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Comments
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3/30/17 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
We were just asked to leave honest reviews of chastain mist and I was shocked to read the negatives here. Nice to see the responses though from actual adults who know a quality program when they see one. We absolutely love Chastain Mist. My daughter takes polo lessons year round there and attends camp each year. It is the highlight of her summer. As far as the normal things parents worry about, everything is handled with a high level of professionalism, so no worries there. The camp experience itself is taken to such a high level, the girls are so lucky to have access to exceptional trainers, well trained horses, and a very compassionate owner, Misti. It's clear she has found her life's path in mentoring young girls and helping them find their voice and confidence. We feel beyond fortunate to have found this camp 5 years ago. The counselors are like family and the camp is like home.
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3/30/17 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
2017 will be my daughters' 5th summer at Chastain Mist. They describe it as magical. CM has been invaluable in the development of both of my girls. We adore Misti and the entire crew! When we first started coming to this Camp my youngest had never been on a horse and my oldest had only had 6mo of riding lessons. Now they are both avid competitors in the show Circuit. Of course they take weekly riding lessons at a stable closer to home but I feel that their week at camp solidifies what they have learned in the past year & propels them to the next level. One part of Camp is goal setting so they have a clear path on what to work on and they also have a path when they leave camp of what they would like to accomplish in the year ahead. Both of my girls remain in contact with their Camp instructors throughout the year &they are always available for questions their home trainer may not know or for a second opinion. We love them and highly recommend. I would write more but out of room. :/
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11/15/16 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
This camp is wonderful. New facility and new lesson structure, my daughter came home full of new approaches and a much improved seat. Her trainer is very pleased with the progress she made. My daughter said that the food was great, they were busy all the time learning with the horses, and that the horses were top quality. Apparently they have made a lot of changes, they don't take more than 20 girls when in years past they took 50. The one on one attention they girls receive was worth a lot more than we paid. I am very happy with this camp and will be sending her next summer as well.
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1/20/13 |
5 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
This camp has a wonderful staff, horses,and activities but not a good owner .most of the time she wasn't even there and the food was bad.
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12/29/12 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
I love this summer camp I'm going back this summer I have done this camp 3 times it is very wonderful and they let u bond with the horses and learn new things:)
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8/26/12 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Great camp! I will return next year! I learned so much and the instructors teach alot of very important things about caring for your horses. I loved it there.
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8/17/12 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Bought a months worth of training lessons. Phone numbers don't work and other methods of communication were ignored.
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8/2/12 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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This trainer has NO affiliation with the NW Equestrian Center in Rainier. She has not contacted the owners or management of our facility to lease or rent our grounds or barns. If you plan on coming onto our property please see our website for our schooling fees and releases. Do not come expecting clinics or camps sponsored by Misti Chastain.
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8/1/12 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Once Misty had our money we couldn't get her to give the lessons, or even return our calls. We talked to several other people who all reported the same problem, also said the lessons involved very little teaching, basically untrained people providing child care, and doing it badly as some kids have been hurt. The facility was OK but there was standing water in the fields, and Misty is reportedly operating in spite of a stop-work order by the county, for a variety of reasons including health violations. Do yourself a favor, don't bring your kids here.
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6/13/12 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Could not even get anyone on the phone after they took my money. When I finally made an appointment after half a dozen calls she never emailed me anythings as promised. It was raining the day we planned on the lesson and I tried to call over and over again BUT no one answers or calls back."Misty" is rude and argumentative when you call to schedule ... I would never allow my children there at this point. Keep your babies safe and out of that shady place!!!!
