I don’t know, but imagine there are schools with riding programs and contacts or at least are located in areas with the horse accessibility that OP currently lacks.
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On the horse/finances side of things, if you bring your horse to school, will you also need to pay for the gap between boarding her there and keeping her at home? Because that in and of itself could be substantial money, easily $2k a month (plus shipping her to and from annually). If the lesson horses at the school are jumping small jumps, this tells me it is not the path to getting you in the BigEq or Junior Jumper rings - and that’s fine! I know it doesn’t feel that way now, but you have your whole life to jump big jumps. As other posters have said, unless you are the child of a pro, the best way to get into the bigger rings is with your own money that you earn outside of horses.
If your parents won’t fund/allow a gap year before college, you can always take a gap year AFTER college to be a working student for a show barn. You may lose your amateur status for a few years doing this but that isn’t the end of the world.
Of course your high school education matters, but prep school can be a real sink or swim experience, and potentially lonely for anyone but certainly for someone coming from more modest means than someone whose family is legacy and/or paying full tuition. There are 100% ways to have a more interesting academic experience than going to boarding school - others have already mentioned these. I went to junior college my senior year of high school which earned me both high school and college credit. I was able to schedule all of my classes for Tuesdays and Thursdays so I could work and ride MWF.
Finally, I know some high schoolers who are making an absolute killing financially… doing junk removal. They started with a cheap pickup truck for hauling. They work really, insanely hard, are very nice and responsive, and recruit some paid friends to help them when they need extra hands. In the summer they work more than full time and during the school year they will do jobs before and after school. It is the opposite of glamorous but they are easily making “adult” money - $50k plus a year.
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I never said “only $20,000” though? I know that it’s a ton of money.
Everyone that is telling me to “save the money for college” and “the school probably isn’t very good” clearly didn’t read any of my replies.
I live near no hunter jumper barns and can maybe lesson once or twice every 3 months.
I cannot show very often, only 3-4 times a year.
I can’t get any experience riding other horses due to me only owning one horse.
There is only one lesson barn here and it’s western. I don’t think I could get a “working student” position there, I probably know just as much as the trainer there.
A lot of people also think that the school is only IEA. They compete at huge shows, like WEC Ocala, Devon, and would be willing to go to any sort of final if a rider qualifies.
One of the graduates from the exact school last year has an internship at Laura Kraut’s barn and recently won a 2* Grand Prix in Miami.
If I did decide to just listen to random people on a forum, stay at home, keep my horse, not improve at all because she turns 15 in a week and won’t be able to jump high for much longer, stay at a school I hate, barely show at all, all to just go to a college and get a job that I don’t like wouldn’t be worth anything. I already know that I would regret it. And no, I can’t just “go to another barn for a few weeks in the summer” because my parents have jobs and can’t just take off for weeks just so I can ride with a trainer to get some experience. They wouldn’t be keen to doing that, and are tired of having to trailer my horse in for lessons only 2 hours away.
I asked for suggestions to make money this summer. Not whether I want to go to this school or not. I appreciate that you guy’s took time out of your day to help me, but the help wasn’t in the area that I came on here for.
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We did read your replies, we just aren’t saying what you want to hear. Your goal is not realistic, and people have pointed out other options that might help you get where you ultimately want to go. I get that this feels like the end of the world, we’ve all been there. But you have a lot of privileges to be grateful for, don’t lose sight of that just because you can’t have everything you want.
These are both things a lot of people your age (and older) would kill for. “Only owning one horse” is beyond the reach of most Americans, let alone owning multiple. You’re incredibly fortunate.
This attitude is not going to get you anywhere in the horse world (or any world, honestly). There is so much to learn from other disciplines and other professionals, and you’re really pretty inexperienced in the grand scheme of things. The best way to get ahead is to be open-minded and willing to take on any opportunities that come your way, and be gracious about it. Many pros can point back to an opportunity they never planned for and wouldn’t have sought out as the thing that really kick-started their careers.
Good luck with whatever you and your parents decide, I hope you find a way to make it work for you.
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You said yourself in your first post that the moneymaking opportunities available to you in the horse world aren’t going to be lucrative enough with the time constraints you have. Everyone here is telling you that there is no realistic (legal) way for someone with no qualifications to net $50,000 after taxes in five months, or even $20,000, with part-time and summer jobs. If there were, everyone would be doing it. The reality is that people work for years, either earning professional degrees or developing a business, just to reach that kind of income. Sorry it isn’t what you wanted to hear, but the random people on this forum are not going to suggest you start cooking meth …
Also why do you think your mare is on borrowed time at the age of 15? Unless she has an injury or chronic issue you haven’t mentioned, she could be sound to jump 3’3+ into her later teens or even early 20s with appropriate maintenance. She could also go lame in the field tomorrow, but so could a horse that’s 7 years old.
