Old Lyme — High Hopes Therapeutic Riding's VetKids Camp provides an opportunity for children of veterans, active military members and first responders to have an introduction to horses while building a sense of community. 

The annual summer program has been held at the therapeutic riding program for a number of years at a subsidized cost. During the four-day program participants work with horses as well as focus on building community with one another. On Thursday, children spent time working on horsemanship skills, as well as trust and communication in blindfold exercises.

"That stress and anxiety of parents not being home works its way into children's lives and we want to support those families any way se can," said Kitty Stalsburg, executive director of High Hopes. "It's so awesome to see what happens with kids when you put them in a situation they don't always get to explore."

"Getting to ride the horse is the best part," participant Wyatt Hoffman, 10, said. "This has been the best week of summer."

High Hopes' mission is to improve the lives of its community through positive equine interactions. For more on its other programs, visit highhopestr.org.