November Camp Update

Hello from Hoofbeat!

Things have been busy at camp since our last update! Ted and the maintenance crew have been working on fixing fences, repairing part of the roof on the Longbranch building, getting firewood in, and putting pavers in front of the Hoofroof entrances (thanks to tons of help from Ted's son Jason!). 

We have also been busy keeping the horses fed and watered in two of the riding rings since their pastures had been in really rough shape. All of the rain we had in the fall  made things like a swamp behind the barn. We're glad to have had a place to keep them, but it certainly added a bit more time to our daily chores! Now they are back in their regular pastures………yay!

Whoopi our barn cat has been extra wild the last few days and we aren't sure if she got into some catnip or maybe there's a full moon? Who knows! She does keep us all entertained though. This morning she came down with the barn staff and then sat outside the dining hall windows and looked in. She's always waiting for someone to come and give her some attention!

Today we have a Girl Scout group here to ride, as well as a birthday party. After today we will have a little break until our next program - the Mini's Christmas Party! It's nearly full now and we are hoping that there will be some snow this time. Last year you may remember that it was so warm, campers were riding in short sleeves! Not what you'd expect for December in Wisconsin!

It's easy not to mind the snow when the temperatures are comfortable (and the snow melts off the roads quickly). Hopefully this is the kind of weather we'll have for our Christmas programs!

Great news on the bridge repairs on Highway 14 - after terrible flooding and damage to two bridges in Black Earth, the road is open again. No more detours on the back roads now!

From all of us at camp, have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! We'll see you at camp again soon!

How is it October already camp update

Greetings from Hoofbeat! 

It's been incredible busy this fall at camp. The rainy weather has made things pretty muddy (you know it's bad when the horses start asking if they can go down to the Shoebox to find mud boots), but we are making the best of it. We have had some beautiful, sunny days and we try to get the horses out to their pastures to graze when we can.

Work is being done on the bridges on HWY 14 (in Black Earth) that had been damaged or washed out during recent flooding. If you are coming to camp any time soon, be sure to check for detours.

We have had several retreats, Girl Scout groups, Mother/Daughter Weekends, a wedding ceremony (two former staff members that met at camp), and birthday parties. We have a packed schedule for October with Able Trek Tours joining us, as well as more Girl Scout groups - every weekend is booked! Even the first couple of weekends in November are booked, so there has been plenty to keep us busy.

The Hoofbeat herd of miniature ponies are hosting our annual Christmas Party this year. It's December 15 and we are looking forward to a fun day of riding, arts and crafts, a candy cane hunt, and lots more. There are only 15 spots left as of October 15th!

Christmas Camp has filled and has a waiting list. Campers and staff alike always enjoy Hoofbeat in the winter! The horses are extra fuzzy with their warm winter coats - perfect for bareback riding!

There are some weekends open still for retreats, so if you have a group looking for a facility to rent let us know! In the winter months, we have groups that stay with us and then go to area ski hills during the day. We also can do packages for other types of groups.

We are hosting some Girl Scout Horse Lover's Badge Weekends in the spring - there is a little space left in them. If you are interested in bringing your troop, call or email us.

We are tentatively planning a Horse Lover's Weekend for girls May 3-5. Stay tuned for more info on that!

The spring Mother/Daughter dates are out - the two weekends will be May 10-12th or May 17-19th. Registration will be open on the website soon.

The 2019 Resident Camp early bird rates are in effect right now until November 15th.The fee will increase a little after that, so sign up before then to take advantage of the discounted rate!

That's all for now! Take care, stay warm, and we hope to see you at camp again soon!

-Ted and Mary Marthe and all of the Hoofbeat staff and horses

End of August Camp Update

Hello from Hoofbeat!

Wanted to give you an update with all of the flooding going on around us. Camp survived well - the only major problem we had was that the driveway washed out. Mazomanie (for those living by the creek) did not fare so well. We have heard that there was over a foot of water running down the main street  in downtown Mazo. Many of the homes along the creek  have flooded basements and worse.We have 7 horses at camp on a temporary basis due to their stable being flooded.

 Both bridges on HWY 14 in Black Earth are not usable and won't be open for the rest of the year. For anyone driving to camp for off-season programs, you'll need to take HWY KP from Cross Plains to Mazomanie. 

https://youtu.be/dJGB4qBgvFE  Check out the aerial footage (credit to Matt, posted on YouTube)
We have had several people email to ask about helping out. Our local bank has set up a fund to help the families that did not have flood insurance and if you'd like to donate, here is a link https://www.gofundme.com/mazomanie-area-flood-assistance
We are getting ready to start our fall programs at camp. We have several Girl Scout groups, Mother/Daughter Weekends, Able Trek Tours (a group of adults with special needs that has been coming each fall), our annual Christmas party (hosted by the Hoofbeat minis), and Christmas Camp.
The Minis Christmas Party is scheduled for December 15th and is a day camp. We will be posting the application and opening registration soon through our website.
Christmas Camp only has 10 spots left and runs from December 28-January 1st. Each year we have tons of fun at Christmas Camp and it's a great way to check out overnight camp for girls ages 8-15.

The horses and camp certainly look different in the winter months!
Early bird registration for 2019 Resident Camp will be available in the next couple of weeks. We'll email to let everyone know when it's ready.
Take care and we hope you and your family have a great start to the school year!