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4/11/12 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Our first experience with Chastain Mist was summer 2010. Even though she is not comfortable away from home, Misti Chastain made this a fabulous experience for my then 12 year old daughter. Misti's thoughtful caring approach enabled Nicole to overcome her fears, stay for the whole week, and develop relationships that she still benefits from today. I'm certain that Misti was very hands on because I recieved several phone calls from her letting me know what was going on and/or asking for input on how to help my daughter. As a parent, I was thrilled to know that she was personally concerned about Nicole's experience. Nicole was so excited when she came home that we continue to drive to Chastain Mist weekly (about 90 minutes round trip)for lessons. We make this trip because Misti is such a thoughtful, gifted, and talented trainer. She is an expert in every way. I have had the pleasure of watching each week as Misti trains my daughter, it is a joy to watch. I highly recommend Chastain Mist!
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4/2/12 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
I went to this camp two summers ago and had the worst first camp experience ever. First off, we never had any lessons other than riding and during that half the time was walking even in the advanced class. There was NO one-on-one. During the riding lessons they refused to video tape you if you wanted something to look back on and get critiqued. During meals they would not let you get more if you were still hungry and instead told you to "piss off" and refused to give you water whether than this disgusting orange juice mix. Only got 1 1/2 hours of riding time total each day because afternoon lessons got cancelled cuz of "heat". Misty was NEVER there except the first/last days of camp. They would not let us go get lunch until we finished mucking out paddocks for 4 hours and by that time it was dinner. Day campers were let into paddocks w/o supervision with some dangerous horses. No extra horse-related activites were provided. I HATED this camp and am never going back!
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2/15/12 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My daughter CJ's & my review were removed & listed as "spam" since we both posted fm the same computer. I will try to summarize both of our opinions of CM. I will start by saying we LOVE it! I initially had reservations about the camp but since it was very close to my parents, I felt secure knowing that they could come visit her or pick her up if anything went wrong. That was 4 years ago, and CJ has attended every summer since. She just has the best time there! Her instructor at home is even impressed with how much she improves when she goes to camp. Camp introduced her to polo, vaulting, & Eventing. CM is not the camp for girls who just follow the pack tho. There are a ton of opportunities to grow as an equestrian but if girls don't sign up for things, they may feel unchallenged. This taught CJ to be assertive & express her goals, which resulted in her being exposed to many areas she couldn't get anywhere else. CM is a fabulous place where girls thrive in a safe, loving environment.
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1/29/12 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I cannot say enough good things about this camp! My daughter had an amazing experience, from the friends she made to how she grew in her riding abilities. Excellent instructors, well trained counselors, very organized program, 5 stars from this very picky Mama! Not sure which very clever competitor is posting poor reviews, but anyone who has met Misti or has been to the camp knows that it is horse girl paradise and nothing is amiss. The best thing you can do is check it out for yourself. It is difficult to find a high quality overnight horse camp in the Seattle area, and I was so relieved to find this camp 5 years ago. It has become an integral part of my daughter's summers as well as emotional development. Stellar facility, program, horses, and staff.
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SYSTEM: 2 positive duplicate or disallowed ratings automatically removed |
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11/14/11 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Instead of the world class experience promised on the camp's website, my daughter's week was one of disappointment and disillusionment: no well-behaved horse assigned to her which meant she was denied trail riding participation, no curriculum adapted to meet her needs, no gourmet meals, and no camp T-shirt...all promised on the website. No food substitute was made for a dietary request, and the one morning my daughter arrived late for breakfast, she was denied the meal and told "you snooze, you lose." I was never notified that denial of food would be a means of punishment. I have spoken to owner Misty Chastain on 3 separate occasions and asked that my daughter at least receive the promised camp T-shirt so her experience would not be totally negative. In Oct., I even offered to pick up the T but was told "no one is welcome to stop by." She also claimed to have closed the camp but site offered a Wine, Women and Horses weekend in Nov. No ACA accreditation. Families beware!
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9/13/11 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
Don't waste you time with this camp. I had to sue her to get an refund and she won't even honor a COURT ORDERED refund, it's now been almost a month and no word from her as to when I'll be getting paid. Bad business practices, she is a liar and a thief.
