Experience the magic of more than 40 Girl Scout horses at the Camp Sycamore Hills Equestrian Center. Try something new, improve your horsemanship, or practice team-building with horses. With the help of the equestrian team, you can either start or continue your adventures with horses.

Equestrian programs are offered year-round, during the week and on weekends, except during Summer Camp from mid-May until mid-August. Make your reservations through CouncilAlignMENT. Contact a member of our equestrian team for more information regarding requests.

 

Equestrian Program Opportunities

  • Everything Equine Horsemanship Workshop Series

    Everything Equine Horsemanship Workshop

    Join Camp Sycamore Hills for an Equine workshop! This workshop Is great for girls wanting to learn more about our equine friends! Learn about grooming, leading a horse, and tying a horse up with a special knot. You will also get to play a game and take a ride inside our riding ring!

    Grade Level: Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

    After completing our Everything Equine Horsemanship Workshop, you’re ready to move on to our more advanced workshops. Test your knowledge and build your skills in one of our six progressive subject area workshops or become a true equestrian expert by completing them all! Additional workshops build upon others and are highly encouraged to be completed in the order below.

    Available: Mid-August – Mid-May; may be requested on weekdays
    Duration: 3 hours
    Min: 6 | Max: 24
    Fee: $45 per girl; $45 per adult (if participating)
    Availability, Duration, Min/Max, and Fees are the same for progressive workshops listed below.

    Equine Basics

    After completing our Everything Equine workshop, come back out to the Equestrian Center and earn your first patch in the series! Learn about the different kinds of saddles horses use at our barn, what kind of breeds there are in the world, and what the different colors are called. Then enjoy a combination ring and trail ride!

    Prerequisites: Everything Equine Horsemanship
    Grade Level: Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

    Equine STEM

    Join us at the Equestrian Center to learn about how big of a step a horse can take and how much a horse really weighs. Then enjoy our trails from the back of a horse!

    Prerequisites: Everything Equine Horsemanship. Participants are also highly encouraged to complete Equine Basics prior to this workshop.
    Grade Level: Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

    Equine Health

    Return to the Equestrian Center to explore the world of equine health. Ground lessons will be followed with a ring ride and playing games on horseback!

    Prerequisites: Everything Equine Horsemanship. Participants are also highly encouraged to complete Equine Basics and Equine STEM prior to this workshop.
    Grade Level: Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

    Equine Communication

    Come back out to the Equestrian Center to explore how horses communicate, body language, team building, and more. Ground lessons will be followed with a trail ride on one of our more advanced trails (based on skill level).

    Prerequisites: Everything Equine Horsemanship. Participants are also highly encouraged to complete Equine Basics, Equine STEM, and Equine Health prior to this workshop.
    Grade Level: Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

    Equine Environment

    Return to the Equestrian Center to learn about the horse’s environment and what it takes to survive in the wild. How do horses differ in the wild versus in human hands? Ground lessons will be followed with a trail ride on one of our most advanced trails (based on skill level).

    Prerequisites: Everything Equine Horsemanship. Participants are also highly encouraged to complete Equine Basics, Equine STEM, Equine Health, and Equine Communication prior to this workshop.
    Grade Level: Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

    Equine Hippology

    Join us at the Equestrian Center to learn about hippology, the equestrian industry, and what it takes to be a part of this world. Ground lessons will be followed by learning to lead a horse through an in-hand obstacle course. This is a non-riding program.

    Prerequisites: Everything Equine Horsemanship. Participants are also highly encouraged to complete Equine Basics, Equine STEM, Equine Health, Equine Communication, and Equine Environment prior to this workshop.
    Grade Level: Cadette, Senior, Ambassador

  • Horseback Riding Lessons

    Lessons include both Western and English riding. Students second grade and above are grouped with no more than four students per class of similar skill and experience. For more information, contact Jen Vaughn.

    Grade Level: Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador
    Available: Year-Round
    Duration: 1 hour
    Min: 1 | Max: 4
    Fee: $30 per girl; $30 per adult (if participating)

  • Horse Day Camps

    Bring your group for a day of fun with the horses! This day-long program includes riding lessons, games on horseback, and ground lessons. Participants are required to wear long pants, long socks and shirts with sleeves and also need to bring a sack lunch, drinks and snacks for the day. One adult is required to stay with the group during lunch time for this program. Ask us about adding a badge workshop to your day camp by contacting Ashley Gary at agary@gsmidtn.org.

    Grade Level: Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador
    Available: Mid-August – Mid-May; may be requested on weekdays
    Duration: 9 AM – 3 PM
    Min: 6 | Max: 10
    Fee: $60 per girl; $60 per adult (if participating)

  • Horse Smarts Team Building

    Horse Smarts is a team building program that enhances leadership and communication skills by observing and interacting with horses. All activities are non-riding and do not require any previous experience with horses.

    Are your girls ready for the next step in there equestrian adventures? Check out our Troop lessons and Trails!!!

    Grade Level: Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador, Adult
    Available: Mid-August – Mid-May; may be requested on weekdays
    Duration: 1.5 hours
    Min: 6 | Max: 8
    Fee: $15 per girl; $15 per adult (if participating)

  • Loving and Grooming

    Bring your troop out for a tour of the equestrian center, learn general safety around horses and get hands-on experience with grooming our Girl Scout ponies! Girl Scout Brownies will earn the Loving and grooming badge! Badges can be purchased at the Nashville Service Center cabin.

