Orme Ranch Camp

• Primarily a horsemanship camp, if your camper has never been on a horse, they'll learn to ride beginning with saddling and grooming from the hoof up!
• If your camper already rides, they'll improve their skills with fun choices like roping, barrel racing, pole bending, jumping, & more!
• Our well trained guides take campers over hundred of scenic trails - some of the west's last remaining vistas.
• Regardless of your child's riding level or interest, our CHA certified instructors offer superior instruction in both Western and English riding disciplines.
• In summer 2009 rough stock is back! If your older camper wants to learn to ride a steer we teach everything he or she needs to know and provide all safety gear!

• Swimming
• Ceramics
• Leathercraft
• Batik
• Native American Art
• Paint Ball
• Archery
• Riflery
• Swimming
• Desert Survival
• AND MUCH MORE! 

Weekly field trips find our campers cheering at the Frontier Days Rodeo & Parade, visiting The Museum of Northern Arizona for a Hopi Native American Festival or visiting historic Jerome.   Optional academics (through The Orme School of Arizona) are also available.   For the "Summer of a Lifetime" send your camper to Orme Ranch Camp!

Established by one of Arizona's pioneer families in 1929, Orme is proudly accredited by the American Camp Association.Two to eight week sessions begin June 16. Each session features a special theme in addition to the regular horsemanship and other activities listed above. 

• In Session 1 the girls camp at The Grand Canyon for three nights and take a mule ride into the canyon. The boys find themselves back at Orme participating in Challenge Week.
  
• In Session 2 the boys travel to the Grand Canyon, camp for three nights and take a mule ride into the canyon while the girls remain on campus to participate in Tea and Tumbleweeds.
  
• In Session 3 the more expereienced rider gets the opportunity to participate in gymkhana events such as barrel racing, pole bending and a drill team demonstration. Session 3 hosts our only parent day with a pit BBQ and rodeo for the parents to watch what their campers have learned.
  
• Session 4 offers two choices. Intensified Horsemanship or Caravan. During this session all traditional camp acitivities cease and two specialty camps are offered.
  • Intensified Horsemanship focuses on everything your camper wants to know about horses. Not only to they ride every day, they participate in a camp out ride to a neigboring ranch where they help round up cattle. They visit such places as the quarter horse race track and a veterinary clinic.
  • Caravan is a two week long camping trip traveling to the four corners area of the southwest.

Tim and Susie, Orme Camp Directors, spend much of the winter recruiting heavily at colleges around the country for all camp positions including living group counselors, life guards and wrangelrs. Our staff is carefully interviewed and must have at least three positive references which are varified. We then conduct a background check and then hire only the most qualified for each position. We usually also draw several internatinoal counselors who are heavily sscreened as well through a special international camp hiriing service.

We take great pride in hiring a staff that will provide a safe, fun and challenging experience for every camper. Our staff participates in a two week training program before the campers even arrive at camp. Our first week of training focus is not only on the logistics of running camp, but also puts emphasis on child development and understanding how to manage groups of children at diffierent ages. Counselors then spend a week in the saddle either in our in house training or in a CHA (Certified Horsemanship Association) clinic.

Our wranglers spend a great deal of time getting to know our horses, both Orme owned as well as the summer string. Our summer string of horses is specially selected for our camp. By the time camp starts the horsemanship staff knows very well the termperment of each horse so as to safely choose the horse that is best suited for your camper. For more detailed information on our staff visit our website and click on the 'Meet our Staff' Button.

Orme Ranch Camp:"Ride the Best of the West!"

Is there someone around when my kid first goes to sleep until the counselor goes to bed?
Yes, there is always a COD "Counselor on Duty" . Your camper's counselor stays in the bunkhouse until your camper is asleep. Then there is someone assigned to be at the bunkhouse outside the rooms until counselor curfew and your camper's counselor returns to the bunkhouse for the night.

My kid is there for two weeks, does laundry get done while s/he is there?
Yes, there is one laundry day per week for each age group and camp. This is why a marked laundry bag and marked clothes are especially important. Iron on name tags are for sale through our virtual store on our website. Unfortunately we cannot ensure that clothes will come home clean. Most likely you will open bags of evidence of a fun-filled and action packed week with their suitcases.

Who determines what meals are served and when the mealtimes are?
Our food service is "Sacco". Sacco is new to Orme summer 2008 and they pride themselves in serving delicious, nutritious and well appointed meals. Juices are 100% fruit, there is a choice of three entrees per meal and no unnecessary sugar is served. Meal times are determined primarily by our riding schedule, and on weekends by our excursions.

Why are foods in Commons restricted to certain items at night?
Our campers enjoy long and strenuously fun days. Sugar items before bed, we believe, may interfere with proper sleep. We, there allow one sugar drink and one snack item like pretzels. Often our Younger's Head of Camp limits sugar intake more than the rest of camp. This is due to the younger children seemingly to be more sensitive to the effects of sugar and we prefer to offer healthier alternatives. However, on ice cream sundae days, all campers partake!

What items get sold in the general store at Commons?
We have a relatively limited supply of items available; however we do offer basic items like toiletries, flashlights, t-shirts and sweatshirts.

Can I call my kid while at camp? Can s/he call me?
Unfortunately we do not allow phone conversations during camp with parents. We have found it to detract from the camp experience and to invoke home sickness. However, we absolutely encourage you to communicate with your camper through Bunk1 Bunk Notes. This is a wonderful system whereby you email your camper, we print it out for them, they can respond in their own writing and it gets send back to you in their writing by way of your email.

Camp Season: June 15, 2009 to August 9, 2009
Multiple camper discounts available

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