     I was bitten by the horse bug very early on, but never really had the opportunity to learn to ride as a kid. I did a small bit of riding at summer camp, no more than an hour per week on broken-down trail horses. Actually, I wasn't riding, I was sitting passively in a chair-seat on horses that knew where to go, how fast to go, and when to go back to the barn. Then, in my very early twenties I actually took a few lessons, and I loved it! But I had had a serious weight problem since around age 3, and the older I got the fatter I got. By the time I was in my twenties I was too uncomfortable in my own body to attempt any kind of serious athletic activity, including riding horses. Then, three and a half years ago, a wonderful thing happened. At the age of 54 I was born again, found Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal Savior, and I lost 110 pounds. I was working out five times a week, eating right and feeling more physically fit than I ever had.
     Last October, when I was 57 years old, I met a remarkable 83 year-old woman named Ann Kline. Ann is sharp as a tack and exceptionally active. She looks 70 and sounds 40. One day she mentioned that she still skis, and that she had not taken the sport up until she was age 57. "If she could take up skiing at 57 and still ski at 83," I thought, "I can learn to ride horses now. I'm the same age she was when she began skiing." I began taking lessons near my home in November, 2004. But I wanted to develop my skills more quickly than weekly lessons were allowing, and I was looking for a more intensive experience. I found myself wishing I were a kid again, so that I could go to horseback riding camp. Then it dawned on me that I didn't have to be a kid, I only had to be willing to ride with kids! I began searching on the internet for a camp that would accept a 58 year-old woman who was a novice rider, and I stumbled onto InfoHorse.com which led me to the link for Joan Ramey's riding camp. Joan and I began trading emails back and forth, and before long I was signed up for two weeks of her June camp. What a wonderful opportunity that turned out to be. Joan's love of God is integrated into everything about her camp, from saying grace at meals to treating the animals and each other with dignity and love.
     I had three goals in mind for my riding camp experience:
          1) I wanted to improve my seat, so that I could feel confident on a horse. Even though I had been taking weekly lessons and had read several books on horsemanship, I couldn't quite get the hang of "sitting on my seat bones." I always felt that I was sitting too far forward or too far back. I was out of balance.
          2) I wanted to learn how to do a seated trot, a skill which had been eluding me for months; and
          3) I wanted to be able to canter without feeling as if I were out of control. Up to the point that I went to Ramey camp I always felt as if I were going to pitch off the horse the minute we picked up the canter. You can't feel like you're riding with the wind if you're constantly afraid of falling into the dirt!
     When I was corresponding with Joan over the months leading up to my attendance at camp I got the impression she was a woman in her forties or fifties. Once I met her and watched her moving around the farm I realized I could never hope to keep up with her busy schedule and boundless energy, and I found out that she has 15 years on me! Like my friend Ann Kline, Joan isn't one to allow age to stop her from staying sharp and active.
     The small group size at Joan's camp (six - eight of us at one time with two or three instructors) allowed for a lot of individualized attention. Joan is a remarkable, talented teacher. She only had to take one look at me sitting on a horse on the first day or two of camp and she immediately diagnosed and corrected two problems. "Your seat is all wrong" she said. "You're not on your seat bones and you're not in the center of the saddle. Drop your stirrups and do what I tell you." Within 45 seconds she had taught me a trick that enabled me to sit properly on my seat bones, which were then centered in the saddle. "Your boots are laced wrong." she said next. She then untied them and showed me how to keep them lose across the part where the ankle bends on top, so that I could drop my heel without tormenting myself. Those five minutes alone were worth the cost of going to camp!
     The camp is situated on a beautiful farm and the accommodations are comprised of the lodge and the barn cottage, a lovely three-bedroom house that I shared with a young woman from Chicago. Each morning I got up early, sat outside and watched the sun rise over a huge field of corn across the road. Then, turning to the west I looked at the pasture on the other side of a nearby fence. "Horses! Horses!" Joan has such lovely, well -trained horses. I spent time each and every morning feeding the grazing horses apples and carrots, rubbing their soft noses and inhaling the beauty of Joan's farm. Joan kept us campers well fed with wonderful, healthy meals at the lodge. While she always had dessert and snacks for the kids, she also presented us with lots of fruit, vegetables, chicken and fish. Between all the time I spent riding and being in the barn, and Joan's health-supporting meals, I lost five pounds in my two weeks at camp!
     By the time I left for home I had met all of my goals. I was able to "find my seat" every time I mounted a horse, and could sit the trot and canter with confidence. And I had learned (again) that you can continue to grow and learn regardless of your age. Having been home for about five weeks now, I am happy to report that my riding skills continue to grow and I am looking forward to returning to Rockport and Ramey Camp next summer. Thanks Joan!

