Does your child love horses? Dreams of brushing the mane of a real horse? Or has posters and books about horses? If so, then maybe a horse riding camp might be the perfect fit.

Apollo Farms in Palmerton offers summer riding camps for children ages 5 to 15 years old. The camps run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday for one-week sessions. There is a limit of 10 children per camp."We like to have smaller groups for the camps," said Delia Apollo, a professional horseback rider and owner of the farm.There were sessions in June, and also set for July 10-14 and 24-28, and Aug. 21-25. The camp covers:• Care of a horse• Instruction on correct riding position• Horsemanship• Games and nature activities• And fishing in a stocked pond"The first thing we do is brush the horses," Apollo said. "For the kids who have never been that close to a horse, their faces light up. They get to see how the horses all have their own personalities."The cost for the summer camp is $395 per week. And there is aftercare available for an hourly fee."Some people catch on right away," Apollo said. "We try to do a lot of games on the horses, so the children will have fun and learn at the same time."The children ride on ponies matched to their size. One of the ponies is named Peanut. It's not much larger than a large dog, she said. Some of the other ponies are named Elmo, Izzy and Lilly."They get to ride every day they're here," she said. "But they can learn at their own pace."Apollo said she knows the price is high for some people. That's why she would like to get a program started to help cover the expenses of the camp for families that can't afford the whole cost.In her native New Jersey, the program is called Ride for Youth. Businesses in the area offer to sponsor a child who would like to attend the camp."If local businesses would like to get involved and partner in on it, then I think that would have a great effect on the youth," she said. "It's kind of our responsibility to lead and inspire."In addition to summer camps, Apollo Farms also has riding lessons for people of all ages, and team-building exercises for companies."It's a good way to expose people to horses," she said. "To get up close and personal and learn about the horses."For more information about the summer camp or other riding opportunities, go to

www.ApolloFarms.com, email

info@apollofarmsltd.com or call 610-900-4120.