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8/28/11 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
i went to camp for one week and it was ok the food was disgusting. the staff were ok ok but you could tell they didn't want to deal with all of the kids.the riding was fun but it said 4hours and it was more like 2hours and you had to clean for about 2hours if before or after you ride, and they said that you could sleep and not ride if you didn't want to in the morning and you weren't allowed to we had to work. when we weren't riding in the afternoon we could play games that were really fun.now the most important part the horses. well i rode a Arabian that was very fat form the being no diet there they just left a big bail of hay in the fields.the horse weren't even Misty's she was doped off be some guy that didn't tell them anything about her, so to find out a counselor rode her for about 15 min. so when i rode her she was spooking at everything and when i asked if i could get off and they said to just stay on for a bit longer.when i got back home my trainer had noticed that i was wor
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8/10/11 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I felt compelled to rate CM because I just read a bad review that no makes no sense to me. We love this camp! My daughter has attended CM for several years, it's like her home away from home. She loves the counselors, the horses, the atmosphere....and I appreciate the high safey standards! She has always been an ExeQ camper which offers the video analysis, extra 2 hr lesson in afternoon, and opportunity to work with greener horses, which is great since she wants to be a vet. She says the food is better than home (not sure what that means :)) and she loves the options the camp gives her in regards to horse time (vaulting, round pen, polo, jumping, trail). There are 4 riding areas (x country field, dressage arena, jump field, large arena) not sure why someone would say there's no arena. There was an issue with food this year (2011)in the first week but Misti took care of the problem. By the 2nd week meals were back to CM standards. Overall amazing place for girls to spend their summer.
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7/31/11 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
The website touts gourmet organic meals,a plethora of activities,gift shop with healthy snack options and quality merchandise, high quality riding etc.We paid for the camp with 4 hrs of riding,personal horse for the week,swimming,hiking,trail rides,and supposedly much more.There was only soda and candy for sale in the gift shop(nothing else),my daughter had to share a horse and only logged 2-2.5 hours of riding per day, the food was horrible(counselors actually ordered their food from restaurants),and the girls could not have seconds(2 salads in a week and no fresh fruit is definitely not my idea of healthy),and the majority of counselors were young and chose their favorite riders and catered to them.We flew our daughter in from out of state and paid quite a lot for this camp experience.There were no extra activities aside from one archery experience and one trail ride.Not only is the quality missing but this camp is highly misrepresented online.
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7/3/11 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
My daughter was very homesick and wanted to come home before camp was over. I picked her up and was told that I would be mailed the money she had given for the "store" and she would be mailed her t-shirt we had already paid for. I emailed Misty and was told their was no more tshirts but that she would send me cash. Well it has been a year and we have never received the $40 or the tshirt refund nor will they respond to any phone calls or emails...
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8/16/10 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
This camp was great i went for the first time this year and it was so fun going back for three weeks next year. At most horse camps they only let you have minimal contact with your horse while not ridding but at this camp you could do it all if you wanted to. The ridding instructors where great they taught me so much. I came to this camp with minimal jumping experience and by the end i was jumping 3 feet.
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10/27/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I will be sending all four of my nieces to Chastain Mist Camps over the next few years. I work for the State of Washington in the Juvenile Correction Facility (JRA as well as a local coach for over 10 years and I hold a Master’s Degree from Saint Martin’s University in Counseling Psychology. I highly recommend this camp and I believe that ALL of the instructors have nothing but the best interest in your children who may have the opportunity to attend this camp!
