I wanted to go there when I was in middle school. Now being a whole lot older and smarter I’m embarrassed to even have looked at that place! It’s such a scam and waste of money. I actually thought it was really cool that I would get to live in a bus, but then I turned 12. :lol:
I had never heard of this place before – their website is a bit shocking (at least to an experienced horse person). A quick search brought up some COTH threads where posters had not very good things to say about MM graduates (couldn’t ride out of a paper bag, couldn’t handle horses on the ground).
[QUOTE=RiderWriter;6623792]
What the heck?! Who goes there, is my main question now?[/QUOTE]
That is my question as well. $25,000 for a certificate? Reading their “Featured Graduates” list includes a handful of people, that I have never heard of, that appear to work at riding camps, dude ranches, and small facilities - none appear to be successful on a regional or national level.
The US Pony Club has a much more distinguished graduate list! I say save your money, join a good pony club early, then find the best trainer you can and become their working student.
http://www.meredithmanor.edu/graduate/feature/default.asp
Some of their graduates talk about having no horse experience, completing the program – and now they are horse trainers / instructors. It just doesn’t work like that.
Here is one of their “featured Grads” (Instructor and Trainer at New Leaf Equestrian). As I can see by her horse for sale page, she learned the proper way to free jump a horse.:eek:
And you have to pay 100 more per month to be the only person to ride YOUR OWN horse??? WTF?
WOW!!! I have heard of that school. I remember way back when I was in high school, a guidance counselor suggested it for me, however I was leary then. Where I live there are a handful of MM graduates that brag about their educations and certificates. Seeing pictures of them riding and their horses, explains it all.
First, glad you are considering Hollins! It is an amazing place and I always encourage people to visit and see if the school is a good fit for them. My time there changed my life, my riding, you name it. Four wonderful years that I cherish and am thankful for, every day.
As for the crate housing… he’s not here, so I can’t ask him, but those living arrangements look an awful lot like what my DH lived in. While deployed to Iraq. I wouldn’t think that people in non-combat situations would want to pay for the privilege of living that way.
[QUOTE=JenEM;6623780]
I’ll ditto this as well! It was a close call between Hollins and SBC for me, but ultimately I chose HU, and am very glad I did. (They also offer a MA in teaching, BTW.)
Those are in a completely different league than what I’m seeing in the Meredith Manor photos. Is it actually an accredited higher educational facility? And how on earth is that housing up to fire code?[/QUOTE]
haha thanks for the link…I’ll check it out! I hadn’t thought about Hollins funnily enough - SBC came to mind because I was so close to going there for my undergrad.
“Is it actually an accredited higher educational facility?”
Actually, the question isn’t are they accredited but who recognizes their accreditation? They are accredited - by ACCET (The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training). It’s a legitimate agency but as far as who recognizes it - next to no one. 99.9% of colleges and universities will only accept credit from other REGIONALLY accredited schools. The rare exception would be if some college has an articulation agreement with them. And even then, it usually only allows a limited amount of credit to transfer and only as elective credit.
Geez - I remember thinking that would be such a great school to go to when I was a kid in the '70’s. Wasn’t there another school around the same time? Potomac Horse Center? Was that one a scam too?
Wow! That place looks like they should pay you to go there…
Off-topic, but…
The University of Virginia is by far and away the best choice on your list, Hunterridder23!!
Maybe I’m a little biased because I went there. Charlottesville is wonderful and soooo horsey :winkgrin: Seriously though, UVA is a top-notch public university and you should definitely go visit there and strongly consider it.
[QUOTE=LoveJubal;6624304]
Wow! That place looks like they should pay you to go there…
Off-topic, but…
The University of Virginia is by far and away the best choice on your list, Hunterridder23!!
Maybe I’m a little biased because I went there. Charlottesville is wonderful and soooo horsey :winkgrin: Seriously though, UVA is a top-notch public university and you should definitely go visit there and strongly consider it.[/QUOTE]
There’s a reason why it’s number 1 on my list! I haven’t visited yet, but I plan on doing my college visits next summer and (sadly) skipping out on horses for the last 2 weeks of june. First week is a barn tradition horse show, as it’s the local charity AA show, but for 2 weeks after that I’ll be visiting my top 10. Also will be visiting a few on Fall break.
