I’m an IHSA coach,
and it’s that time of year when a new crop of incoming freshmen contact me
about entering college in the fall, joining the team, and possibly bringing
their horse to school with them.
If you’re an incoming freshman struggling with whether
or not to bring your horse to college, here are four questions to ask yourself
that may make your decision a little easier.
1.
How
committed are you to riding versus other activities?
College is a time to expand your horizons, meet new
people, and figure out who you are. At
no other time in your life will you have the opportunity to try such a variety
of new things. Weekend camping
trip? Sure! Study abroad?
Absolutely! Fraternity or
Sorority? Sounds fun, where do I sign
up? Oh, and don’t forget, you’re going to have to spend some time studying,
too. These endeavors are much more difficult with a horse in tow. Are you
willing to miss out on some of the fun extracurricular activities college has to
offer in order to ride your horse regularly?
2.
How committed are you to riding your own horse
versus someone else’s?
Most colleges offer at least a club-level IHSA team in
which the horses and tack are provided, and a quick web search will locate near-by
barns that offer lessons. Is it absolutely
necessary that you ride your horse as opposed to someone else’s? Maybe a once a week lesson would satisfy your
riding needs without draining your free time or budget.
3.
How
will you cover the costs?
Will your parents be paying for board, lessons, farrier,
vet, etc., or will you be responsible for these bills? If you are paying for everything, do you want
to spend your free time working a part-time job to pay for the horse-related
costs? With a part-time job will you
have time to spend with your horse?
Could you possibly end up in a cycle of working to pay for your horse,
then not having time to spend with your horse because you’re working to pay for
your horse?
4.
What’s the best option for your horse?
Will you be able to give your horse the level of care
and personal attention you lavished on him in high school? If not, will being at a new barn without you
there to spend time with him be good for his mental well-being?
If your horse stays home, you may be able to lease him
out under the guidance of your home trainer.
With a lease, your horse stays in shape and you get money off his board,
or you may even get to pocket some extra spending cash.
If you bring him with you, you could
look into half-leasing him out to your school’s IHSA coach or a nearby lesson
barn in exchange for board or lessons.
That way you could get your horse time in, but you wouldn’t have to do
all the riding yourself, all while having some of the costs covered by the
lease.
Or maybe it’s time to think about allowing your horse
to continue his show career with a new mom.
College is a transitional period.
You will enter as an adolescent, but you will graduate as an adult looking
for a full-time job, possibly with a soon-to-be-spouse alongside. You will probably have some student loan debt
to pay off. The added expense of a horse
can be a large burden for a recent grad.
Also, it’s important to consider that you may be better off selling
before you enter college while your horse is still in show shape, rather than
after you graduate when he is four years older (at least), and probably less
tuned up than he was when you were in high school.
Whether or not to bring you equine partner with you to
college is a difficult decision, and there isn’t one answer that is correct for
everyone. Yes, even the most committed
equestrian should have an identity outside of riding. It’s part of being a well-rounded
person. But, on the other hand, for some
people, riding is more than a sport, it’s a lifestyle. Only you can decide the right balance for
you.
The most important thing to remember is, whichever
option you choose, you can always change your mind. There is always next semester.
Itulah beberapa "Cara Menghasilkan Dengan Berjudi Online Modal HP Dan Internet" bila kamu tertarik, segeralah bergabung dengan S1288Poker. Tidak Ada Biaya Karena Pendaftaran Gratis..!! (Baca Selengkapnya Disini...)
ReplyDelete