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For Horse People in/have gone to College

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3K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  MaggiStar 
#1 ·
I am going to be a Junior this year in school and I have to start looking for colleges to go to. And I saw a thread that got me thinking...

I do not own a horse nor will I be getting one anytime before or during College. My fear is this: I am afriad of losing the one thing I have a true passion for. I am scared I will have to put off riding while I am in school then Life is going to catch me with a house, a husband, a career, kids, cars, broken down clothes dryers, bills, medical issues......and so on......to the point where I completely lose the inner cowgirl in me and forget about my dreams.

Horses and riding are the only thing where I feel I have made any major acomplishments in my life (not saying this is the only place I have made them). Riding has made me the person I am today. I DO NOT WANT TO LOSE WHAT HORSES HAVE GIVEN ME!

How can I stay involved with horses through college?

Thank you fro responding and helping me.
 
#2 ·
If you plan on a career in horses, it'll be much easier, because you'll be in Equine Studies in college. I'd find a college with ES, riding courses included; they are out there. In CA, Santa Rosa Junior College & Cal Poly, then there's Meredith Manor back east, & the new horse college in MT.
 
#3 ·
I'm not sure what you'd like to do with horses, but here are some possible ideas that will keep you around them...Better then no horses:)

Volunteer at a therapeutic Riding Center, 4-H club, Pony Club, etc.

Get a part time job at a riding Center/Work off Lessons

....?
 
#5 ·
Get a part time job at a riding Center/Work off Lessons
I've thought of doing something like that, problem being finding a stable that will hire, but I am better than a bloodhound sniffing out a criminals trail when it comes to finding something with horses. :lol: I can smell them a mile away.
 
#4 ·
Im Thinking of going into an agricultural field...undecided on specifics, after that maybe farrier school, and there is Black Hawk College really close to where I live. But they only offer Bachelors and my parents don't want me to be a "farmer"

They don't understand my obsession with horses.
 
#6 ·
Why is going to a place to get a bachelors a problem? If you are not going to community college the first step to any further higher education is a four year degree. You can always go somewhere else if you want to go further than a bachelors.

With regards to your parents, if at all possible, do not pick your area of study or future career based on what they want for you. It is your life - choose what you want to do, even if your parents do not understand.

If they are paying your way, thus limiting your choices due to what they will help pay for, then you are more limited. Either start earning as much money as possible to try to pay your own way, or really research what you want to do and start selling the idea to them so they will buy in financially.

Good luck!
 
#8 ·
Well, as for my parents, it is unspoken, but they clearly want me to go to a four year school to be a lawyer or a teacher or some other job where they think my intelligence wouldn't be wasted or.

I have no problem going to a four year school, but I have tried to make them understand it takes an intelligent person to be in Agriculture. And they have said multiple times they will not pay for me to go to school for a job with horses unless it is part time (what I told them my fairrer career would be so they would at least agree to that).

And they are down my neck about the place on the map of my school. They are wanting me to go to school where concrete surrounds me in a radius of a minimum of 2 miles, To be sure that I am not picking my school based on the fact that there are several stables nearby.
 
#10 ·
yes, Its unfortunate, and I know they are trying to do whats best
 
#11 ·
I'm looking at universities for next year and for quite a while I felt pressured into looking at things where at the end I would get a big pay packet. However I've decided I'm doing something with horses so what I did is I looked at the specialist courses such as ones I'm very keen on which is Equine Science and Thoroughbred Management or Equine Performance Science. It specifically says in their entry requirements they will only take people who will make good scientists and they are among the most complex courses I have come across with modules such as Microbiology, Haematology, Immunology, Bioscience etc. Now this has made my mum happy because like your parents she was very worried that I would waste my intelligence on just horses rather than doing something like becoming a psychologist or something else like that especially since my psychology tutor would love to see me go into that field. Look at the niche courses and if you still think your parents will say no then take the Equine out of the title, substitute Biology and then list the modules and see what they say ;).
 
#12 ·
That makes me feel better! I'm not just imagining that you have to be smart to work with horses!:D
 
#13 ·
In Britain we use something called UCAS and they have a tariff of points. Now the first course I mentioned has an entry requirement of 280 points and to do a Law degree at the same place you have to 300 points to do the course.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Thats interesting....... the scoring system sounds a lot less complicated than our ACT's (which is almost 200 questions, some essays, math analysis, and the score ends up being out of 36 possible points).

I really would like to go to Black Hawk, even though they only offer Bachelors, I kind of got an idea from AlmostThere's first post.

Black Hawk is a two campus college. One school is specialized in business and the other in Agriculture and science. I thought maybe I could get a bachelors in an Ag field and then go and get a bachelors in a business field. I'd still have four years of education, and I would have a degree to fall back on if I lost my job or got laid off. And If I sell it right, I may be able to convince my parents to let me do it.

It might not be very common, but I know a guy who has doctorate, Two Bachelors, and an Associates, and he is STILL going back to college to get a degree in Geography. (and yes, he is an overeducated person with no street smarts or common logic). He was in the Peace core and he still is.

This thread has helped spark ideas I never knew I had!:D:D:D

What do you think of that Idea?
 
#15 ·
It would be hard to argue that a double major wouldn't take a lot of hard work on your part (might even sell it to Mom and Dad that you'd be applying your brains and would be so busy you wouldn't have time to get into any trouble at college :wink:).

Lots of people get their advanced degree at a different college than they got their four year, so as I said before, going to a place that only offers bachelors shouldn't be a deal breaker for you.

Good luck!
 
#16 ·
Im in agriculture in college my course is 4years long and i want to specify in equine nutrition and performance!
It is NOT easy everyone assumes it is because its ag but you have to do science, nutrition,breeding,genetic,math,physics, preformance etc it is time consuming also. But in the end the side of equine i will be qualified in will pay a good amount.

Now for riding most colleges have equestrian teams you do lessons and competitions etc its fun and a good way to meet people! Also i ride late fri ight when i get home and spend my weekends with my guys sure its not ideal and you will loose your social life. but if you want to stay riding you will find away. Also holidays are much longer in college iv been off 7weeks already and i dont go back to college until the middle of sept
 
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