My 12 year old will never experience an overnight camp again, after her stay here, due to her negative experience at S & J,
First the camp is run down with unfriendly and mean staff, (how she described them). She is a quite girl and she was petrified of the staff, it was literally the worst exeperience for her. Very unfriendly staff, the place is mainly run by the older teens, and adults are few and far between. MINIMAL ACTIVITES...my daughter and the few friends she made walked aimlessly around for many hours of the day. No real activities beyond the ridgid and formal riding 1-2 times a day. Also, if your child is not at the advanced stage of ridng the extra activites are not allowed. The staff yells at young campers and the older teens are cliquey and laugh at the new campers, making them feel very uncomfortable. The week she was there was real hot and they never went swimming, as no one swims there. Food was in small quantities and horrible. I had to go back to the camp and drop off bottled water as no drinking fountains and or water available.

I'm an adult who has been a staff member off and on for over 10 years. SJ is the kind of place you wish you could be a part of all year long! The staff genuinely care. The horses are well taken care of and in turn, take care of their riders. The grounds are beautiful. As one of the older staff members I now have my own daughter as a camper. You ever hear of a waitress who won't eat at the restaurant they work in because they know how things are done behind the scenes? It's the opposite at SJ! I have been there long enough to know that there's no other camp I would send my daughter to because I know the quality at SJ is outstanding. I know the effort that goes into making each day of the entire summer memorable. I now live 4-5 hours away and I use vacation time from my job, but I make it happen each summer and go to camp because I just can't stay away.

I was quite concerned about sending my daughter to SJ, because of the

bad reviews, but everything went fine and she had a good time. There

was no problem with unfriendly counselors or cliques. The food was

plain (mostly pasta) but there was plenty of it. She made lots of

friends. There was enough to do -- she wasn't bored. The cabins are

all nearby each other, so it's easy to get to know people from the

other cabins. Her only significant complaint was that most of the

horses she rode were sluggish and hard to get moving, and when they

were learning to jump, some of the horses were not really able to

jump. My daughter tried to get on more spirited horses, but mostly

she wasn't able to. There may be a problem that campers who have

never been there before end up with the worst horses. (On the other

hand, perhaps a more timid rider would appreciate these horses.) The

older staff members, including the owners, took a big role in running

the camp and teaching the riding; it wasn't all younger

counselors. There was an issue that sometimes the older people were

occupied with mysterious errands that were not disclosed except to the

oldest group of campers. All in all a good experience. Don't be

scared by the bad reviews.

My daughter had a wonderful experience attending this camp last summer. She felt the counselors were knowledgeable and kind, and she learned a lot about horses and riding. She also really enjoyed the other campers and stays in touch with many of the girls who were in her cabin. We felt reluctant dropping her off for her first away camp experience but found her happy, relaxed, and sad to leave it when we went to pick her up. We loved the pictures and updates sent during the week. The only camp she insists on attending this summer is SJ's!!!

My daughter had a wonderful experience this past summer. I was very impressed with the camp from their organization mailings and newsletters that continue through the year. The camp itself is rustic but my daughter had a great time. She loved the riding and barn chores and had fun just hanging out. I liked getting the updates and pictures during the week. She will be back again this year.

I was very nervous to send my daughter away to her first sleep away camp, but eveyone put my mind at ease from the first tour though an easy dropoff, fun newsletters and letters from my daughter. My daughter loved it so much we couldn't leave without leaving a deposit for summer 2014. If your daughler likes horses and wants the full experience with other girls who also love horses this is the place for her! As an aside I grew up on a horsefarm riding, driving and foxhunting and was thrilled and impressed with the knowledge she came home with. A MUST DO!

My daughter spent 2 weeks at SJ last summer. She' was 10 and this was her first overnight camp experience. I found the staff very supportive and communicative when I had some initial concerns about how she was adjusting to the camp. When I picked her up at the end of the session she clearly felt at home at the camp. I got a real sense that they do a great job at community building and this keeps campers coming back each year. By September she was asking us to sign her up for next year. The camp is very rustic and if you are looking for fancy cabins and grounds you might be disappointed. I was personally happy that this did not matter to my daughter. Riding is already a fancy pricey hobby and I wouldn't have wanted her to be surrounded by fancy, spoiled kids. The horse facilities looked very nice and my daughter loved the riding.

We sent our kids to overnight camp two years ago in VT and both did not enjoy the experience, despite it being very organic and back to basics, something I had hoped would resonate with them and make a positive impression. What I took away from it was that each child has different needs, and while our friends' kids loved it, ours did not. Last winter, I told our daughter that she had to go to camp, and that she could choose. I showed her the SJ video because it is a camp my cousin went to for many years and loved. I received sporadic letters during the two weeks she was there last summer and when I asked on pick up day if she'd be returning, I dreaded her answer. She said immediately, "oh yes!!"

We live abroad and reconnecting with family and giving our kids a taste of the American summer camp experience was really important. Our daughter doesn't ride other than at camp, and I am thankful she found a place that made a positive impression and and thrilled she is returning.

