The senior year at The University of Findlay is a culmination of skills learned during the first three years, along with the application of new techniques. This year focuses on reining under the direction of Clark Bradley. The senior year allows for diversity and specification as students often focus on certain breeds, disciplines and training levels.

General Info:

• First semester, seniors are assigned at least two outside horses and a school reining horse.
• Second semester, students are allowed to choose their school reining horse. 
• Instructors are Clark Bradley, Jake Bowman and Cindy Morehead.
• All students are required to have an annual physical prior to being allowed to ride. The necessary form can be found using the following link: Equestrian physical

Class:

• Meets from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Students are required to check in upon arrival and arrange their own riding times during the four hours of class.
• Seniors work each horse daily using skills they have learned  throughout their first three years at Findlay, as well as new techniques. 
• Students are responsible for maintaining correspondence with their    horse(s)'s owners.
• A higher standard applies to the abilities of the senior students.
• The reining focus of the senior year allows students to meet as a group in the arena every day to work on reining techniques.
• Seniors are evaluated periodically and tested approximately every two to three weeks on their reining horses.
• Tests are graded, videoed and reviewed the following day by students and instructors.  
• Seniors are provided the opportunity to develop a Hunter Under Saddle horse as English lessons are given every Tuesday and Friday. These lessons also focus periodically on pole work and small cross-rail jumps.

Responsibilites: 

• Maintain the care, training and development of the assigned horses.
• Work weekends - two per semester; paid; graded; students may pick the dates they wish to work; supervise feeding and other barn duties.  
• Administer medications during weekend work.
• On Sundays, seniors may choose to supervise morning or afternoon feeding.

Finals:

• Held one week prior to campus finals; an outside judge is hired.
• Conducted similar to a horse show.
• Reining finals occur the week before designated finals; this test is mandatory for all seniors.
• Horses without a reining focus must be shown in two performance classes. Three to five classes per day for three to four days.   
• Classes include colt pleasure, colt horsemanship, colt reining, open pleasure, open horsemanship, colt western riding, showmanship, open western riding, Hunter under Saddle and Hunt Seat Equitation.
• To show in an English class, students must have ridden during designated English lessons 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.