MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — As summer winds down, kids in Marana are still enjoying several summer camps before the school year starts. At 4 Ropin Ranch, one camp is teaching children how to care for horses and ride them.
Kim Temple runs the Jackpot Miniature Horses and Ponies Camp, aiming to help campers create a special bond with these gentle animals.
"The kids from the city have a chance to come over to see a horse they may never have seen. These are all very safe to be around. We have them interact. We do some crafts with them, and the kids actually interact during the camp. I’ll take the ponies out, we’ll do obstacle courses with them, and then we let them ride," Temple said.
Trainers like Tonya De La Cruz guide the kids and help them learn valuable lessons from their time with the horses. "You can see these kids open up and have their emotions open up. Before they go to school or preschool, these ponies teach them teamwork that these kids are missing," De La Cruz said.
The camp has had a positive impact on Tonya's daughter, Meleah. "They gave me confidence and they make me super happy. If I have a bad day, I just go over and talk to my pony and touch my pony, and they just make me so happy," Meleah said.
The camp will run weekly throughout the winter for kids ages 3 to 12. More information can be found on their Facebook.
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