Photo courtesy of Auburn University

For most students, just completing a four-year college education is mind-broadening and eye-opening, especially for those who choose a school away from home. For students who opt to add a study abroad program, the experience can be life-changing.

Carole Baker is the Director of Equine Programs at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut. She says their equine study abroad program is very popular with students and also helpful to them in a number of ways.

“Living in another country and learning different riding and training techniques is something our students remember and use for the rest of their lives,” Baker says. “We usually allow juniors to do this in the spring semester, and we offer them a choice of destinations. We are affiliated with the Yorkshire Riding Center in Northern England, where they can work with Olympic riders and train for their British Horse Society certification. Other British schools include Hartpury College, Gloucester College, and Writtle College in Essex, and there are occasional opportunities to study in Australia or Germany. All of the students who have gone really enjoyed it.”

Baker says that students who opt for an equine study abroad program should be strong riders, both on the flat and over fences, because the riding can be quite demanding. There’s not only dressage and show jumping, but a lot of challenging cross-country riding as well.

“Post University offers an Equine Business Management program, so we concentrate on the business courses,” Baker says. “Being able to do the riding in different countries is a great addition to anyone’s knowledge base. We stress how to run a barn, and this gives our students a broader opportunity to find work with horses or in the equine industry. If all you know is how to ride a horse, your options are much narrower.

“My feeling is that the more you know, the better your chance of finding a job which suits you perfectly. Taking a semester in another country, you gain experiences you could never have obtained here. All in all, it’s definitely an extra tool which can help you become a successful professional in the horse industry after college.”

Centenary College, located in Hackettstown, New Jersey, also offers an equine study abroad program. The Equine Studies Department offers, in conjunction with the Office of International Programs, a 16-credit Semester Abroad for equine majors in either their junior year or the first semester of their senior year. Currently, Centenary provides semester abroad studies in Gloucester, England, at Hartpury College.

The principal program offered is for students wishing to study to take the British Horse Society’s Preliminary Teaching Certification exam, but other programs are available. Students must complete a “letter of intent” and an application at least two semesters before their intended semester overseas to be considered for the Equine Semester Abroad. Approval of both the Equine Studies Department and the Office of International Programs is required.

In order to be eligible for the Equine Semester Abroad Program, it is recommended that students have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. However, students with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 to 2.99 will be considered for the program on a space-available basis. In addition, students must be riding at an intermediate level or above on the flat and over fences to be considered.

Kelly Munz is the Equine Studies Department Chair, and she highly recommends the program. She says the students who go can’t say enough good things about their experiences, and when they return, they have a much broader perspective on the horse industry as a whole.

“Most of our students live in the dorms, but some opt for off-campus housing,” Munz says. “It’s a great way to really experience another culture in a complete and normal way, not as a tourist stopping here or there for a day or two. When you live someplace and become part of a daily routine, you gain a deeper understanding. It’s something you can’t get just from watching a film or reading a book.”

Munz estimates that the costs for the semester abroad range from $5,000 to $10,000, which includes airfare, food, and additional travel, with tuition paid by Centenary. The school year is different in Britain. There’s a three-week break in April, and many students typically travel to other barns in Europe and learn about different training and riding techniques.

Ashley Reimel is a student who completed the equine study abroad program in England.

“Hartpury College is very much like a home away from home,” she says. “The support I received during my transition to not only a new school but a new country was fantastic! Hartpury staff are always so positive, which was very motivating during my stay. It gives me great pleasure to persuade anyone to join the Study Abroad Program at Hartpury.”

Another student, Heather Bowen, says, “It has been the best experience of my life and has been simply unforgettable. I have had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people and travel to so many beautiful places. I have grown as a person, a friend, a student and, most of all, it has shown me that life is what you make of it and to make the most of it.”

The University of Massachusetts offers study abroad opportunities to Equine Studies majors, according to  JoAnn Bernhard, the Assistant Director of Education Abroad at the Amherst campus. Bernhardt explains, “Juniors or seniors enrolled in the program are eligible to study overseas for either a semester or an entire year. They need a significant background in riding and equine studies in order to participate.

“We work in conjunction with the University of Limerick, in Ireland, which offers an Equine Science program with a wide diversity of courses. The students’ exposure to different cultures really broadens their world view, particularly when you’re adding in riding and training horses. Spending half a year to a year in Ireland or Germany and really understanding how things are done there gives students the ability to choose from a variety of excellent styles and techniques.”

Bernhardt also suggested something called a gap semester or gap year, where students opt to study abroad during a year between high school and college.

“There are many opportunities for students to study in Ireland, with the Irish Horse Association, or as a working student on a variety of farms,” Bernhardt says. “It gives these young adults some good international exposure, and it also allows them to try out all sorts of related, more technical fields, such as riding instruction, barn manage­ment, veterinary or farrier studies. They can also work towards a certification in the British Horse Society.”

Lake Erie College, located in Painesville, Ohio, offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Equine Studies, and also offers a variety of equine study abroad opportunities.

