Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Finding And Winning Equestrian Scholarships

By Dorthy Lloyd


Almost anyone can benefit from a little help when it comes time for higher education. College or university is expensive, but the fact remains that a degree helps find significant work in any field. Fortunately thousands of public, private, corporate, and civic organizations offer financial aid for tuition and other expenses. Many of these are unused, since no one applies for them. Dedicated equestrian scholarships are only one of many kinds of awards that a student interested in working with horses may qualify for.

All sorts of aid is out there, from purely academic packages to those offered to athletes. Some are based on community service, others given to winners of beauty pageants or talent contests. Institutions offer their own aid for students who meet the academic requirements but who may be unable to pay their own way completely.

Some scholarships are broad enough to include any kind of study, stating merely that they be used for educational costs. Others depend on certain criteria the award winner must fill. For example, an athlete who cannot play because of injury or bad grades may lose their award. A student who does not maintain a satisfactory grade point average might lose their academic aid. Aid from one school will not transfer with a student who changes schools.

Riding is only one facet of the horse industry, but an outstanding rider will find many opportunities as this sport rises in both popularity and popular appeal as a spectator sport. Both English and western riders will find aid packages, as horse show organizations, dressage associations, and rodeo groups seek to help high achievers get ahead in life. Winning over jumps or around barrels can help a student get a higher education.

Horse owners have another source of potential financial aid, as well. Breed associations often have small - $500 or $1000 - one-time awards that they offer to those who show pure-bred animals like Arabians or Appaloosas. Sometimes all that is required is to own one such animal. Most of the breed and showing organizations have this kind of participation award, so it's well worth checking their home sites.

There are online websites with a lot of information, so finding help is easier than ever. The College Scholarship Organization is one of these, as is the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association site. This latter posts a list of organized school teams, listing them by region and division. A general search will turn up leads to awards many have never heard of, so don't limit the topic too narrowly.

People who can't compete at the top level or who may not even want to ride may still want to work with horses. There are courses in barn management, riding school operation, the legalities of the equine industry, equine nutrition, and in things like dentistry or hoof care for horses. This field is as amenable to individual talents and inclinations.

Civic groups like the Lions or the Rotary Club offer aid, as do corporate and retail entities. The Internet makes is easier than ever to find out about even obscure offers of help with tuition and books.




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