident with horses, knowledgeable on safe practices, and having an open mind. With counselors from all corners of the world, there are going to be different practices everyone is used to, and you will have to find the practices that suit you as a team.
What is it actually like working at the barn?
As a barn counselor, your duties extend beyond merely teaching kids horseback riding. The horses are our responsibility, and thus, we do barn chores daily. These chores include tasks such as mucking out stalls, filling haynets and waters, cooling down the horses after lessons, brushing them, and tacking them up. In addition, we supervise their condition and make sure they are happy and healthy, which involves monitoring them for injuries and making sure their tack – saddle and bridle – are fitted correctly.
As someone with previous experience in the horse industry, I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of teaching and barn chores we had at camp! The days go past incredibly fast, and you have varying groups to teach every single day. Thus, instead of teaching the same lesson multiple times, we got to teach different levels of lessons every day, keeping the days thoroughly enjoyable.
The barn is a highly motivating environment to work in. Getting to teach kids about your passion and taking care of the animals creates an environment where everything you do serves a different purpose, but a purpose altogether. Running the barn is a true team effort, and it is so incredibly rewarding to see campers learn new skills and grow more confident with the horses.
Teaching horseback riding at camp was an incredible experience, and I will carry these lessons and this experience with me for a long time. If you’ve got experience with horses, I highly recommend becoming a barn counselor: It’s going to be one of the best decisions you’ve made!
Interested in becoming an American camp counselor next summer? Reach out to the CIEE BridgeUSA Camp Counselor team to learn more.