[QUOTE=Appsolute;6623858]
Here is one of their “featured Grads” (Instructor and Trainer at New Leaf Equestrian). As I can see by her horse for sale page, she learned the proper way to free jump a horse.:eek:[/QUOTE]
Oh, boy, do have a look at the sales page, too… $5,000 for an unshown, scruffy, underweight, goose-rumped TB whose sole talent, at least as demonstrated by the photos available, is standing still with a pool liner draped over him. :eek: Yahoo, sign me up! Probably 100 pictures of this fabulous steed, none of which is a single useful confo shot (he’ll let a dog lick his nose, too). Guess “Selling Your Horse 101” wasn’t part of the curriculum at Meredith Manor! :
[QUOTE=outside__line;6624009]
As for the crate housing… he’s not here, so I can’t ask him, but those living arrangements look an awful lot like what my DH lived in. While deployed to Iraq. I wouldn’t think that people in non-combat situations would want to pay for the privilege of living that way.[/QUOTE]
Yep, exactly what I thought. I’m pretty darn sure that’s EXACTLY what those are. If I’m sending my kid to college to the tune of many thousands of $$$, I expect him/her to be housed in an actual BUILDING, like, with running water and bathrooms!
[QUOTE=LoveJubal;6624304]
The University of Virginia is by far and away the best choice on your list, Hunterridder23!!
Maybe I’m a little biased because I went there. Charlottesville is wonderful and soooo horsey :winkgrin: Seriously though, UVA is a top-notch public university and you should definitely go visit there and strongly consider it.[/QUOTE]
Agree and Wahoowah! Make sure you visit the Grounds and attend some classes. I loved it there. My sister went too. Foxfield, the Barracks, Charlottesville in general…you can’t go wrong!
Hunterrider23, finding a college is all about the right fit. You have a number of huge state schools, and then a few private, smaller, liberal arts schools. As you narrow your choices, think seriously about what you want to get out of your college experience.
In the interest of full disclosure 
I’m a Hollins alumna as well, and would do it again in a heartbeat.
I know of someone who attended this school! I only heard horror stories from even their own graduate. She said the horses were downright scary (probably from being ridden incorrectly or other issues who knows) and that overall it was terribly unprofessional. She took her horse for a bit and got him and herself out of there as soon as possible. This was about 10 years ago…doesn’t look like much has changed.
COOL! They have a mechanical bull
http://www.meredithmanor.edu/about/tour/fort.asp
Now THERE is some horseback riding training that would come in handy.
I used to live in an area where one of their feature graduates resided. She has spent the last (not quite) 15 years bouncing from barn to barn teaching her interpretation of dressage and accomplishing nothing, really. I can now see why. What a very odd school and I actually feel bad by the people taken in by them. Yikes!:eek:
[QUOTE=SmartAlex;6624680]
COOL! They have a mechanical bull
http://www.meredithmanor.edu/about/tour/fort.asp
Now THERE is some horseback riding training that would come in handy.[/QUOTE]
Hahahaha I had thought that was one of those expensive mechanical horses – but you are right, it’s a mechanical bull!
Please do go to their graduates page – What they high light as successful graduates are downright scary. Seriously, I can count many graduates from my “class” in Woodside Pony Club who are much more accomplished! Long listed for the Olympics, trainers with their own successful barns in a highly competitive area, equine veterinarians – and PC was just a few hundred dollars a year!
I know a few people that went there. One was a wacko that oh lord help me shouldn’t be training and two are actually very good. One does not give lessons she takes on problem horses and rehabs and trains them for sale. She has one right now that was donated to the university for their riding from a bnt that eventide the horse. Bunch of trainers said he was crazy and university did also. They were going to put him down. She took him home and he is now sane and happy and going novice with great scores to boot. One mare was scoring 70s as a qh pony at 1st level. I think there are bad everywhere. I’m not sure if all that come out of there are horrible. It maybe the majority but not all. Now for the accommodations lol. That’s bad really and I agree outrageous for that!
Does the “Special Housing” in buses make anyone else think of this book/movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/
[QUOTE=bdj;6625141]
Does the “Special Housing” in buses make anyone else think of this book/movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/[/QUOTE]
SPOILER ALERT:
Is it a bad thing that he dies then? :lol:
