RINGWOOD — Children ages 7 to 11 meet in Enid at 7 each morning, eat breakfast and pile into vans to go out and spend some time in the great outdoors.

Their destination is Safehaven Ranch and Enter His Gates day camp.

Scott and Sherry Carrier own Safehaven Ranch near Ringwood and have opened their ranch to Gaits Ministry to host camp, which is for children who otherwise might not have the means to attend camp or do other activities during the summer. Cost is $60, but there are scholarships available for those unable to afford the fee.

Doris Williams is leader of the ministry and the camp.

She bought her first horses in 2006 at age 70. That summer, she took four kids out to brush the horses and learn a little about them. The next year, she began to teach some teenagers to ride. This led to Enter His Gates camp.

“We are not a church. We are a ministry that loves the lord, loves kids and loves horse,” said Williams.



Bible, character, horses



Each day the kids at Enter His Gates camp do three different activities.

“The program is divided into three areas. One has to do with Bible study and character building, one is outdoor activities and one is horses,” Williams said.

The Bible study activity has a different theme each day.

“The first day was love. The second day was forgiveness,” Williams said.

Thursday’s theme was service.

Outdoor activities allow the children to have different experiences they would not necessarily be able to have in other places.

“Two days a week they go fishing. Today they are not fishing,” Williams said Thursday. “Today they are feeling and smelling their trees while they are blindfolded. Then, unblindfolded they try to find it again.”

Williams also said some days they get to look at bugs or find out about eggs.

Probably the most popular activity is the horses. The kids learn saddling, brushing, tying a quick release knot and riding.

“Some are afraid to ride, and some are afraid to even go into the corral. By the end of the week they can usually stop, start, turn right and left,” Williams said.

Some kids are afraid, so they start on the small Halflinger horse, Dolly. Williams said by the second day the kids who were afraid are ready to ride the biggest horse, a paint named Rayo.

The kids also are taught to ride around obstacles in the arena, which is new.

“The arena was not here until a week before camp. We got it up in two weeks,” Williams said.

“We teach the kids to go in between the cones in the arena,” she said. “With the exception of one or two of these kids, they wouldn’t ever have the opportunity to get on a horse.”

Every child is able to ride alone before the week is over.

During the camp the kids get Bibles, a T-shirt, and a water bottle to take home.

Williams said she has asked the kids how to improve the camp.

“We gave them sort of a survey question. Everybody said everything is great. They don’t know how to improve it, but they want to come back next year as counselors,” she said.



Family picnic good ending



At the end of camp Saturday, a picnic will be hosted for families. Williams expects 75 to 100 people.

The kids also get something so they can remember their fun time.

“At the end of camp, they get a picture of themselves with the first fish they caught and one with them on their horse,” said Williams.

The kids also get to write in books and write thank you notes to sponsors.

Williams hopes to continue the program and expand it.

“It is my dream to not just do this for three weeks during the summer. I want more kids to be able to do this. More than 40 kids need to do it. I don’t know where it is going, but we will do something next year,” Williams said.