Ondessonk Stable News
Hello from the Ondessonk Stables! We are excited to be celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of our current horse barn this year. Camp has had stables and a herd since it first opened in 1959. The earliest Ondessonk stable buildings were located in two places. One of the early barns, which was only used for a few summers, was in the place now called Brebeuf Flats. Stables A and B were located adjacent to the parking lot. A portion of one of those buildings is currently used as shelter for newly arrived horses. Our current barn was built by staff and volunteers between 1983 and 1985 and has been in use ever since.
From the barn at Brebeuf Flats to the current stables, and from trails like Mushroom Rock to Roller Coaster, Camp Ondessonk’s Equestrian Program has a rich history. Horses like Rodger, Silver, Lump, Thunder, Cody, Nicoma, Black Magic, Apache, and Memphis played an important role in years past. More recently, some of you may know horses like Midnight, Spunky, Comrad, Brandy, Killian, Chief, Zeb, and Lady, who currently help us teach campers.
Still, it is not just the barn and horses that make our place so special. The many people and volunteers who support us make Camp. Our barn literally wouldn’t exist without you! A big thank you goes out to the folks who have supported and those who continue to support the stables and camp programs –we greatly appreciate you! We hope you will come help us celebrate during our thirtieth year. We invite you to schedule a trail ride, volunteer, or come just for a visit.
We are really excited about the next thirty years at the Stables and what our future holds! This year, we have a lot of new faces in the herd. Campers may get to meet horses like Boomer, Thunder, Montana, Ringo, Cowboy, Sky, Socks, Storm, and Lightning. Another new face we are happy to have at the barn is our year-round equestrian coordinator, Lauren Lilly. Many of you already know Lauren through her many years of service as a summer and outdoor education staff member. Lauren and I are getting ready for Spring programming and are looking forward to teaching campers and hosting a Certified Horsemanship Association certification clinic this Summer.
Our horse herd, facility, and programs may be changing and evolving, but there is one important thing that remains throughout the years: the tradition of riding a good trail horse through the beautiful woods at Camp Ondessonk.
Until next time, Heepwah and Happy Trails.
Ondessonk Stable News, By Meagan Walters, Equestrian Director