Jonathan Klein is the Coordinator of International Programs, and says that many choose to participate during their junior year, and typically five to ten students a year take advantage of it.

“The most popular destinations are England, Ireland, and Australia, but we’ve also had some students go to New Zealand, Scotland, and Europe,” Klein says. “They can go for a semester or an entire year, and most choose just the semester. The cost varies, but I would guess that it runs between $8,000 to $17,000, minus the air fare. This covers all tuition, housing, meals, books, and riding fees.

“There are so many benefits to participating in a program like this. First, of course, are the general benefits of having international exposure, gaining a different perspective, and learning from a variety of widely divergent cultures. Something like this also looks great on your resume.

“It also gives you many different options to delve intensively into a variety of fields beyond just riding and training, like equine therapy and veterinary studies. Also, being in a different area does allow you to ride over amazing terrain and really challenging trails and cross-country courses—things which might not otherwise be available.”

Klein stresses that all of the affiliated schools have university-approved curricula, and it’s even possible that some students who are taking college-level courses while in high school could attend during a gap semester or gap year. Lake Erie College also offers a summer program, where a group spends three weeks in either England, Ireland, Germany, or Australia completing an Equine Entrepreneurship Program, which stresses the business aspects of the horse industry.

“Participating in an equine study abroad program is a really unique opportunity, one which students might otherwise never have a chance at again,” Klein says. “If you have the opportunity, do it, by all means.”

 William Woods University is located in Fulton, Missouri, and offers degrees in both Equine Administration and Equestrian Science. Equestrian Studies students have the opportunity to pursue their area of interest in many different ways, including receiving academic credit for internships with professionals in the horse industry during time spent off campus. Equestrian students may tailor their course work while on campus to encompass special areas of interest such as pre-veterinary medicine or pre-law with an equine focus.

The major in Equestrian Science is designed specifically for those students who intend to pursue careers in the equine industry as instructors, trainers, equine managers, and riders.  

The major in Equine Administration allows students to pursue coursework in the techniques of horse management, techniques of facility management, equine law, and equine business practices.

Then there are the study abroad options. Equestrian students may choose to spend a semester studying with a university in a different country. Combining intercultural education with a love of horses is definitely the best of both worlds.

Kim Ware spent the fall semester of her senior year studying abroad at the University of Melbourne in Australia. “While I have been here I have seen amazing things, grown tremendously as a person, and made lifelong friends. Unexpected things happened over here that changed my life forever.”

Genevieve Flieger spent the spring semester of her junior year in Ireland studying at the University of Limerick. “I had a great time and learned a lot in Ireland. The place where the University of Limerick students ride is called Clonshire Equestrian Centre. They have over 120 acres of trails and cross-country courses, and they have some really nice horses. I also took an equine reproduction class, which was very interesting.”

Jenny Sekerak is a senior at William Woods University majoring in Equine Administration. She studied abroad through the American Institute for Foreign Studies (AIFS). She chose to study at the University of Limerick and took some of the equine classes they offer.

“Limerick has a very good equine program,“ Jenny says. “It is a four-year equine degree, and the students can choose to specialize in equitation (riding) or management. International students just there for the semester or year can take any selection of classes they want as long as they have had a suitable prerequisite. I took classes in equine genetics, nutrition, reproduction management, and marketing. But they also have anatomy of the rider, equitation (a riding class), and grassland and pasture management. What I loved most is that with all their lecture courses they also have a lab module with practical labs. For hands-on learners like me, this gives the student practical experience in the field.”

Jenny says that international students are expected to perform the same duties and have the same responsibilities as the Irish students. “Through AIFS we stayed in dorms, so I really didn’t have a host family. But the contacts AIFS provided at the university were very good at making sure we adjusted OK, and if we needed help with anything we could contact them.

“Before committing to a program, students should ask any and all questions that come to them that might cause them to worry. The most important questions: Do I want to go to a country where I speak the language fluently, or would I be OK if I didn’t? What kind of living situation is there going to be, and will I feel confident in that situation? Can I be away from home, am I likely to get homesick, and how will I handle it? What type of horse program do they have, and do they have classes I’m interested in taking?

“However if the student is planning on traveling abroad, chances are they are very adaptable and love adventure and change. These traits will make it possible for them to travel to almost any country and fit in just fine. Just make sure you are open to many new ideas, as horse people do different things in other countries. Also make sure you are flexible and willing to learn what the new instructor will be trying to teach.

“It is an amazing experience that really helps to expand your perspective in the equine world,” Jenny continues. “I never knew before I studied abroad in Ireland that they are known for Thoroughbred racing. I thought they did primarily hunter/jumper and dressage. But racing is their biggest industry and they are third in the world for Thoroughbred breeding under U.S. and Australia. For such a small country, that is amazing. It also opens many more doors. I now know horse people in Ireland which to me screams great networking opportunities. Just going abroad to see different cultures and styles really helps to expand your mind.”

Thanks to the following who helped with this article: Carole Baker, Kelly Munz, JoAnn Bernhardt, Jonathan Klein, Laura Ward, and Jenny Sekerak.

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