Entertainment ideas wanted!

We are starting to look at entertainment ideas for our summer camp, and we would love to have suggestions!

In the past we have had entertainments such as: fire deportment, rescue squad, K9 demonstrations, SWAT team demonstrations, pony/hors cart rides, motorcycle rides, jumping demonstrations, cattle working demonstrations and singers.

If you have any ideas for future entertainment ideas, we would appreciate your input! We would like to incorporate new entertainments each year.  

Arts and Crafts Leader Needed

The 4H Therapeutic Adventure Camp of Orange is looking for a volunteer to lead our arts and crafts station at camp.


Responsibilities include:

• Helping to plan and prepare daily craft activities
• Setting up the craft station each morning
• Cleaning up the craft station after camp each day
• Assisting campers with making crafts
• Assisting other craft volunteers with helping campers
• You will have three groups of approximately five students each

Volunteer Requirements:

• Available August 4-8, 2014 from 7:45 am to 12:30 pm
• At least 16 years of age
• Have an interest in arts and crafts activities  
• Attend a training session and committee interview
• Meet with committee prior to camp to plan arts and crafts activities
• Experience working with children (preferred)

Past examples of our arts and crafts activities have been: making stepping stones, painting sea shells, making key chains, decorating horse shoes, making picture frames, and MANY other activities!

If you are interested in applying for this position or would like more information please contact Jessica Harlow at (540)308-0433 or 4HTACO@gmail.com.

Horse Education Leader Needed

The 4H Therapeutic Adventure Camp of Orange is looking for an adult to teach our horse education session at camp.


Responsibilities include:

• Helping to prepare daily lesson
• Setting up horse education station prior to camp each morning
• Cleaning up the horse education station after camp each day
• teaching three groups of approximately five students each

Volunteer Requirements:

• Available August 4-8, 2014 from 7:45 am to 12:30 pm
• At least 18 years of age
• Have at least 5 years horse experience
• Attend a training session and committee interview
• Meet with committee prior to camp to plan horse education lessons
• Safe ground handing practices with horses 
• Experience working with children (preferred)

Past examples of our horse education lessons have been: finger painting body parts of the horse, grooming, learning about tack, breeds, disciplines, markings and colorings.

If you are interested in applying for this position or would like more information please contact Jessica Harlow at (540)308-0433 or 4HTACO@gmail.com.

TACO is looking for back-up camp horse prospects!

Currently the Therapeutic Adventure Camp of Orange has enough horses for our 2014 Summer Camp. However, as all horse people know, horses have their own plans and often decide to get hurt at the most inconvenient time! Therefore, in hopes of prevent future panics of trying to find a suitable horse at the last minute, if a horse comes up lame the week of camp, we would like to have a list of potential camp horse prospects.

There will be two purposes for this “back up” list. We will keep the list up to date in case any of our normal camp horses decide to get hurt right before camp and we need an “emergency backup.”  In addition, we will use this list if we have a camp horse that is retired or that isn’t available for the week due to owner’s vacation etc.
 

The potential camp horse prospects must be "bomb proof," able to handle children with little riding experience, and special needs.

All horses will have a handler (preferably the owner if available, if not an experienced handler, that has been approved by myself and the instructor) and have 2 side walkers with each rider.

Riders will walk/trot only, walk over poles and small "jumps", move objects (small diving rings) from jump standards, and remove objects (sand toys) from various locations in the ring. The camp is held in an indoor ring with open sides. 

All horses must pass an evaluation given by the instructor and myself. 

We are looking especially for horses in the 14 to 15 hand range that can carry campers up to 250 lbs. We try to use stockier smaller horses to make it easier on our side walkers. However, all sizes will be considered! 

If you have a horse that maybe suitable and you would like to add to our list of potential horses please contact myself, Jessica Harlow at 540-308-0433 or 4htaco@gmail.com.

2014 Summer Camp Dates *Input Needed*

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a great Christmas and a great start to the New Year! 

We are working on scheduling a date for our 2014 summer camp. I am requesting everyone's input on dates. However, a final decision will be made by the committee on January 21. We will base our decision on horse and committee member availability first, and then on volunteer and camper availability. 

The dates listed on the poll are based on the start dates of camp. Please pick ALL available dates. The second yes on the choices that is written as (yes) means "if need be/maybe" 

The choices are:
July 14- July 18
July 28- August 1
August 4- August 8

I need all responses by Monday, January 20 at 4pm! Please take a few minutes to take this poll so we are able to make an informed decision. I greatly appreciate your time and help! 

Link to the poll for summer camp dates: http://doodle.com/wqn8s6ffambqrh9g

Thank you,
Jessica -- 

A Great 2013!

We had a great 2013 year for TACO! I don't even know how to begin to sum up the wonderful experiences we had this year! I will try to touch on the "major" ones and hope I haven't forgotten any! 

We got the privilege of meeting and working with some new and wonderful campers. Michelle, Ben, and Alexis, we are so glad to have you both as a part of TACO!

We gained some more incredible volunteers, which you all know camp is not possible with out all of your help!

We had our first ever benefit horse show, which we had fantastic support from the horse community for! We even had the honor of meeting Carol Angle and her horse Tigger who were awarded The Century Club at our Fun Show. To make that even more special, Tigger's breeder was present to present the award!

We received our first grant and held our first fundraisers, which were huge successes thanks to all of our parents, volunteers, and campers!

We also had the pleasure to meet Doug Edwards and Jeff Rankin who performed a wonderful cattle working demonstration at our 2013 Fall Camp.

TACO also had our very first float in the Orange County Christmas Parade and participated in 4H Achievement Night.

Although, 2013 was a fantastic year, we had two campers age out this year, Jeremy and Ashley, all of the TACO volunteers and Savvy will miss both of you greatly!


Without the support of Elmwood Farm Equestrian Center and all of their staff, our committee members, numerous volunteer, and wonderful horse owners and of course parents, we could not have had such a successful year. Thank you for all that you have done for TACO!

Here is to a great 2014!!