Trail Riding Adventures at Junior Riders Camp

Every session at Junior Riders includes at least two guided trail rides through the surrounding countryside. For many campers, these rides are the highlight of the entire camp experience — and not just because the scenery is beautiful.

What Makes Trail Riding Different

Arena riding is controlled, structured, and deliberate. Trail riding is none of these things — and that unpredictability is exactly what makes it valuable.

On the trail, a horse behaves differently than in the arena. Scent, movement in the undergrowth, streams to cross, bridges to walk over — all of these present a young rider with real-world horse management challenges that no arena exercise can fully replicate. A child who handles their horse calmly through a stream crossing or past a startling deer develops a quality of confidence that's visibly different from the confidence built purely in the arena.

Our Trail Network

Junior Riders is fortunate to have access to approximately 15 miles of maintained trails through the surrounding property and adjacent conservation land. Our routes range from gentle meadow paths suitable for beginners (Sprouts and lower-level Trotters ride here) to more technical woodland routes with natural obstacles for our advanced Canters and Gallop riders.

Every trail ride is guided by at least two qualified instructors, one at the front of the group and one at the rear. The group size never exceeds eight riders. All riders wear helmets, and hi-visibility vests are worn during any periods of low light.

The One-Hour Meadow Loop (Beginners)

Our entry-level trail route takes riders through two large meadows connected by a gentle tree-lined path. There's a gentle stream crossing about halfway around that never fails to generate both anxiety and delight in first-time trail riders. The loop ends on a gently rising open field where, for groups that are ready, we often allow riders their first experience of a relaxed outdoor trot.

The Woodland Circuit (Intermediate and Advanced)

The woodland circuit is a two-hour route that includes varied terrain: some gentle hills, a section of tree roots and uneven footing that requires riders to give horses freedom through their neck and back, a narrow bridge crossing, and two water crossings. Advanced groups often include a supervised canter section along the ridge path with views that riders consistently describe as the single most memorable moment of their camp experience.

What to Bring

• Helmet (required)
• Appropriate boots with a small heel
• Water bottle (attached to the saddle — not in a backpack that might spook the horse)
• Sunscreen applied before heading out
• A sense of adventure