July-August are the peak season for European stables. Parents look for activities for kids, demand for lessons spikes, and a stable that organizes good camps / day-camps generates 30-50% of annual revenue in these 2 months.
But “good” means not just fun — it’s also legal obligations, staff, insurance, documentation. This article shows step by step how to organize a horse camp / day camp legally, stress-free, with real profit.
Note: specifics of camp regulations differ by EU country. This article shows the framework common in many — consult your country’s youth/education authority for exact requirements.
Day camps vs sleep-away camps — legal differences
Day camps (no overnight)
- Kids come daily (drop-off / pick-up by parents)
- Standard hours: 9am-3pm or 10am-4pm
- 5 days (Mon-Fri)
- Age: usually 6-12
- Cost: €150-300/week/child
Requirements (EU framework):
- Business registration
- Parent consent forms
- Liability insurance (extended for children’s program)
- First aid kit, terms
- Usually no additional registration (not “child holiday” in many EU regulations if < 8h/day and no overnight)
Sleep-away camps (with overnight)
- Kids stay 24/7 at the stable / nearby accommodation
- Duration: 5-14 days
- Age: 8-16
- Cost: €350-1500/week/child
Requirements:
- All of the above plus:
- Specific child holiday registration (in many EU countries — consult your education authority)
- Special insurance (child stays 24/7, higher liability)
- Trained staff (in PL — wychowawca/kierownik certifications, similar in other EU countries)
- Rigorous health and safety procedures
- Camp manager and instructors qualified for working with kids
Program — what fills the day
Day camp model — typical day
| Hour | Activity |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Arrival, gathering, health check |
| 9:30 | Theory: horse biology, behavior, basic care |
| 10:30 | Practical: grooming horses, tacking up |
| 11:30 | Riding lesson (groups by level, 45 min) |
| 12:30 | Lunch + free time |
| 14:00 | Stable activities: cleaning, paddock, lunge |
| 15:00 | Pickup |
Sleep-away camp model — typical day
| Hour | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:30 | Wake up, hygiene |
| 8:00 | Breakfast |
| 9:00 | Stable: feeding, cleaning, prepping horses |
| 10:30 | Theory (horse biology / discipline / showmanship) |
| 12:00 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Quiet time |
| 14:30 | Riding lesson (1-2h) |
| 16:30 | Snack + integration activities |
| 18:00 | Stable evening: cleaning, evening feed |
| 19:00 | Dinner |
| 20:00 | Quiet time / movie / fun |
| 22:00 | Bedtime |
Staff per group of 12 children
Day camps
- 1 group leader (someone with experience working with kids, e.g. teacher, child care)
- 1-2 instructors (depending on lesson hours)
- 1 groom for stable work
Sleep-away camps
- 1 group leader (with required certification)
- 2-3 group monitors (per group of 12 — one per up to 6 kids in some jurisdictions)
- 2-3 instructors
- 1-2 grooms
- Cook (if food is on-site, or contract)
- Manager / camp director (with required certification)
Sample budget (sleep-away camp, 12 kids, 7 days)
Costs
| Item | Cost (€) |
|---|---|
| Group leader (7 days) | 350 |
| 2 monitors (7 days × 2) | 600 |
| Instructors (12 lessons × 2 instructors) | 600 |
| Cook (7 days) | 250 |
| Food (12 kids + staff × €15/day × 7) | 1,500 |
| Insurance (kids + program) | 200 |
| Materials (riding equipment, props) | 80 |
| Marketing | 250 |
| Profit margin (15%) | 600 |
| Total cost | €4,430 |
Revenue
12 kids × €450/week = €5,400
Net margin: €970 per camp.
When done weekly through the summer (8 weeks, 12 kids each) = €7,750 from camps alone, on top of normal stable revenue.
Checklist 90 days before the camp
90 days before (April for July camp)
- Decide format (day vs sleep-away)
- Set dates
- Sign up monitors / leaders / instructors
- Open registrations on website
- Marketing in local FB / IG groups
- First payments collected (50% deposit)
60 days before
- Confirm staff
- Plan program day-by-day
- Insurance arranged
- Order materials (supplies, snacks contracts)
- Information for parents (letter / email)
30 days before
- Final list of kids (with full medical info)
- Full payment from parents
- Briefing all staff
- First aid kit ready
- Detailed daily plan posted in the stable
7 days before
- Stable prep (rooms cleaned for sleep-away)
- Horses ready (selected by kid level)
- Final equipment check (helmets, boots in sizes)
- Welcome packs for kids (info pack, group T-shirts)
Day 1
- Reception (parents check in, sign in kids)
- Identification (wristbands or kid IDs)
- Stable tour for the group
- Welcome briefing (rules, schedule)
How Hovera helps
Hovera handles:
- Camp registrations online (parents fill in the form, pay online)
- Health check forms digitally (allergies, conditions visible to staff)
- Daily roster of kids per horse (which kid → which horse → which instructor)
- Photo album for parents (auto-shared after the camp)
- Bulk invoicing for parents (one click for all kids)
- Digital parent consents (e-sig with timestamp)