The first year of riding at The University of Findlay's Western Farm is exciting.   Students with similar interests come together from all over the United States and Canada to improve their riding, learn new training techniques and take classes that will give them a well-rounded equine education.  This is also a wonderful opportunity to meet new friends.  
                                                   



General Info:

• Freshmen are very diverse in experience levels and riding abilities. 
• The first semester focuses on proper body position of both horse and rider, lunging, horsemanship and showmanship. 
• The curriculum is designed to accommodate students that are new to the industry as well as those who have had several years of experience.
• Instructors continually evaluate students' abilities and assign them to comparable horses.
• Second semester focuses on trail, line driving and preparation for flying lead changes. This helps prepare the students for the sophomore year of colt breaking.
• Various training techniques are taught.
• Instructors are Cindy Morehead, Clark Bradley, Mark Smith, Jake Bowman and Meri Sheffler.
• All students are required to have an annual equestrian physical before being allowed to ride. The physical form can be found using the following link: Equestrian physical

 

 

Class:

• Meets from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Class is divided into three groups. Each has a riding, feeding, and cleaning/showmanship hour. These groups rotate every two weeks.
• Each hour is subdivided into three groups (approximately nine students per group), each with its own instructor.
• Groups will rotate so that students are able to work with each instructor and experience different training and riding techniques.
• Horses are assigned based on student's ability and are constantly rotated. This gives students a chance to work with different horses.
• Demonstrations are done throughout the semester and include tack, riding/training techniques, saddling, grooming, feeding, stall cleaning, etc.
• Riding tests are approximately two weeks after a demonstration. This allows the students time to practice.

Responsibilities:

• Maintain the care, training and development of the assigned horse.
• Afternoon feeding - assignments rotate every two weeks.
• Stall cleaning Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
• Work weekends - two each semester; paid; graded; students can pick the days they want to work; feeding, stall cleaning, various barn chores.

Semester Grades - compiled of class grades and barn grades:

• Class grades are taken from attendance, riding tests, evaluations and riding finals.
• Barn grades include stall cleaning, feeding, work weekends, taking horses' temperatures (required daily-can help detect illness), trailer loading, leg wrapping and body scoring.

Finals:

• Held one week before campus finals; an outside judge is hired.
• Conducted similar to a horseshow.
• Required to show in two classes first semester and three the second.
• Classes include showmanship, horsemanship, western pleasure, hunter under saddle and hunt seat equitation. Trail and colt pleasure are added second semester.
• To show in an English class, students must have ridden English during designated times throughout the semester.  
• Although the classes are judged and awards are given, the instructors grade each student individually and placing does not influence the grade.