Porcher's Rock Creek Stables Horse Camp

Porcher's Rock Creek Stable Summer Horse Camp includes hands-on activities such as grooming, saddling, bathing, learning tack and anatomy parts, playing games, riding, and doing chores. Campers take part in feeding horses, learning about nutrition, scavenger hunts, mini arena competitions, outdoor competitions, and volunteering. The broader stable program also includes lessons, boarding, birthday parties, horse training, seasonal and special event trail rides, manure shoveling, stall cleaning, tack cleaning and conditioning, horse grooming, training, conditioning, riding lessons, horse shows, carriage and wagon rides, pony rides, trail rides, and employment, and the camp is described as offering learning and experience that once-a-week lessons cannot offer, with freedom to ride many horses and ride at their own pace in a safe environment for kids.

• Ages: 6–18 years old
• Price: lesson pricing per single lessons and packages has increased due to the increase in cost of care per horse and hay and grain going up 33% since beginning of 2022

Porcher's Rock Creek Stable describes its mission as offering a fully encompassed equine experience with emphasis on having fun, with a focus on finding the joy that horses have to offer in providing a fulfilling experience for everyone. The program states that students can explore, play, and socialize with the group in a safe environment for kids, and that students who take riding lessons can earn extra riding time outside of their paid riding lessons by doing work on the farm. It also states that anyone is welcome to come do work or chores with a phone call or set schedule made with Shay, and that payments for any Porcher's Rock Creek Stable experience can be made by cash, check, or Venmo.

Owner and operator Shay Brawdy is 42 years old and serves as one of the trainers and a vet tech at Porcher's Rock Creek Stable. She has been around horses since age 5 and has ridden, shown, competed, and earned certifications for over 36 years. Shay learned horsemanship and training skills working with natural horsemen such as John Lyons and Pat Parelli. She began her career at age 5 in a small barn in Missouri, moved back to Quincy, Illinois at age 23, opened her own horse facility in 2015 while working a full-time job, and in June 2019 left that job and opened her business full-time at the present facility in July 2019. Since moving to the present facility, the operation has grown from 5 horses to 25 horses and has also bought or birthed 8 fainting goats, 5 dogs, 6 cats, and 13 chickens. Shay states that she loves being able to share her passion and skills of horses with the surrounding area.

Last updated January 10, 2026.