Here at Camp Tonkawa, we provide educational group programs for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, American Heritage, Homeschoolers as well as individuals and families. Our horses allow us to offer classes for horsemanship badges and other programs such as our Horse Clubs, and overnight camps that give children and teens, ages 6 and up, get a chance to learn new skills and improve their horsemanship. Horses help build confidence, a sense of responsibility, and compassion in kids and adults a like.
Horses also help attract new people to be part of our camp, and in the process, they learn we also provide classes for so much more. Alongside our horsemanship programs, we offer nature immersion classes for topics such as basic camping, nature awareness, Native American cultural camps, and primitive survival knowledge.
We offer hands-on outdoor adventure for students, ranging from single classes to groups of 100 or more for private or public school trips. This past summer, we were able to host a summer camp for foster kids from Sherman, and give them a chance to experience nature, have fun and learn new skills. We would love to grow and continue our community outreach.
Camp Tonkawa's mission is to connect children and adults with the natural world through various outdoor immersion activities that teach essential life skills. Contemporary research overwhelmingly indicates that time spent outdoors in nature improves mental and physical health and encourages creativity - all of which helps build confident, communally active people.
Help us Mane-tain our horses by donating funds to feed and give our herd of 8 horses their yearly health upkeep.
Hay has sky rocketed due to the cost of gasoline and fertilizers to grow and harvest it. We go through a minimum of 200 bales each year. During harsh winter conditions, round bales are put in the field so that the horses can eat as much as they need to keep their bodies warm as they digest. This year, with the drought, we have been haying our horses through the heat of August for as long as the weather conditions keep the grass from growing.
Most of our horses are older and have additional feeding needs such as senior feed, beet pulp, soaked alfalfa and supplements.
When our horses do a day of work and during the winter, we will give them a grain pellet feed. This provides the extra calories their bodies need.
Salt licks are available for them to use freely. Over the lean times (grass is limited) we like to add supplement licks for them to get their vitamins and minerals.
Dewormer is routinely done throughout the year, varying on the type needed dependent on the pest insect predominant in the month administered.
Older horses need dental checks to assure they can bite the grass and chew the hay.
Hoof care and trimming happens every 6-8 weeks when the Ferrier comes to trim and file.
We treat every human being with equal respect. All are welcome.
Organization name
Camp Tonkawa Outdoor Learning Center Inc.
Causes
Environment & Conservation, Youth & Children, Education - K-12
Operating Budget
Less than $100,000
Counties Served
Tarrant, Rockwall, Hunt, Grayson, Denton, Dallas, Cooke, Collin
BIPOC Serving
Native American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
1036 County Road 203