The enrollment is kept small to ensure small class size and individualized attention and instruction. Children at the camp range from nine to nineteen-years old, but most of them are between nine and twelve. While the majority are girls, boys love horses, too. The children are supervised at camp by Cal Poly students. The six student counselors are assigned to groups of six children, taking responsibility for those six kids throughout the camp.
Participants bring their own horses.
That's because Cal Poly just isn't set up for children. The horses on campus tend to be young and spirited, and, while college students can handle them, young children cannot safely do so. All activities and lessons during the camp stress the issue of safety around horses. The underlying purpose of the camp is to teach children skills and knowledge to make them better able to anticipate, prevent, and solve potential problems when riding at home. The participants gain self-confidence and competence in handling and caring for their pets.