For kids looking to spend part of their summer outside, a North Bakersfield nonprofit is offering a mix of horseback riding training and a new addition this year: goat yoga.<\/p>\n
Bakersfield Horseback Rehabilitation<\/a>,<\/a> located at Cowboy Church in North Bakersfield, is hosting summer camps where kids learn riding skills and horsemanship. Camp activities include stretching and warmups before heading into the arena, where riders practice skills such as controlling speed, turning, and maneuvering through barrels and poles.<\/p>\n KBFX<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe girls are getting their horses all saddled up and ready to ride,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cWe\u2019ll go into the arena. They\u2019ll do warm-ups and then they\u2019ll start practicing all their different skills that we teach them.\u201d<\/p>\n Pamela Stillion owner of the nonprofit, said stretching helps riders use their legs properly while riding. \u201cMost of these horses are trained to with mostly legs,\u201d Stillion said, adding that if riders are not limber enough, \u201cthen they use too much hand.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of the horses in the program are rescues, including Mr. Wilson and Jasper, according to Stillion. Another horse, Willie, was also part of the program.<\/p>\n In the arena, campers work on balance and communication with the horse, Stillion said. \u201cThey\u2019re learning how to balance on the horse. They\u2019re learning how to be a partner with the horse,\u201d she said. Riders also learn how to adjust speed and bend a horse through poles, a skill used in junior rodeo events.<\/p>\n KBFX<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The camp also introduced goat yoga this year as part of the pre-ride routine. Stillion said the organization has had goats every year, but this is the first year it added goat yoga. The session is designed to help with relaxation and stretching before riding.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hardest part about riding a horse is to understand that when the horse builds up its energy,\u201d Stillion said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to settle yourself down, so the goat yoga this morning kind of helped with that.\u201d<\/p>\n The goat yoga includes baby goats that are about a week and a half old during the event. The goats are haven’t been named because they will be re-homed when they are old enough.<\/p>\n KBFX<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The organization said it has one more camp this year, starting Monday, with maybe four or five spots left or those wanting to attend.<\/p>\n Bakersfield Horseback Rehabilitation also hosts other events to raise money, including birthday parties, school events, church events and carnivals, Stillion said.<\/p>\n People can find the nonprofit online and on social media for class availability, upcoming events and contact information. The organization can be found on Facebook under Bakersfield Horseback Rehabilitation <\/a>and Bakersfield Horseback Riding, and on Instagram as Bakersfield Horseback Rehab<\/a>. Stillion also listed TikTok as \u201cBHR learning to ride.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n