    Grade Level: Daisy, Brownie, Junior
    Available: Mid-August – Mid-May; may be requested on weekdays
    Duration: 1 hour
    Min: 5 | Max: 12
    Fee: $8 per girl

  • Mounted Archery Workshop

    Come be adventurous with our Equestrian team and learn to shoot arrows from the back of a horse! During this program girls will learn about the ins and outs of how to shoot a bow, they will learn how to shoot the arrows while moving, and then follow up by getting on a horse and shooting from the horse’s back! Our team highly recommends doing our Archery program first before trying this program with horses.

    If you’re looking for more arrows with horses check out our Going Medieval Program on CouncilAlignMENT!

    Grade Level: Cadette, Senior, Ambassador (grades 7-12; must be 12 years or older)
    Available: Contact Jen Vaughn at jvaughn@gsmidtn.org to explore options
    Duration: 3 hours
    Min: 5 | Max: 8
    Fee: $45 per girl

  • Pony Ready

    This program allows participants to advance their grooming skills, learn about basic horse facts and lead a horse around. Girl Scout brownies will earn the Pony Ready Badge! Badges can be purchased at the Nashville Service Center cabin.

    The Next Step is a Ring Ride or Troop lesson, let them get even more hands-on with our horses by taking them for a ride!

    Grade Level: Brownie, Junior
    Available: Mid-August – Mid-May; may be requested on weekdays
    Duration: 1 hour
    Min: 5 | Max: 8
    Fee: $10 per girl

  • Troop Lesson

    Come try a sample lesson out at our equestrian center. Instruction is based on the experience level of the group. Lessons may be tailored to the interests of the group but will begin with the basics and focus on progressive riding skills. All lessons are western (you may contact Ashley Gary at agary@gsmidtn.org to explore English Troop lesson options). This session includes helmet, boot fittings, horse assignments and riding lesson.

    After experiencing the joy of riding in one of our sample lessons check out our weekday lessons under the lesson tab or take your whole troop to the next step by trying out a Trail Ride!

    Grade Level: 3rd grade Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador (grades 3-12)
    Available: Mid-August – Mid-May; may be requested on weekdays
    Duration: 1.5 hours
    Min: 3 | Max: 6
    Fee: $25 per girl; $25 per adult (if participating)

  • Ring Ride

    Join us and explore the fun of horseback riding! A Ring Ride adventure is a great first-time horse experience in a safe and fun atmosphere! Girls will learn about the basics of safety, steering and play some games while getting comfortable in the saddle!

    After completing our ring rides check out our Troop Lessons or Trail rides! Your troop will have a blast expanding their horseback riding experiences!

    Grade Level: 3rd grade Brownie, Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador (grades 3-12)
    Available: Mid-August – Mid-May; may be requested on weekdays
    Duration: 1.5 hours
    Min: 5 | Max: 10
    Fee: $20 per girl; $20 per adult (if participating)

  • Trail Ride

    Join us and explore our beautiful trials at Camp Sycamore Hills from the back of a horse! Length of the trail Ride depends on the skill level demonstrated during our basic instruction prior to going out on the trails! The session includes helmet and boot fittings, horse assignments and instruction inside our arena before heading out to to the trail! In the case of inclement weather or unsafe trail conditions, alternate arena activities will be substituted… We ride rain or shine!

    After completing our day to day trail ride routes check out our Equine workshops and work your way to our Advanced Trails that most troops never get to experience… these trails will take your girls up into our hills and through our more wooded routes …. Our Advance trails are also longer!!!

    Grade Level: Junior, Cadette, Senior, Ambassador
    Available: Mid-August – Mid-May; may be requested on weekdays
    Duration: 1.5 hours
    Min: 6 | Max: 12
    Fee: $25 per girl; $25 per adult (if participating)

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    Equestrian Program Resources

  • Physical Restrictions
    To protect the health and safety of our horses and participants, the maximum weight limit for participants in Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee horse riding programs is 200 lbs. Current research shows that horses should carry no more than 20% of their weight. Our limit is based on the size of our horses, weight of our equipment, and the type of activities we provide. As a Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) accredited site, we have established this policy in accordance with their safety protocols and recommendations. If your group is participating in a workshop or program that includes ground activities, participants not eligible to ride can still participate in the ground portion (fees can be adjusted accordingly with prior notification).

  • Cancellation Policy
    • Any changes in your requested program numbers must be made 30 days prior to the date of your program, otherwise you are responsible for paying for the number on your request form. Schedule changes and refund requests must be in writing (mail, email, or fax).
    • Program fees are non-refundable 30 days prior the date of your program.
    • Outdoor adventure program fees will be fully refunded in the event of inclement weather if cancelled by the outdoor adventure manager. There will be no refunds if the program still runs and you choose not to participate.
    • In the event of inclement weather for horse programs, your program will be modified to run in the covered riding arena. Horse programs run rain or shine.

    To request a refund, please follow the guidelines below:

    • Submit the request with explanation in writing and mail to:
      Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee
      Attn: Outdoor Adventure Manager
      4522 Granny White Pike Nashville, TN 37204
    • Or fax to (615) 460-0213

 

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