There were a few girls who would have loved to ride, but could not afford the lessons. They admitted they were envious and some of them made room in their lives to learn years after camp. Others had the opportunity and experienced some accidents and incidents that changed their minds about ever wanting to ride again.
“I hated horses,”said Phoebe Atha (1947-48). “In fact, I remember my sister riding “Gypsy” at camp. I had a camera that I bought. My sister loved horses and I didn’t. I did not want any part of those big animals, but I took a photo of her on the horse. Well, she was so mad. When the photos came back, I had only half the horse in the photo.”
Her sentiments about riding and being around horses were shared by many—some who tried and some, like Liz Anderson (1973-74), who wanted to ride, but “the horses were so big and mean and they tried to eat my shoes and scared the heck out of me, so when I started crying, they let me take arts and crafts instead.”
Karen Kaunitz (1945) knew the horses KNEW she was afraid of them, and Marge Niedzielski (1946-47) signed up for lessons, despite never seeing a horse or a corral, but when she saw the flies on the horse and it looked like it was on its last leg, she decided, then and there, she was not riding. “Whoever encouraged me to get over my fear gave me the ribbon for bravery, but I am still scared to this day of horses. I know they just talked me into it,” said sixties’ camper Anne Marxhausen.
“I hate to admit this, but I hate horses to this day,” admitted Maggie Young (1962). “It was extra money to ride at camp and I didn’t do it, but for some reason I was near the horses and one threw up on my shoe. I never ever wanted to be near a horse ever again!”
Michele Butsch (1969-76) and Jennifer Fenton (1971-78) shared the same experience of having a horse stand on their foot. “I endured the riding,” said Michele, but was not good at it.” Jennifer’s instructor showed her how to shove the horse gently, and she loved learning to trot, cantor and gallop.
Mary Grego was never at camp with her sister JeanAnne, but arrived as a ten year old in 1960. Her passion, she believed, was horses, and as a little girl dreamt of riding. “I watched all the horse movies and shows on television. But, when I actually got on the horse for the first time, it was scary. I liked the idea of riding, but I was scared to death. In fact, I was probably the “scaredest” person on a horse!”
“One of my jobs was to saddle up and ride the horses before the kids got to camp,”said Rhonda Thayer, business manager from 1974-77. “I had one strong-willed horse named Honey, who I had saddled up in the barn. I was also strong-willed, but I was supposed to run them down. One thing you never do is run them back to the barn, but this horse wanted to run. I took out some trees with my body and had so many bruises on my ankles and legs from that ride. Pat Mothersell, who was the cook at the time, gave me a big pillow for my Secret Santa gift for our Christmas in July event at camp.”
“I loved the horseback riding,” said Rhonda Thayer,” but one year the kids in the corral would ride and invariably the horse would buck them at a certain point. I walked the perimeter and found a hornet’s nest on the bottom of the rail in the southwest corner. I guess every time the horse passed and swished his tail, it would stir up the nest and hornets would sting. So, I waited till nearly dark and sprayed it or torched it.”
Anne Schupak loved the horseback riding and remember getting stung on the butt by a bee and could not sit down for days. Betsy Falvey, (who said she sucked at horseback riding), and Shelley Harris (1965-75) took a ride and Betsy could not walk for two days. Sheryl Biesman (1973-78) was kicked, but it did not keep her from coming back, even with her black and blue bruised leg.
If you took lessons and did not want to continue, what incident changed your mind?