Application – Send Your Horse to College

Now accepting applications for Fall 2026. Classes begin August 17th!

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The University of Findlay Equestrian Studies program provides an opportunity for students and the public to bring their horses to college. Learn more about this opportunity and apply below. 

Students Can Bring Their Horse to College 

The University of Findlay Equestrian Studies Program provides an opportunity for students to bring their horses to school to learn along with them.  This can strengthen the partnership between horse and rider and help enhance skills needed for everyday riding and in the show ring. 
 

If you decide to bring your family-owned horse, please review the following requirements. 

• Horse must be owned by the student or a family member.   
• Submit a video of horse and rider for approval. 
• Video must show horse at the walk, jog and lope in both directions, picking up leads easily, neck reining, a 360 in each direction, backing up, and simple or flying lead changes in both directions.  
• Videos can be submitted via YouTube or DVD: 
• YouTube links can be emailed to:  westernhorses@findlay.edu 
• DVDs can be mailed to: 
  The University of Findlay 
  C/O Bring Your Horse Video 
  14700 SR 68 
  Findlay, OH 45840 
   

If your horse is accepted, a packet of all necessary paperwork will be sent upon approval of the horse by Spencer Zimmerman. You will also be required to submit the following: 

• A copy of the registration papers. 
• A copy of the negative Coggins. 

These documents and the packet that is sent to you are to be returned before your horse arrives. 

Costs: 

• $17.00/day for board. This rate is subject to change at the beginning of each semester based on our costs for hay, grain, and bedding. We pride ourselves on providing the finest feeds and bedding for your horse, which sometimes requires us to receive these commodities from outside our geographical area. 
• You will be notified in July and the beginning of December of any changes in the current board rates.  
• Veterinary care and farrier services are not included in the boarding cost. 
   

Vaccination Requirements: 

Prior to arrival, your horse must have all vaccinations completed. The required vaccinations include the following: 

• Flu Avert I.N.® Influenza – 10 to 30 days before arrival. 
• Rhinopneumonitis vaccine – 10 to 30 days before arrival.  
• Strangles – The initial strangles protocol calls for a series of two vaccinations given three weeks apart, with an annual booster thereafter. The most recent booster must have been given within one year prior to arrival. 
• Tetanus – within the year prior to arrival. 
• Deworming – 60 days prior to arrival (please deworm with Ivermectin). Your horse will be dewormed every 60 days if not on Strongid C® – once if on Strongid C® 
• Coggins – The original negative Coggins, dated within the last year, is required for our files. 

If the above requirements are not completed prior to arrival, your horse will be placed in quarantine and vaccinated. A quarantine fee of $200 will be added to your account, plus the veterinary costs for the vaccinations given. You will be charged $20/day board for the time your horse is quarantined (10 day maximum). 

The Public Can Send Their Horse to College 

At the University of Findlay, equestrian students train more than 250 horses for the public each year. The western program focuses on trail, showmanship, horsemanship, western pleasure, colt breaking, cutting, reining and hunter under saddle. 

General Information: 

What breeds do you accept for the western program? 

• Quarter Horses 

• Appaloosas 

• Paints 

• Thoroughbreds 

We do not accept draft horses, mustangs or gaited horses. If you have a special breed, contact us to see if that horse is acceptable. Horses must be at least 14 hands tall and old enough to be ridden. We do not halter break yearlings or weanlings. 
 

When do you accept horses and how long do you keep them? 

Horses are accepted on a per semester basis for either the fall or spring terms. Your horse will be assigned to a student as a project, and the student is graded during the semester based on the progress the student and horse have made. For this reason, we ask that the horse stays for the entire semester. 
 

What is the cost of training/boarding? 

Boarding costs are $21.50 per day for one horse ($645 for a 30-day month). Veterinarian and farrier expenses are additional. Multi-horse discounts are available! Owners pay for board only, which includes feed, hay and bedding. Strongid C®, a daily dewormer, is available for an extra charge and will be added to your board expense. You will be billed at the end of each month, with payment due within 30 days. The board and veterinary balances must be paid in full up to and including the day of departure before the horse is allowed to leave the property at any time.   

What vaccinations are required? 

Prior to arrival, your horse must have all vaccinations completed. The required vaccinations include the following: 

• Flu Avert I.N.® Influenza – 10 to 30 days before arrival 
• Rhinopneumonitis- 10 to 30 days before arrival  
• Strangles- A booster within the last year. (initial series must be completed before arrival) 
• Tetanus – within the year prior to arrival 
• Deworming – within 30 days prior to arrival. Your horse will be dewormed every 60 days if not on Strongid C®, once if on Strongid C® 
• Fecal Test – within 30 days prior to arrival  
   

What other documentation is required? 

