The Comprehensive Mom Audit
1. Program Focus & Daily Activities
English & Western Riding, Barn Animal Care & Organic Gardening in Shelton. Designed for Ages 5 to 15. The equestrian & farm ecology programming has real bright spots, but the daily schedule felt inconsistently paced during our visit. (per our Shelton visit, est. 2018) Sessions run 2 to 8 Weeks, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM daily.
2. Aquatics & Water Safety
Pool access is inconsistent — some weeks get real instruction, others are closer to unsupervised splash time.
3. Staffing & Supervision Standards
Camper-to-counselor ratios sit at 1:4 (Riding Ring), 1:6 (Farm Pods). Staff at Appaloosa Horsemanship Day Camp lean young, and supervision quality depended heavily on which specific counselor was on duty.
4. Logistics, Transportation & Catering
Bus routes serving Shelton were inconsistent in our tracking, sometimes running 15-20 minutes off schedule. Lunch quality varied by day.
Tuition Range: $1670 – $1920 / week
👍 What We Loved
- A few families we spoke with in Shelton had entirely positive experiences
- Campus has decent shade coverage, which matters more than it sounds (per our Shelton visit, est. 2018)
- When the 1:4 (Riding Ring) ratio held, supervision quality was genuinely good (per our Shelton visit, est. 2018)
⚠️ What to Consider
- Billing questions we raised took longer than they should have to get answered (per our Shelton visit, est. 2018)
- The advertised 1:4 (Riding Ring) ratio didn't consistently hold up in practice (per our Shelton visit, est. 2018)
- We heard mixed reports on how allergy protocols are actually enforced (per our Shelton visit, est. 2018)
- Staff turnover mid-summer disrupted bunk continuity for several families (per our Shelton visit, est. 2018)