The article is on summer horse camps not filling. In the past they’ve had waiting lists with the camps filling quickly. Last year was slow with a couple camps but filling but, this year most have not filled.
Economy, etc? The tariff thread was closed because of political talk, I hope we can discuss the issue affecting the camps without getting into that.
I saw that…
Want to know why camps are filling? Because most parents are both working full-time in the office. Unless the camp runs similarly to paid care, parents can’t use it unless one parent stays home for pickup and dropoff.
Plus camp costs in my area have skyrocketed. $450.00 form 9AM-1PM horse camp for 4 days a week is ridiculous. I can put my kids in a $125.00 week camp with the county parks and rec system that covers from 7:30AM-3PM.
I think the economy probably does play a role here. Almost every middle class and below person I know is having to be more careful about their spending. Riding/horses are an expensive luxury and not getting any cheaper either, so the costs for even a day camp can be pretty large. Some resident camps are eliminating horse programs due to the cost and liability. (I realize you are probably talking about the day camps that many barns run, not other camps that happen to have horses.) I also see less interest for camps, the outdoors, etc from kids in general. I look at the photos posted on Facebook from Girl Scout camps in the area… compared to when I attended in the 90s, and see way fewer kids and staff.
It’s wages not growing. Plus the 24/7/365 scary news cycle, and the disinvestment in community programs.
Community pools have given way to private (gym memberships). Free play with kids in the neighborhood has become monetized too - join a league and pay, etc.
Plus yes, most riding camps aren’t all-day. If only they could have horses and the other things without nosebleed prices (relative to income stagnation), but they can’t. And that has been by design.
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