SJ riding camp is the prime reason I love summer. I am a camper who has been going for six summers, and am going to continue to go! Every year, I come back from camp a better rider, and a better person. The horses are all safe, but they do offer challenging ones for the more advanced riders. I have enjoyed many of the extra benefits offered by the camp such as clinics, private lessons, semi-private lessons, and showing. I ride at a hunter/jumper-equitation barn so getting out and going cross-country or trail riding on their miles of beautiful trails and fun cross country courses. Unlike other camps, SJ is very small and everybody knows everybody which is nice because then you can make a lot of friends. I have met some really nice girls there, and some forever friends! The staff is excellent and well-mannered. They are always willing to help, and are very friendly. The quality of teaching from the riding instructors is amazing, and you can tell they are all very knowledgable. The food is very kid-friendly and everybody loves it. I recommend this camp to anybody, no matter their riding ability. I love this camp so much, and I'm sure you will too:)

My daughter loved Sj Camp last year. If this camp can please her, it might please anyone!! Would advise that your camper love horses. Her favorite thing besides the horses was the food!

My daughter is just back from a week at SJ Riding Camp & she loved it! We were very pleased with the supportive and friendly staff. Everything seemed to run smoothly. This was my daughter's first time at an overnight camp and her wonderful counselor, Kirsten, made all of us feel confident that she would be fine! The camp is laid-back & geared towards girls who love horses, not the place if you are want non-stop structured activities. My daughter and her friends were happy to ride twice a day, work in the barn grooming the horses, and do the other activities (arts, archery, swimming, boating, etc...) Her riding has really improved in just a week! Other than the riding times, though, the camp isn't too structured, which was perfect after a busy school year. Girls can decide what they want to do the rest of the day. Despite the other reviews, my daughter reported that all the other girls were friendly and they got to know and hang out with friends in other bunks. She can't wait to go back next year!

This is literally the highlight of my year!!!! Ignore the idiot that reviewed badly twice, I have met very few people who did not enjoy this camp. The people that didn't were the people who was mean to everyone no matter how nice the person was to them, especially the wonderful councelors who everybody in the camp loved. Mine read a book to us before lights out, she is literally one of the nicest people I have ever met. The food is great, I have no idea what that other review was talking about with limited portions because everyone was allowed to have as much as they wanted (except for the deserts, which was reasonable). I have gone for 3 years now and made tons of friends, some of which I FaceTime about once a week to keep in touch. I have met several other people on Instagram who have gone to SJ, they all love it and keep in touch with there friends during the year. Everybody loves the horses there, there are so many you can't help but falling in love with at least one. The riding instructors are excellent, they really push you to improve and after 3 weeks of riding twice a day it's amazing to see how much everyone improves. All of the barn hands are very good with the horses and work very hard. I love this camp so much, I wouldn't miss it for the world!

I am not one to complain but my children we're not impressed, nor was I with this camp. The camp experience is definitely a disappointment for my two daughters this year as the facility needs a complete overhaul and that camp program is very basic and boring with minimal activities for the campers.

I loved SJ! I loved everything about it. The horses were awesome, the counselors were nice, and the campers became my best friends! It was the best time I've ever had at camp and I can't wait to go back.



And to the person who said she had to pick up her daughters after 2 days - you have to let them stay there for a little longer than 2 days!! When I first went to sleepaway camp, I was homesick for the first few days. I told my parents anything I could to get them to take me home. But they made me stick it out and by the end of the first week I was having so much fun!! Everyone gets a little homesick at first, but you should just tell your kids to hang in there. They missed out on the best summer of their lives!!

I can't say enough good things about SJ! The campers and counselors are fun and helpful, the horses are great, and there is always something fun to do. The riding program is incredible. I came from a very intense riding stable, and I loved the change in pace I found at camp. I learned so much at SJ, but it was fun and exciting. We got to jump cross-country, go swimming on horseback, and go on supper rides. The facilities aren't really fancy, but as a camper I really liked how rustic and outdoorsy it was - that's what camp is supposed to be about! It was so much fun, and I can't wait to go back.

SJ Ranch is my absolute favorite place! I have been going there for five summers, and could not think of going anywhere else for camp. From my first year there, my experience has been amazing. You make the best friends that you will ever have at this camp along with great memories. All of the horses that they have there are great, and if you love one you can even take it home for the winter. The riding program is great and lets you experience many things such as dressage, jumping, x-country, supper/lunch rides, and riding many different horses. The counselors are all very nice and supportive. There are also other activities that you can do like archery, arts & crafts, boating, swimming, games, photography, and barn classes. This camp is centered around riding, so do not go unless that is what you want to focus on during your time there. At night there are many fun programs such as the horseless horse show, watching the staff have a x-country lesson, watching a horse be free-jumped, cabin cookouts, movie night, oldest cabin hunt, scavenger hunt, talent show, skit night, and so many more. Go to this camp it is AMAZING!!!