Horse camp counselor

[Ix3Morgans]

I need help making a decision :)

Okay, so I just got a letter from the summer 4-H camp I went to last year.

The letter basically asked if I would come and volunteer my time and my horse to be a junior counselor for the horse program they had. I would be gone for 2 weeks I would be a junior counselor which means no pay and I would get the dirty jobs[mucking, feeding the horses,kitchen duty,cleaning the latrine] but I would get 3 hours of extra off time. I would be gone during the break in my show season so I wouldn't miss any shows. Also the letter seemed a bit desperate for people to come because they needed people that knew the basics of horses and would be a good influnce on the kids. [there were some questionable things going on during horse staff last summer]

But the thing Im most worried about is children riding my horse.
She'll be 5 by the summer, but shes still a bit of a greenie. Shes a bit spooky, especially in new places. But shes not like a crazy green horse Shes actually really lazy so she won't run away with the kids, her being naughty is refusing to move past the gate.

Another thing is that the facilities are a bit old. The fencing is just 2 strands of hot wire and a ditch. Its not very solid looking, and my horse seems to enjoy escaping. Also the horses get fed free choice hay, and thats it. It takes a bit more to keep my horses weight up so I dont know how I'd avoid her dropping weight. I havent talked to the people yet so I might be able to work out someplace else for my horse to be kept.


I would really like to volunteer my time there, but Im not sure that my horse would fit in. They said they were anxiously awaiting my reply.

Any suggestions on what I should do?

[Buckpoco]

Can you volunteer your time, but not your horse's? I really wouldn't want people riding my horse. Other people riding your horse can ruin the horse and it's a liability....the setup doesn't sound so great either. I'd hate to see your horse get sick or hurt. And, a green horse???
I think the volunteer part is great, especially for resume's and the warm fuzzy feeling you get from helping people. But, I can't help but wonder if they are looking for a "free" horse. Just my opinion.

[twofingers]

i would not use a 5 yr. horse for a youth camp. I ran a program for 6 years and we never accepted a horse under ten. while it may seem that your horse could get a lot of gentling and mature a great deal, a camp horse needs to be an older - been there done that - yours is still learning. and you run the risk of getting some bad habits developed in a younger horse with so many people handling it. not to mention that you would not have the final say on how it is used.:2cents:

[elevenelevenxo]

I agree, look into seeing if you can volunteer your time but not using your horse in the program. Surely they're horse people so they'd understand?

If you can avoid using your horse, then it sounds like an alright deal to me, so long as you don't need to make money. Definitely a good thing to have on a resume. :)