Hurst Equestrian Residential Camp 25

A lovely hot summers day on Friday the 2^nd of May set the scene for the first day of the Hurst Equestrian Residential Camp, 2025. The event was held at Hascombe Farm Equestrian Center, where the Hurst Equestrian Yard is located. Students had access to the fantastic facilities throughout the weekend for the training and care of their horses. The camp saw numbers doubling from the first Hurst Equestrian camp, held at Hickstead Showground in 2023, with a grand total of 21 students attending. It was great to this level of participation, as well as such a range of students attending – with the youngest rider being 6, and the oldest were 16.

Pupils were able to enjoy a huge variety of activities, with training sessions, educational talks and demonstrations, stable management sessions, as well as team-building activities and fun competitions. This year students were able to choose whether they or their horses would be staying overnight at Hascombe, or if they would arriving each morning for the day’s activities. Nine horses were stabled in a temporary yard constructed specifically for the camp, and all horses stabled on the Hurst Yard were involved.

After lunch on the Friday, Students came directly from school via bus and met their parents and horses at Hascombe where the camp began with a polework session with Hurst trainers Ashley Boyce and Harriet Upton. Students were divided into four groups for all ridden sessions, and then into two groups for other activities. After they had ridden, pupils made sure they, and their horses, were settled in before participating in a stable management session cleaning their tack, ready for the weekend ahead. Each day, whilst not riding their horses, students undertook yard duties, stable management sessions, and fun team building activities.

Once day pupils had headed home, the first round of evening activities commenced! Each evening students who were staying over enjoyed various fun games and mini competitions, as well as a scrumptious dinner.

Saturday was one of the busiest days of the camp, with a jam-packed schedule and the first ridden session starting at 9am prompt. These lesson focused on flatwork, and were taught by Harriet and Sophie Rees (Hurst Equestrian Assistant/Instructor).

Later in the morning, students enjoyed educational talks from equine dentist Duncan Gipson (https://chris-warren.co.uk/), and veterinary physio Natasha Wakefield (https://www.natashavetphysio.com/). Duncan explained the importance of caring for your horses’ teeth, as well as showing the science and mechanics behind how a horse’s mouth works, he used a dental gag on one student’s hoses, so pupils were able to feel the horse’s teeth themselves. Natasha told students about the benefits of physio for your horse, as well as demonstrating how to palpate horses to look for any sore or tight muscles. She then showed ways for you to massage horses to help release that soreness and tension. All students were able to feel the different muscle groups, the areas of soreness/tightness, and to try out the different massage techniques that Natasha demonstrated. Later in the day students were trying out these techniques on their own horses and ponies.

In the afternoon, riders got the chance to have a play over some grids, helping the horses with their gymnastic work. Trainers Ash and Harriet gave the students great sessions, with some of the older riders jumping 1.20m!

Sunday was cross country day, with everyone heading to Coombelands Equestrian center to use their cross country course and gallops. Students were able to jump a variety of natural obstacles, combinations, short courses, go through the water, and up and down the steps. Riders then went up the eight furlong (one mile) all-weather gallop to finish off a great day – the horses and students particularly enjoyed this bit!

The final day of the camp was competition day! The camp instructors had devised a dressage test and showjumping course to test what campers had learned over the past few days. The winner of the show was the student with best score when combining the results of the dressage and show jumping. Many students dressed in full competition attire and Elsa S won Best Turnout for how smart she and her pony were looking. There were some fantastic rounds of show jumping and dressage, with the final results being:

1^st Florence MC and Cleo

2^nd Rosie C and Macho

3^rd Hettie MC and Abbie

4^th Lucy S and Teddy

5^th Darcy G and Bob

6^th Penny Gargon and Millie  

Well done to all the students who took part in the competition and attended the camp. It was a great weekend made possible by their enthusiasm and engagement. A bit thank you to all the adults who made the event happen as well, and to Hascombe for being our hosts. The camp could not have been possible without the organisation from Head of Equestrian Tracey Pargeter, Equestrian Assistant Sophie Rees, Hurst Trainers Ashley Boyce and Harriet Upton, Camp Matron Jane Barr, Amelia Harrison who runs Hascombe, and Justine Spicer who became an unofficial but crucial member of the camp support team. It was a great weekend, with a lot of happy students at the end of it. Bring on the Hurst Equestrian Camp 2026!