Camp Sealth Seeks Community Help to Continue Horse Program

Camp Sealth on Vashon Island, run by Camp Fire USA, is looking for community partners to sponsor the continuation of its horse program. Miller-Blue, Camp Sealth’s horse outfitter for the last 25 years, is going out of business at the end of this summer. The proprietor will be selling his entire herd. As his valuable longtime customers, Camp Fire has the option to purchase horses and all their tack at an extremely favorable price if we can secure donations and pledges now. Camp Fire shares the outfitter’s hope that these horses will be able to continue in high quality youth programs that serve kids who truly care about them.

The horse program at Camp Sealth aligns perfectly with Camp Fire’s mission to develop leadership skills and connect youth with the natural world. Through their experience with horses, young people develop forethought, discipline, and empathy. Horse riding teaches kids the art of leadership – they learn how to respect the horse, how to be responsible for the horse, and how to be confident and persuasive with the horse. In addition, children have fun and love riding horses like the beloved Oreo and Howdy.

Camp Sealth provides trained riding

instructors and the program is overseen by a CHA-certified supervisor. All instructors are at least 18 years old with extensive riding experience and at least two weeks of job training. Sealth meets all horse program requirements from the American Camp Association, and has a high standard of safety for horse program participants, maintaining a 1:4 staff to participant ratio or better, with at least two staff present at all times.

Camp Sealth plans to keep six horses at Camp during the academic year, in order to continue to offer the popular Horse Workshops. These horses will also provide valuable programming for kids of all abilities at the annual Special Family Weekend. The remainder of the herd will winter in Eastern Washington until the time for the Wranglers, the horse program campers, to mount up again for Summer 2013.

Camp Fire needs your help now to ensure that kids have access to the renowned horse program again next summer. To make a secure online gift in support of the continuation of the horse program at Camp Sealth, please visit www.campfire-usa.org or call 206 826 8934.