““I have 3 children that attend camp at Ivy Hill each summer.  My son is 8 and my daughters are 6. They have attended the past 3 years and it means so much for them to attend.  They look forward to it and get very excited when we talk about the past years or plans to go to camp for this year.  They love the horses and making friends with the other kids.  They enjoy the games, crafts and riding time.  They get so much more out of it from a parent perspective, they find confidence in themselves, independence, responsibility and a sense of belonging.  They have a place to go where they are not judged on their abilities or made to feel different. They come home so proud of the craft they made or making a new friend or doing something new on the horses.  They get a chance to really bond with the horses and there is so much to be said for a friend with hooves.  Our daughter has been through so much medically and she suffers from separation anxiety.  When we first decided to send her to camp we had our doubts about how she would make out, but thanks to the fantastic group of staff and volunteers, they worked with her to get through it and now she looks forward to it and waves goodbye with a smile at drop off. Our other daughter has a severe heart condition and autism and for her this camp is a sense of independence.  She loved being able to do it herself without Mom hovering and for us as parents we felt confident she was safe and well looked after so she got her sense of independence.  Our family is so grateful for this wonderful summer camp and all those involved, we enjoy watching the children blossom with each year they attend.” ”