I wanted to share the experience I witnessed at Chastain Mist Camp over this past summer, 2009. Not only did all of the campers receive a great deal of attention from ALL of the instructors as well as the camp director, activities director and the owner of Chastain Mist summer camp! I highly recommend this camp to all new and experienced riders. This camp is an opportunity of a lifetime of learning not only about riding as well as interpersonal effectiveness skills, problem solving, and plain old making new friends
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10/26/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I don't know what that rating below is about either. My daughter has been going to Chastain Mist for 6 years, and is now a CIT. Not only does Misti teach these girls to be wonderful young ladies, but she has a great approach to her riding instruction. We even leased a horse from Misti, and when my daughter and I were worrying our heads off about things that would come up, Misti always had such a level head and calm outlook on taking care of what was wrong. She uses this same ability at camp, and I know that she has had much influence over my daughter's success during the year. My daughter will go to camp for as long as Misti will have her!
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10/26/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
My daughter had the opportunity to spend a week at Chastain Mist last summer and to say she loved it would be an understatement. This was a life changing experience for my daughter. She was taught leadership, personal power, teamwork and sense of self. She thrived tremendously in just one week with Chastain Mist. I would and do recommend this camp to any parent of a young lady. My daughter is hoping for two weeks next summer to the point of forgoing any Christmas or birthday presents and has just asked her family to contribute to her "Chastain Mist or Bust" Paypal account. LOL. I seriously cannot say enough nice things about this program or the founder Misti Chastain, otherwise known to me as Pre-teen Girl Whisperer.
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10/26/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
I am unsure what the rating below is about - my daughter has attended Chastain Mist for 2 years in a row and BEGS me every day to let her go for 1 month next year. Misty is the most responsive, on-top of everything camp director i have ever met (and i have at least 25 camps to compare it to with our 1 week camp activities out here in the Pacific NorthWest). I have noticed they do not let poor behavior go, they expect children to have good character and expect them to behave appropriately - that isn't to say they can't act like kids - they just can't hurt other kids feelings or play mean spirited tricks. 2 summers ago my daughter mentioned 1 issue - and i asked misti about it. she hadn't heard anything as of yet, but she trusted my intuition about the situation, researched it and re-organized some responsibilities on the spot. At this point, i would trust misti with any child for the entire 2 months. Chastain Mist is an extremely down to earth fun horse camp. See it for yourself
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10/26/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
Our daughter has attended this camp two years in a row. The first year she did one week. The second year she begged for two weeks. We put a Happy Camper week after a Executive Camper week and she really had a great time. She comes home completely exhausted and smiling. We can't wait to send her again in 2010. We don't own horses and this has given our girls a chance to experience horses in a really down to earth and hands on way. It also gives our daughter the option of riding or not riding on days that she does not want the extra time. Our daughter loves to be around the horses and loves caring for them but does not love riding them. We think that her enthusiasm to attend camp even though she does not love riding is a clue that the camp is well rounded for all girls. If she were forced to adhere to a schedule she would not have the opportunity to find the portions she enjoys most and be allowed emphasis on those points. This camp is worth every penny we save to send her.
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8/19/09 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
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1 |
My daughter cryed for 45 min after I picked her up.She was put in time outs because she had improper form(her first time riding)and I am still yet to have some of her property returned,owner seems very unatached to what is going on ther!VERY DISSATISFIED!Spoke to Misty Chastain and didn't get any explanation after she said she would get to the bottom of it and return a phone call.Still nothing!
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7/12/09 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
As a horse camp, Chastain Mist is unsurpassed. The owner is an upbeat, intuitive woman and she is always on site, which makes me feel secure as a parent. My daughter comes home from camp talking a mile a minute about all the things she did at camp and how much she loved it. But what REALLY impresses me is the staff's minute attention to detail. If ever a child isn't reaching their goals, is feeling homesick, isn't getting along with the community, isn't feeling well, there will be a staff member "on it" in a flash. 09 will be my daughter's 6th year (she wouldn't dream of going anywhere else) and I have seen the staff at Chastain Mist go above and beyond for many kids, countless times. Professional, organized, very safety conscious, small groups, amazing instructors. Highly recommended!! Wonderful Camp! Don't let the lower price fool you! Chastain Mist is far superior to the $1200 week camps.
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