Ronni Rittenhouse
Wheeling, West Virginia

“This whole trip has exceeded my expectations and could not have been better. I'm so glad I came. My instructors were so patient and have improved my riding a great deal! They won't believe it back in the barn in Connecticut.”
Stamford, CT

Hi Joan, I hope you are doing well I just wanted to update you that it has been one year since my trip to Kentucky and I achieved the goal I set when I attended your camp - I qualified for a jump from 4.5 up to 5.0 in my Atlanta singles league. I went 7-0 in regular season and my best prior in 3 years had been 4-3.
Your principles helped me in many ways and I applied them in my practice throughout the year.

THANKS !

I HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY AND HEALTHY HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING .

Brett Rosen

Dear Infohorse,
     Thank you for listing Ramey Equestrian Schools on your website. I recently spent two weeks with Ms. Ramey and had a wonderful experience. I had taken lessons at other barns before and arrived at the camp thinking that I knew what riding was: I arrive at the stables, stand nearby as the instructor saddles and bridles the horse I will be using, mount, and then ride around the arena on a horse that is so used to walking, trotting, and cantering in circles that I don't have to do much else aside from keeping myself on his back. During my first day at Ms. Ramey's school, however , I soon realized that there is much more to riding than this, as she put me on one of her horses and I couldn't get him to trot for more than a few steps without stopping. By the end of the two weeks, however, I was confidently riding and performing beginning dressage movements on him.
     Ms. Ramey is a wonderful teacher and gives her students a lot of responsibility so that learn not just how to ride but also about the other essential aspects of horsemanship that go along with owning and caring for horses. After the first day I was catching my horse from the pasture, leading, grooming, and saddling him. Over the course of the two weeks I was able to ride a variety of horses as I progressed in confidence, skill, and lessons to be learned and was exposed to both dressage and the basics of jumping. Ms. Ramey is a very patient and insightful instructor and gives her students plenty of time to practice. A typical day involved waking up for breakfast at 8:15, going next door to the barn at 9:00 for a morning lesson, breaking for lunch at 12:30, resting, then returning to the barn at 3:00 for an afternoon lesson. On especially hot days, we looked forward to riding along the two wooded trails surrounding her property, which nicely complemented the arena riding. We generally returned from the barn around 7:00 for a home -cooked dinner that often included fresh vegetables picked from her garden earlier that morning. Evening activities included going to a movie in nearby Owensboro, KY, roasting marshmallows around a campfire, playing tennis at the Tennis House she also operates, or just staying in and relaxing after working hard all day. On the last weekend of my stay I had the opportunity to watch her more advanced students compete in a dressage show, which was not only interesting but gave me something to strive for.
     The stables are located near the small town of Rockport, IN (and a few miles from the bigger town of Owensboro, KY) along a small road lined by cornfields. They are situated in between the Lodge in which Ms. Ramey lives (and where I stayed) and a small Bed and Breakfast which she operates. There is a very warm, peaceful atmosphere and in the horses often come right up to the back of the Lodge hoping to be hand-fed a treat.
Overall it was a great experience and I can't wait to go back whenever I next get the chance.
Lauren Mlsna

     As a college freshman who doesn't have much riding experience, it was hard for me to find a riding camp that accepted people older than 16 years of age. After doing much research, I finally found Ms. Ramey's riding camp who didn't put an age limit on who could attend. I was a tad hesitant on going, considering I'm a very reserved and have never been away from home entirely by myself before. Yet it had been three and a half years since I had anything to do with a horse and I wanted to see if my passion for horses and riding was still in me.
      I chose to go the week after Christmas, and the first day I was there, I took a evaluation ride. I was shocked at how much I had retained from my riding lessons taken years before. In the days that followed, Ms. Ramey gave instruction two times a day. By the last day, she had me riding almost at the level I was when I stopped the first time. But, to be completely honest, my riding was the least important aspect of what I took from that trip. Ms. Ramey's barn manager was out one day, and the two of us together took care of the chores.
      Here I was, having only ridden horses never taken care of them, and I was helping tend to over 20 horses. It was an awesome experience. I learned so much about myself and had such a sense of accomplishment from just that alone. I liked the fact that Ms. Ramey had you do most everything for yourself. I found out what it'd really be like to own a horse, the immense time, effort, and money that goes into them.
     I realized that I loved to take care of them, and to have one involved in my life, I didn't have to just ride them. A lot of pride goes into simply keeping a horse happy and healthy. As stubborn and pouty as I was occasionally during my week, I was surprised how Ms. Ramey remained patient with me and I'm thankful. Aside from her camp being a wonderful experience, she is a wonderful hostess and excellent teacher of not only riding, but life as well.
Brittany Ross