dancinghorse | How Horse Camp Works

Chances are decent I will be spamming lj today. We'll see how much brainpower I have, and how much work I get done.

We are all in recovery from a full week of Camp Lipizzan, as blogged by

birdhousefrog and

tcastleb. Consensus is that it was A Success.

Now people are asking about how it works. The sadly outdated web page (I know, I'm awful about that, I get into the brain space where if it's here or on facebook or twitter, it's updated, dammit) has a fair number of details from the early days, but as we've gone on, the concept has evolved.

First, rather than set dates for a public camp, it's mutated into potential campers contacting me and setting up dates that work for all involved. It's also tended to be a solo or two-party adventure. We can do up to 4 if participants will share a double bed in one of the two guest rooms (or if one brings an air mattress and camps in the library).

For the rest of this year and the first half of next, the following dates are taken (those who have taken them: You know who you are): May 12th-26th and November 1st-10th of 2009, and April 18th-25th of 2010. There is a small possibility of adding people to those dates, but additions must be approved by current campers as well as Ye Managemente.

That leaves options for September, October, and the rest of 2010. We can do summer, but campers should be aware that this is southern Arizona, we have triple-digit temperatures Fahrenheit especially in June, and there are monsoons in July and August. We are set up for this and get by in remarkable comfort, but it does put a serious crimp in daytime activities. Mostly, if you go out, you try to do it before 9 a.m. and after sunset.

Still, if you're game, email me. Capriole (the at-sign) gmail (the dot thang) com.

Yes, it started as a weekend arrangement, but has, as we say, evolved. Base concept (and pricing) is three days and two nights, does not need to be a weekend, and can expand (with suitable price adjustments) as needed.

I have concluded that opening to the public, i.e. strangers off the Web, is not in my comfort zone. Therefore I'm open to lj and fb friends, as in people I know personally or who come recommended by people I know (and trust) personally. This includes mentees--and in fact, a personal, one-on-one weekend (whatever actual days one calls by that moniker) can be extremely useful. Rather like those low-residency degree programs. Though I don't think any of them has Lipizzans...

Facilities are comfortable in the "farmhouse comfort" sense. If your idea of roughing it is a suite at the Plaza, or if the word "doublewide" makes your heart palpitate, this is not for you. We are notably more comfortable than the usual college dorm, and I would venture that the food is better. You get one of two guest rooms in a separate wing, which share a bath and a large library with comfy chairs. There is free wi-fi, one guest room has a desk and an all-in-one printer, and there are Room Cats and House Dogs (we can manage a cat-free room if needed, but the house is definitely Cat-Equipped). Also, and probably most important, hot and cold running Lipizzans. As a rule, one of them will adopt you, and do her (or his) best to monopolize you during your stay.

What you do while you're here is pretty much up to you. We can be as loose or as structured as you need us to be, within certain limits. This is a working farm, which means all schedules revolve around the animals. Breakfast and lunch are in the fridge or out on the counter; you get hungry, you eat. Dinner is the sit-down meal of the day, and you get it after the horses, which means after sunset. In spring and summer, that's fairly late, so we encourage campers to enjoy snacks or tea around 4 p.m. Menus are developed in consultation with campers. We can accommodate special dietary needs, though this is not a kosher kitchen. We can do diabetic, vegetarian or vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, low-fat, etc. Default mode is fresh ingredients, low-fat and that includes many of the desserts. Again, the word is "farmhouse" cooking: taste over presentation, and substance over style.

We are quiet, rural, and right outside of Tucson, which has lots of cool stuff to do, much of it related to the history and lore of the Southwest, and various outdoor activities. We're 15 minutes from Saguaro National Park East. This is bicycle heaven, and hikers have it pretty good, too.

But mostly people come here to write. And talk about writing. And write some more. And then play with ponies. If you ride, we can accommodate you. Our Amazing Trainer will come and teach guests for a quite reasonable fee. If you haven't ridden before, or haven't since you were a kid, don't worry. Our horses know just what to do.

Interested? Intrigued? Pop me an email.