About the camp - It's ALL about HORSES! |
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We are a year-round working horse farm. We don't ship horses in for camp. These horses are our beloved family members. The camp is specifically designed for young people 8-18 years of age who love EVERYTHING about horses!! We began this camp in 1996 to answer a need and work to improve it every year! We are outdoors all day playing in the beautiful natural setting of a farm. We get dirty, get wet, learn how to do groundwork with horses, learn to catch and lead, to groom, clean hooves, tack up, ride bareback to feel all the muscles at work for the horse ride in an English balanced seat, play games on horseback, earn saddles and reins, have fun, laugh a lot, and drink oodles of water! In the heat of the afternoon, specialists come in to teach equine-inspired art projects, lifeguard at the pool, teach horse massage, teach about horse health and wellness, and other topics so each week is different. Enrollment limited to three weeks per student. Questions? Please e-mail Ms. Deborah at dpmblueskies@hotmail.com. Our 2025 five week Camp Schedule:
Hours: 8:30 - 3:00 Mon-Fri Fees: Special one-time offer: Three weeks of our summer horse camp that Chapel Hill Magazine readers in 2024 voted "BEST SUMMER CAMP IN CHAPEL HILL," is $1800. Enrollment is
limited. Please apply early as we do fill up! Age: 8 years
to 18 years of age What to bring:
Please come dressed to ride- While campers
are encouraged to bring their own approved helmets and boots,
there are usually enough loaners available for those that do
not have their own. What
people have to say about camp From the campers: "Oh my goodness, (my daughter) had the best day today. She loved every bit of it becoming part of the herd, brushing and feeding, riding bareback and realizing how powerful communication is between her body and the horses. She loved how y'all talked about horses and how you treat them, and, just, wow, she is one happy camper:) Plus the cat and the dog and and and and! Thank you VERY much." A delighted camper's mom "Dear Deborah, Thank you for such a wonderful summer camp week!!
My daughter had one of the happiest weeks of her life, your horses give her so much love and the entire environment there is so wonderful I truly appreciate it!! Thank you and Zoe and all the counselors for your hard work and dedication to our kids and thank you especially for sharing your amazing horses!!" A camper's mom "Blue Skies is a great camp! It truly has always been a fun, loving and overall amazing place since day one. I still am just as excited to come back to camp as a 12 year old as I was as an 8 year old all those years ago. I always leave camp with a smile on my face and full of lots of stories to share with my family. I still learn new things and fall in love with new and old horses. I love learning about horses, riding, parts of the horse - - the whole lot! I always feel safe and secure but most importantly loved at Blue Skies and I most definitely plan on returning for many years to come." A camper "When I picked up my daughter yesterday from camp she looked a little weepy. When I asked, she told me she was crying because she was so happy. She said she had spent a week in the best kind of heaven, not the kind you die in but the kind you live in. I thought that was a great description :) Thank you for everything:)" A camper's mom
"Blue Skies is awesome. Their horses are wonderful, kind, sweet and best of all they treat the campers (like me) and the horses with respect. Everyone gets a choice, even the horses. It's educational and fun at the same time. You get all the help that you need. There's no judging others and you always know that they are cheering you on. I know that if you walk in feeling down this place will turn that frown upside down. Fun games all day. The horses have a nice environment for them and I think a lot of people like the pool at the end of the day but here at Blue Skies safety of the horses and us is top priority.
Five stars - best camp ever" "Blue Skies has been amazing for the past 3-4 years. It never gets old. It makes me feel so calm here, because I know I'll always be safe. All the horses are sweet and funny, as well as the leaders. I love Blue Skies!!" "I love this camp and I think it has a very welcoming and kind atmosphere. I love the horses and the gentleness we are taught to show to them. I think the counselors and instructors always do what they think the horse will like, and this makes the horses more willing to do what we want. I love that this camp is designed to support campers of all different levels of experience and we are taught about horses. I also like that we do other activities too like arts and crafts and swimming. This makes the camp more fun for everyone. I truly think this is the best horse camp in the world!" "I love Blue Skies of Mapleview. My favorite part was the trail ride. It is so much fun to ride out in the wild and see nature. I also love how it is not all about riding. It is about horsemanship. You learn about herd behavior, body parts, breeds and colors. It is also nice to cool down in the pool, after lunch and art. My favorite day is Friday because of the trail ride and other fun surprises. I love Blue Skies of Mapleview. It is SO much fun." "First of all, Mrs. Deborah is one of the BEST horse people I know. The horses are amazing, the counselors are amazing, everything about it is amazing. And most horse camps don't have art, or swimming, or counselors, and that's only part of what makes this place special. I can't think of ANYTHING that is not fun. BLUE SKIES" "I love this camp. By this week I will have enjoyed five weeks in all. I used to go to a different barn ( I rode there for about three years) and they were terrible to the horses. To get the horses moving they kicked them right away. Here at Blue Skies they really do care about the horses genuinely, and your safety is a big deal also. Overall this camp deserves a lot more than five stars *****." "I like that they don't just throw you on a horse and take off. We actually spend time to learn to lead, groom, tack up horse. Also you have to earn your saddle and your reins. The other cool thing is we don't just ride. We get to swim, eat lunch, have free time, and explore the artistic way of the horse during art. Their horses are all very sweet (especially Chance) and they are very wide about choosing counselors. Sonja, Sara, and Ms. Deborah are very nice and great teachers. I give this camp five starts! Notice - Chance is the best!" "Be ready to have fun at Blue Skies! All the horses are very nice and the counselors help in every way. You can easily make friends what with everyone's love of horses. All of the campers are easily ready to come every single week because of all the fun they had here. All the activities are welcoming and totally fun! - *****5 Star Review" "I like how Blue Skies (camp) treats all kids and horses equally. I like how Blue Skies always tries to help struggling kids." -O. "Blue Skies is an awesome camp. There are lots of horses in this camp. I loved the bareback and the trail ride and the horses are really nice." "The camp was really fun! The counselors made me feel more safe on the horses. The horses are not mean at all! My favorite horse is Doc. I have been riding at Blue Skies for a year and i have never not liked a lesson. You also learn how to care for the horses at Blue Skies." "I loved that the camp was judgement-free and FUN. You never make a big deal if someone does something wrong. Instead you tell us what's wrong with doing it and how to fix it. The horses are AWESOME and so are the counselors." "Review 4.5/5 horseshoes!! I like how nice everyone was when correcting me. I also enjoyed not only we got to ride a horse that we got to learn stuff about horses and brush/groom them. One of my favorite parts of the camp is game day. Another GREAT part of camp is how every day we did something and learned something different. I (heart) BLUE SKIES!!" "I love everything about the camp. The horses are kind and fun to be around. Sara, Sonja and Ms. Deborah are funny and really good teachers. Pinto Bean is my favorite horse. There is nothing I don't like about camp. Everyone there is sweet and helpful. I love Pinto Bean, Doc, and Charlie." "This camp is so much fun. I'll definitely beg my partents to
let me come back next year!" - Cate "I'm coming here because I like the horses and especially I
like the teacher. And I like to go to the pool at camp." - Hannah " My favorite horses are Sonny and Pinto Bean. I liked them because they
are really sweet, and all the other horses are sweet too!!
If you go here you will learn a lot about horses, tacking up,
and grooming, and you will learn how to ride, and most of all,
have lots of fun!! This is a really fun camp. I love the riding
and I love the horses." - Angela From adults:
From a riding instructor:
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Enrollment limited to 24 CAMPERS. Staff to camper ratio when riding is 1:2. 
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