Piping Rock Equestrian Center Camps
Piping Rock Equestrian Center, 12318 Union Mills Road, Truckee, CA 96161
About
Piping Rock Equestrian Center Summer Camps offer week-long summer horse camps where campers spend time with animals, ride horses and ponies, and take part in a variety of farm and barn activities. Depending on the camp, activities include nature walks, planting seeds in the garden, digging for worms, building and climbing in a natural playground, taking goats for a walk, and spending time with miniature horses, bunnies, chickens, lambs, goats, and mini donkeys. Campers may learn how to groom, tack, lead, and care for ponies and mini horses, practice horse safety, ride in the arena and out on the trail, try gymkhana games and obstacle courses, and join in crafts, games, outdoor adventures, and farm chores such as feeding critters and learning barn routines.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Farmstead Camp, Pony/critter Camp, Colt Camp, and Half-Day Horse Camp each run Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
• Price: Farmstead Camp $575 per session; Pony/critter Camp $650 per session; Colt Camp $700 per session; Half-Day Horse Camp $750 per session; optional PREC Camp Insurance $100 per camp week
Farmstead Camp for ages 3–7 includes time with ponies, farm animals, nature, and hands-on activities around the farm, and campers are typically divided into two age-appropriate groups. Pony/critter Camp for ages 5–8 focuses on crafts, farm animals, and extra time riding mini horses, and includes a Friday Pony Demonstration at 10:30 am. Colt Camp for ages 7–9 uses gentle ponies and small horses, includes a Friday Horse Demonstration at 11:00 am, and offers optional after care for families who want a full-day experience. Half-Day Horse Camp for ages 8 and up includes the challenge of riding bareback, riding in the arena and on scenic trail rides, and offers day-by-day after care and an 11:00 am Friday Horse Demonstration. All-Day Horse Camp for ages 9 and up is for confident riders, Extreme Trail Camp is for riders ready for a challenge, and Adult Camp is for beginners or returning riders. All camps spend time with farm animals, and camps are intentionally kept small so each child receives individual attention and a meaningful experience with the horses.
Piping Rock is a working barn where each horse receives high-quality feed, fresh water, a safe and comfortable home, individual attention, thoughtful training, careful management, consistent veterinary and farrier care, and a minimum of three months of rest each year. Since 2011, Piping Rock Horses has been building a business with a mission dedicated to creating a space where anyone and everyone is welcome to experience horseback riding, with success described as smiles on guests’ faces, kids focusing on something other than phones, and working with horses and seeing them grow. Ms. Elaina Ashe-Harning, listed as “Pony & Critter Gal,” has a background that ranges from cattle ranching and professional ballet to leading mule trains and serving on National Park Service Horse Patrols in Yosemite, Muir Woods, and GGNRA.
Families are strongly recommended to provide equine-approved riding gear and a helmet, and all campers must have a parent or guardian sign a release of liability. Campers must be potty trained, and 3-year-olds should have experience separating from an adult before Farmstead Camp. The program asks campers to wear play clothes, and full payment is required at the time of registration to reserve a spot. The organization notes community involvement through the Sierra Riding Academy Fundraiser and time spent together in the Tahoe community.
Parent testimonials describe guides as delightful and informative, horses as healthy, happy, and gentle to ride, and rides that go into the mountains, along Prosser Creek, and through meadows with wildlife such as deer, birds, and coyotes. Other parents describe Piping Rock as a down-to-earth stable that cares about their clients and note that older campers and junior counselors learn all parts of the equestrian experience, including the less glamorous barn work, rather than only riding and jumping.
Last updated June 24, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
• Schedule: Farmstead Camp, Pony/critter Camp, Colt Camp, and Half-Day Horse Camp each run Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
• Price: Farmstead Camp $575 per session; Pony/critter Camp $650 per session; Colt Camp $700 per session; Half-Day Horse Camp $750 per session; optional PREC Camp Insurance $100 per camp week
Farmstead Camp for ages 3–7 includes time with ponies, farm animals, nature, and hands-on activities around the farm, and campers are typically divided into two age-appropriate groups. Pony/critter Camp for ages 5–8 focuses on crafts, farm animals, and extra time riding mini horses, and includes a Friday Pony Demonstration at 10:30 am. Colt Camp for ages 7–9 uses gentle ponies and small horses, includes a Friday Horse Demonstration at 11:00 am, and offers optional after care for families who want a full-day experience. Half-Day Horse Camp for ages 8 and up includes the challenge of riding bareback, riding in the arena and on scenic trail rides, and offers day-by-day after care and an 11:00 am Friday Horse Demonstration. All-Day Horse Camp for ages 9 and up is for confident riders, Extreme Trail Camp is for riders ready for a challenge, and Adult Camp is for beginners or returning riders. All camps spend time with farm animals, and camps are intentionally kept small so each child receives individual attention and a meaningful experience with the horses.
Piping Rock is a working barn where each horse receives high-quality feed, fresh water, a safe and comfortable home, individual attention, thoughtful training, careful management, consistent veterinary and farrier care, and a minimum of three months of rest each year. Since 2011, Piping Rock Horses has been building a business with a mission dedicated to creating a space where anyone and everyone is welcome to experience horseback riding, with success described as smiles on guests’ faces, kids focusing on something other than phones, and working with horses and seeing them grow. Ms. Elaina Ashe-Harning, listed as “Pony & Critter Gal,” has a background that ranges from cattle ranching and professional ballet to leading mule trains and serving on National Park Service Horse Patrols in Yosemite, Muir Woods, and GGNRA.
Families are strongly recommended to provide equine-approved riding gear and a helmet, and all campers must have a parent or guardian sign a release of liability. Campers must be potty trained, and 3-year-olds should have experience separating from an adult before Farmstead Camp. The program asks campers to wear play clothes, and full payment is required at the time of registration to reserve a spot. The organization notes community involvement through the Sierra Riding Academy Fundraiser and time spent together in the Tahoe community.
Parent testimonials describe guides as delightful and informative, horses as healthy, happy, and gentle to ride, and rides that go into the mountains, along Prosser Creek, and through meadows with wildlife such as deer, birds, and coyotes. Other parents describe Piping Rock as a down-to-earth stable that cares about their clients and note that older campers and junior counselors learn all parts of the equestrian experience, including the less glamorous barn work, rather than only riding and jumping.
Last updated June 24, 2026.
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