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Black River Newsletter May | 2022

Reminder Round-Up

Summer is right around the corner, and we want to make sure you're prepared!

Camper Sessions:

All camper forms and tuition are due June 1st.
The Camper Health History form is now live in the registration portal.
Click Here for a copy of the BR Physical form. This form is separate from the Health History form and must be signed and dated by a physician.
The final auto-payment date for camper sessions is May 20th. You can check your balance in the registration portal.

We have started a BR Parents Facebook group! Click Here to Join!

The Black River Open House for new families will be on Sunday, June 5th, from 2 pm to 4 pm.

Mother-Daughter Retreats:

All forms are due June 1st.
Click Here for the Retreat Schedule and packing list.

Alumni Weekends:

All Tuition and forms are due on June 1st.
If you are interested in hosting a private alumni weekend this fall, please contact the office.

New 2022 BR Summer Camp gear is available for pre-order NOW! Pre-Sale items will be available for purchase through May 31st. http://blackrivergeneralstore.com/.

If your camper is attending a session at the begging of the summer, we ask that you get your orders in as soon as possible so the items arrive in time for your session.

Registration Portal

Packing For Camp

Each camper will have a set of 5 cubbies for storing clothes and bathroom items. The cubie dimensions are 15" wide and 11.5" tall - some campers bring storage cubes to help them stay organized.

There is room under the bed to store your suitcase/duffel or a storage container. It is 9.5" from the floor to the bed rail.

Quick Tips:

Label everything!

We love Mabels Labels.

Send a laundry bag.
Use show caddies to corral toiletries.
Keep outfits together by putting items in a zip-lock bag labeled for each day or roll the items together.
We recommend that you send pre-addressed, pre-stamped envelopes with your child.
Break-in new shoes/boots before camp.

Click Here

Mail Call!

Mail is distributed daily, except for Sunday. If service is late in the day, the delivery may not happen until the next day.
Please limit care packages larger than an envelope to once or twice a session.
You can drop off a few letters for your camper at check-in; label them with the camper’s name, cabin, and the date you would like them to be delivered.
We have a small area to store mail. Please keep drop-offs to small or large envelopes.
Items must be packaged and sealed as if the postal service was delivering them. We will not accept gift bags and unsealed bags.
We do have a paid email service provided by an outside company. Click below for more information about Bunk1.

Click Here

Howdy from the Office

Meet Your 2022 Directors

Miss Kati

Hi! My name is Miss Kati, and I’m the camper and activity director. That means I am responsible for scheduling and organizing all the afternoon activities for free time and the night activities at camp. I also work with any special situations that arise for campers and communicate with parents.

My favorite horse is Tiny Tony in stall number 13! My favorite camp memory is spending every summer here with my sisters, Miss Tori and Miss Lexi. 2021 was a great year because we all got to be on staff together. This spring, I graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering. After camp, I will be working for General Motors.

Miss Mikayla

Hi! My name is Miss Mikayla, and I am the Staff Director. As Staff Director, I oversee all staff scheduling and their day-to-day activities.

This will be my fifteenth summer at BR, and my favorite horse is Prince #52. One of my favorite camp memories is from my fifteen-year-old year when my cabin and our counselor did yoga one morning before riding. Our whole cabin woke up early enough to see the sunrise, which was a perfect start to the day.

I just graduated from Hope College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. After camp, I will be working as an EMT and then applying to medical school with the hope of becoming a surgeon. I can’t wait to see you this summer!

Miss Renee

Hi there! My name is Miss Renee, and I am BR’s Barn Director. Along with daily activities, I help ensure that everything stays safe at the barn for our campers and animals. I also help Miss Tara oversee horse care—anything from nutritional plans to vet visits—to keep our boys happy and healthy all summer!

While I love all of our horses, my three favorite faces to see are Topper #63, Segar #64, and Hitchhiker #28 (in no particular order). My favorite camp memory is a tie for each last campfire night because it makes me so happy to celebrate the girls’ accomplishments from the session and see the BR spirit shine in every one of them!

I am a recent graduate of Michigan State University with a B.S. in Animal Science. After camp this summer, I will be returning to MSU for my Master’s in Animal Science, focusing on equine physiology and nutrition.

Horse Talks

Reading Horse Behavior

One of the keys to safely working with horses is understanding natural horse behavior. If you can predict when a horse is about to be aggressive or spook at something, you are better able to respond and either avoid a dangerous situation or prevent that behavior. Behavior can be defined as the animal’s response to its environment. Because domestic horses exist in a relatively controlled environment, their response is fairly predictable.

Because horses use their senses to interact with their environment, this video gives a brief overview of horse senses. Horses have unique and fascinating behavioral characteristics which have contributed to their development, survival, and present-day value as a companion to people.

Camper Corner

There's one thing horse lovers may like more than their horses- movies about horses! Most equestrians would love to spend all day at the barn, but unfortunately, that is not possible. I know plenty of riders who love to curl up and watch their favorite four-legged companions on the big screen. Luckily, there are some great horse tv shows & movies you can turn on after a long day of riding or when you're missing your favorite BR horses.