The Comprehensive Mom Audit
1. Program Focus & Daily Activities
Equine Horsemanship, Farm-to-Table Cooking & Woodland Stewardship in Ridgefield. 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 Ridgefield visit, est. 1998) Sessions run 2 to 8 Weeks, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM daily.
2. Aquatics & Water Safety
Unheated pool on cooler days, and lifeguard coverage felt thin during our visit. (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)
3. Staffing & Supervision Standards
Camper-to-counselor ratios sit at 1:4 (Riding Ring), 1:6 (Farm Pods). The advertised 1:4 (Riding Ring) ratio held up in some bunks and clearly didn't in others during our visit. (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)
4. Logistics, Transportation & Catering
Bus routes serving Ridgefield were inconsistent in our tracking, sometimes running 15-20 minutes off schedule. Lunch quality varied by day. (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)
Tuition Range: $1270 – $1520 / week
👍 What We Loved
- Some specialty equestrian & farm ecology programming stood out despite the overall inconsistency (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)
- A core group of veteran counselors clearly cares about the kids (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)
- Tuition ($1270 – $1520 / week) is more reasonable than comparable camps in Ridgefield
⚠️ What to Consider
- Communication was inconsistent — some updates, long silences other weeks (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)
- The advertised 1:4 (Riding Ring) ratio didn't consistently hold up in practice (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)
- Staff turnover mid-summer disrupted bunk continuity for several families (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)
- Billing questions we raised took longer than they should have to get answered (per our Ridgefield visit, est. 1998)