Godfrey – Among the most popular College for Kids classes every year, a great lineup of horseback riding camps are being offered this spring and summer.

“We decided to give kids an opportunity to ride almost year round with these weekend classes,” said Katie Haas, assistant director of Corporate and Community Learning, a division of Lewis and Clark Community College.

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Many of the courses – some designed for true beginners, some for those yearning to advance and some for younger children to work with their parents – are offered at Rocky Branch Stables in Bethalto and Triangle H Farm, LLC in Edwardsville, which have both been partnering with the program for years.

“Some sections of ‘Little Stirrups’ – the parent-child class – are already full they’re so popular, and I have a lot of students that have taken the class three and four times,” said Lisa Teepe, owner of Rocky Branch. “They work with the horses and get to ride the first day they get there, and they don’t have to buy any special equipment. The most common comment I get is that they want to know when they can go horseback riding again.”

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Other than giving area children the opportunity to experience something fun and new, working with the horses is also about self-discovery and healing for many students, said Marcy Heepke, owner of Triangle H.

“It’s a fantastic program and I think what the students learn about themselves by being around the horses is pretty neat. Some kids that might be shy aren’t shy around the horses, and they also learn great team building skills,” she said. “The students in our program get to be around
the horses and get to know more than just riding – including what it takes to keep and maintain a horse. We also have crafts and games and teach about the whole farm – it’s a fun  atmosphere.”

Visit www.lc.edu/ccl for a full schedule of classes at both establishments, or search CECK courses at www.lc.edu/schedule. For more information, contact Corporate and Community Learning at (618) 468-5777. To register, contact the L&C Enrollment Center at (618) 468-7000.

Learn more about Rocky Branch Stables at http://www.rockybranchstables.com/ or call (618) 377-9560. Learn more about Triangle H Farm at http://www.trianglehfarm.com/ or call (618) 692-4823.

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