Learn to Ride

Campers 7-12 years old – Busing available from the Leaside.

2025 Riding Camp Registration OPENS JANUARY 2!

CLICK HERE for 2025 LEARN TO RIDE – Dates/Pricing/Bus Schedule

Have a child who loves animals and is keen to learn to ride? Pawsitively Pets has a great program for our animal-loving friends who also have a love for horses and want to be introduced to horseback riding!

Our Learn to Ride program allows children to be introduced to the wonderful world of horses and riding and still have the chance to enjoy a couple of visits from the Pawsitively Pets animal team throughout the weeks, getting up close and personal with some of our animals, as well as taking part in daily riding and horsemanship lessons.

This program is in partnership with a community riding program (located approximately 50 minutes east of Toronto.) Campers will be bused to the farm each day. (Please ensure you register for busing when registering, unless you plan to drop your child off at camp and pick them up each day.) This program has busing available. Please note that as we do bus to this location, and traffic can vary day-to-day, we generally arrive on-site between 9am – 9:15 am, and load the bus at the end of the day at 3:45 pm to get organized to head back.

At our Learn to Ride program, campers will learn all about horses, their care and how to safely interact with them, as well as daily riding lessons and horsemanship. Campers will have the chance to spend the day rotating through horsemanship, stable management, riding lessons and learning all the key aspects of horse, tack and equipment. Riding will be instructed by a certified riding instructor and will teach campers the basics of English riding, focusing on balance, position and comfort working with horses. Daily program includes: 2 mounted riding lessons per day, daily horsemanship activities, horse interactions and horse-related crafts and enrichment. All mounted riding lessons will be done in groups of 6-7 riders.

As with all the Pawsitively Pets programs, the core program is based on working safely with animals in a well-supervised and controlled setting. Learn to Ride focuses on balance, steering, control, confidence and safety. Helmet rentals are included in the program fee; all campers will be required to wear a boot with a heel while riding (rain boots with a slight heel are perfect!)

Choosing the Right Riding Level for Your Camper:

We want every camper to feel safe, confident, and supported while riding. Placing your child in the right level helps us create a positive experience for everyone and ensures they ride in a group that matches their skills.

Please do not overestimate your child’s riding ability—it’s always easier to give them a bit more challenge in a lower level than to have them struggle to keep up in a higher one. Riding is a skill that develops through consistency and repetition, and our goal is to keep building form, balance, confidence, and position.

All campers are assessed on a lead during their first ride at camp, and will be placed in a group with riders of a similar skill set—regardless of their initial registration level.

Important: Campers who do not take regular weekly riding lessons for at least 8 months of the year cannot register for Level 3.

Level 1 – New Riders & Beginners

Who this is for:

- First-time riders, or campers who have attended camp only a few times.
- Those who do not take regular riding lessons.
- If your child has not ridden since last summer and has attended fewer than 4 weeks of camp in the previous year, they are a Level 1 rider.
- Level 1 riders are split into smaller skill-based groups. On the first day of camp, all campers will start with an assessment on a lead, and campers will be grouped with other riders who have a similar skill set.

Level 2 – Novice

Who this is for:

- Riders who can trot independently without a leader.
- Have attended 6+ camp weeks in between 2024 & 2025 or have started taking regular riding lessons.
- Must be able to walk, trot, and steer independently.
At camp: All riders will still be assessed on a lead-first day, then grouped with others at a similar Level 2 skill set.

Level 3 – Intermediate

Who this is for:

- Riders currently taking weekly lessons year-round (8+ months/year).
- Can walk, post trot, sit trot, trot without stirrups and ride at a trot in the 2-point position.
At camp: Cannot register for Level 3 without regular lessons—campers who ride in the summer-only must register for a lower level.

Final Reminder:
Camp is always in high demand. Accurate placement means your child will have more fun, feel more confident, and make steady progress. Our instructors will always ride campers to their true ability level to ensure safety, learning, and enjoyment. If you are unsure what riding level to select, feel free to call the office. We are happy to speak with you about your child’s skills and what the best fit might be.

CLICK HERE for our SUMMER CAMP Refund Policy

Staff/Leader to camper ratio for Learn to Ride is 1 staff to 8 campers. During riding sessions, all campers will have a leader available to them as needed.

Campers must be 7 years old as of December 31 of the camp year to participate in this program.