The original report of your horse’s negative Coggins, dated within the last year, a copy of the horse’s registration papers must be provided. If insured, the company’s name, phone number, and policy number must be provided. 
 

What kind of training will my horse receive?  

Our training philosophy is based on a quiet approach with western emphasis. The daily handling that each horse receives teaches them manners. We expect them to stand quietly for grooming, clipping, saddling, mounting, and dismounting. Throughout the training period, we emphasize correct body position, forward motion and lightness, and make use of round pens, lunge lines, and other training aids. All horses receive excellent physical conditioning due to their daily training schedules. They also receive invaluable experience in working around other horses in the arena in addition to specialized work with trail courses and show ring situations. 
 

May I visit while my horse is in training? 

You are encouraged to visit The University of Findlay while your horse is in training, and you are welcome to come and observe our classes at any time.  Your student trainer will work with you regarding times to visit and/or ride your horse. We do ask, however, that you let us know at least one week in advance if you are planning a visit so that the assigned student can be ready to assist you. It is very important that there is consistency in applying the techniques that have been used in working with your horse.  

Before bringing your horse to us, we ask that you provide very specific information as to what training you want for your horse while it is here. Students are required to contact you regularly about the progress they are making and/or any problems that arise. We want to be sure that every effort is being made to meet your training needs. 

Each semester ends with a final exam for the students in the form of a horse show that runs the last week of riding classes. Many owners want to see how their horses perform in a show, prior to taking them home. 

What is the purpose of the program? 

It is our goal to take talented, dedicated young people (most of them with strong backgrounds in riding, showing and horse care) and provide them with top quality, professional instruction at the best possible facility, so that they may gain the practical skills and academic knowledge that will enable them to be successful in the horse industry. 

It is also our purpose to establish a service for horse owners by applying professional knowledge to train and condition horses at rates that are affordable to the average horse-oriented family. 

Is specialized training available?  

Under the direct supervision of our professional riding instructors, our students progress horses through various phases of reining, cutting, trail and English and western pleasure. Our basic training program provides an ideal background for all horses, no matter what their intended use might be.  Your request, along with your horse’s attitude and athletic ability, would determine the area of concentration that we would pursue. If you have any special training problems with your horse, such as trailer loading, ring sour, etc., please let us know so that we may direct our energies to these specific areas. 

What kind of care will my horse receive? 

All horses are stabled in 10’x12’ box stalls, and the student is responsible for keeping the stall, water bucket, and feed box clean on a regular basis.  Students are also responsible for making sure that the horse’s feet are trimmed and/or shod when necessary. Limited horse care including feeding, stall cleaning and turnout is available during official school breaks. In addition to daily student handling, the horses are also under constant supervision of the riding staff and barn managers. The barn managers tour the barns at least twice daily to check on the health and general welfare of each horse.  A staff veterinarian is also available, as needed, to handle routine veterinary care and any special problems that may arise. 

What kind of feeding program is maintained? 

All horses are given alfalfa-mixed hay and a specially formulated grain diet. This is the best possible ration available and will meet the horses’ energy and growth requirements. It is our policy that all horses be placed on this feeding program. The amount of feed given to the horses depends on their condition, how hard they are being worked, and it varies from horse to horse. Horses are given trace-mineralized salt and have fresh water at all times. Many horses lack muscle condition and have excess fat when they arrive. When these horses are put into rigorous exercise programs, they will lose fat and appear to be leaner. This is a healthier condition for the horse, as it would be for any athlete. 

What are the facilities like? 

The 152-acre Animal Science Center is located eight miles south of the main campus and houses the western equestrian and pre-veterinary medicine programs. The facilities feature 330 stalls, three indoor and two outdoor arenas, turn-out pens, the pre-vet barn and the pre-veterinary science and reproduction lab which has an additional classroom, vet office, breeding area and a lab for reproductive work.  Inside the large arena and horse barn are wash stalls, a classroom, student lounge, and the barn manager’s office. 

What are the directions to the facility? 

The Animal Science Center is located just off US 68, south of Findlay, Ohio. If traveling on I-75, take Exit 156 (St. Rt. 15 and US 68). Follow this road for approximately 2.5 miles. Take the Kenton exit to the right. Turn right at the stop sign at the end of the exit. Proceed approximately 2.5 miles south on US 68. 
 

Need more information?  Contact us at:  

westernhorses@findlay.edu