Lake Oswego Hunt Club — Local services in Lake Oswego

This place has major issues.

Before I go into the details, let me say that I spent a lot of time around horses. My grandfather was a horse trainer and any given time he would have 7-8 horses in his farm. I understand what it takes to take care of a horse and the importance of bonding between the horse and the rider. The horses here are super sweet and well trained as far as I can tell and I really wanted my 9yo to become a part of this environment. So when we scored a spot in one of the summer camps I was very excited about it and I was looking forward to become a member.

After the camp, however, we are never going back. First of all, the manager is tuned out. She comes in late, does not respond to emails and as far as I can tell delegates everything to teenage trainers. Which is fine under normal circumstances but if things go south the whole situation degenerates quickly into a lord of the flies situation.

The children are treated very differently than your usual L.O. educational setting. For example one of the 7yo kids in the camp told the other kids "watch" and proceeded to slap one of the horses in the face- and not so surprisingly mayhem ensued. The owner, who predictably was not around when this happened and 10 yo trainers were not prepared to get things under control. The owner later appeared and told kids that their afternoon ride time was revoked as a result of the incident. As a long time educator, I see so many failures here: A 7yo with no prior training in treatment of horses can very well do something like that. You have to have the personnel in place to handle it, a protocol to handle it and perhaps more importantly you can not collectively punish kids.

My son was called names several times - sometimes by the teen trainers who are only 2-3 years older than him. Although I would not put in the "highly offensive" bin I also know that this type of behaviour would not be tolerated in his school or other camps he attended to. Again the owner's absence and her incompetence to set a proper culture is the source of the problem.

From other incidents and also echoed by the other reviewer here, the owner easily resorts to threats and escalation to resolve conflicts and I am pretty sure she thinks this as a way to establish "discipline".

Children are expected to handle a lot of cleaning duties. Which I have no problem in principle if everybody is working together in a communal sense - and this has been like this in other camps and my son never complained. Here, however, the owner and trainers hang out inside the building while cleaning duties are almost weaponized to keep children busy and in place. Again not the environment and experience I am expecting from a place that is perhaps one of the most expensive summer camp options even by LO standards.

The camp typically has a loong waitlist every summer and children will always be fascinated by horses and want to be close to them - so I do not expect them to fix anything as they have no incentive to do so - but it is a shame as it could have been much nicer, better and IMHO bigger. They are definitely not getting back our family's...

My experience is related to weekly summer camp by this business. I have a few remarks:

1. This place is essentially run by ~9-12 year-old kids, who can be a few years older or at the same age with your child, if he/she is attending the first time. These kids would "teach" doing stuff, making new kids clean poops most of the time, while they stay at a distance. The manager is most of the time not present. She comes to the barn quite late and she is the only adult in the facility as far as we observed during the week. She treats "member kids" and "nonmember kids" quite differently, favoring members heavily when there is a conflict, which fuels bullying and ganging up on newer kids
2. The manager lacks skills to manage kids i.e. screaming at kids' face over the top of her lung, doing collective punishment (i.e. not allowing horseback riding for the day and making all kids in a group (but member kids) clean poops instead because of one kid's mistake.) and calling kids with alternative names "yellow-shirted guy"...etc. She lacks the maturity an adult should have. Considering how expensive the camp is and how many kids and teenagers are around, taking/giving orders from each other, it is quite surprising that they don't have proper, adult personnel in the facility.
3. There was only a "teacher", a person around 15 yo, that we could reasonably talk, whom appeared the third day of the five-week-long camp during drop-offs and pick ups. The only star I have to give can go to her. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend this...

Significant concerns about the safety of the summer horse camp. lack of oversight and communication from management. we could not reach anyone at the club, as the phones were never answered. management was unprofessional, did not acknowledge parents who needed help or had questions at beginning and end of camp, instead was focused on smartphone.

several children bit by horses and parents not informed. at end of camp show, children sat in 85-90' heat without sunscreen, shade or water for almost 2hrs. counselors had to do the same and everyone was sunburnt and overheated. instead of concern for children's well being, focus was all on horses afterwards and getting them cooled down, as children were drenched in sweat, bright red, thirsty and confused.

several parents were concerned over lack of organization, communication and safety. we will never go back or recommend this...