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Does she own her own 2* horse? Possibly own multiple horses jumping 1.50+?
I’m sorry that no one has helped you in the way that you’ve envisioned. I’m not going to be able to help that way either, since I don’t actually think your goal is possible. Earning that amount of money in a short period of time is too hard. For anyone. And it’s not the end of it. If the school shows at those shows you want to go to, you’re going to have to pay for them too. And probably training and shipping, unless that’s included in tuition. The bottom line is it doesn’t sound like you can afford it. And, I’m going to be even more honest, I doubt from the location and position that you describe that you can lease out your horse for a significant amount to help with tuition even if you chose to go that route.
I’m a professional; I have no bias towards people getting great jobs or great schooling or getting into college, I don’t care if you throw your life away on horses 
, just so you understand I’m telling you an honest opinion that this goal is not going to work for you. These words are hard to hear, but they are well meant.
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You might want to start a gratitude journal and realize how well off you are. You have many things I’ve spent years working for handed to you by loving parents who only have the best intentions. I hope you tell them thank you daily for the opportunities they are giving you.
You are in high school… you have plenty of time to ride and pay your own way to jump the big sticks. Don’t knock the western barn either, good horsemanship goes across any barn, plus cross training is amazing to make you a better rider.
Best advice I can give is focus on school, you will ultimately have more time and money for horses later in life. 50K for a boarding school is not a reasonable ask just to be a pro.
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The rider in the Grand Prix is not doing this on school horses. She likely has several high dollar horses at home.
I expect this school would be attractive to wealthy girls who want horses integrated into their school year but also already have a horse and coach outside of school and possibly in addition to school as well. The kind of riders who could afford to fly to a show for a weekend and meet their outside coach and competition horses. They are likely not being turned into grand Prix riders at this school.
Also like it or not, you have at most 5 years if being a teen left. But if you’re lucky you have 60 plus years of being an adult, and for 40 of those years you will likely have a job.
It is just about impossible to think that far ahead at 12, 15, even at 17. I get that. But sorry, “just to go to college and get some job I will hate” is absolutely a classic immature response that shows you aren’t able to think ahead yet.
You do realize that many top pro competition riders (juniors and adults) are either independently wealthy or the children of other top trainers? It’s one of the most expensive sports in the world, and you don’t necessarily make enough to sustain it especially starting out. You aren’t in a position to compete in that world.
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Honestly, horses are horses. If you can prove yourself a great barn manager at a Western barn that is going to hold more water than going to a few extra shows a year. For context, there are a few really good juniors where I live. Some went to online school, others didn’t, all showed nearly every weekend on 100k plus horses. Qualified for indoors, Medal finals etc. Guess what- none of them have any realistic hope of a ribbon in a national competition, and NO ONE is going to remember who they are in a year in terms of their riding ability in the equitation. Just qualifying doesn’t mean much at all.
But the person who does have a real shot at turning pro is the one who proved herself in the barn and made herself indispensable to her trainer, despite not having a fancy horse. She exercises at home, does a ton of barn management tasks, teaches a few up downers and rides during the week in shows and then goes back to the barn while the trainer stays for the weekend with clients. In college and somehow fits it in around barn duties. Not glamorous, but she’s the one on the realistic path to becoming a legit trainer.
That’s all a long winded way of saying that the big $ shows don’t mean so much in the end, but a history of working your behind off at ANY barn is going to be pretty valuable. Don’t discount opportunities just because it’s a different discipline.
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Somewhat as an aside, I did an internet deep dive into what I remember as the best boarding schools with riding programs. They all cost about the same. The kids that are showing are on the road with all the usual show fees, board and lessons cost about the same as a normal barn. The ones that go to FL own or lease their horses and are paying all the same expenses as anyone going to FL, down to the food they are eating. The information is actually really transparent as to what everything costs and what can and cannot be expected of the school program and horses. Ironically (or not, as it makes the most amount of sense) the school with what I would consider the “best” trainer of the bunch repeatedly warns that their program is not show-based.
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He really is the BEST. 
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He is one of the few clinicians that I can recommend, no reservation, to anyone.
Grand Prix rider trying to figure out some weird quirk? Yes. Perfect. You will learn so much.
Junior hunter trying to finesse some minor point to perform better? Yes. Perfect. You will learn so much.
Up down rider just graduating from leadline? Yes. Perfect. You will learn so much.
Never jumped before but want to audit? Yes. Perfect. You will learn so much.
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Have you thought about try to get in as an assistant instructor, and eventually getting into teaching up/down lessons (if they have lesson horses) at the western barn? Not so much for the money, but having teaching experience may help you with your goals of eventually being a pro. You could also look around for a breeder in your area and start working for/with them. Don’t worry about the breed, but getting to understand working with young horses may also help you get an in with a warmblood breeder down the road.
As for other money making ideas, what sort of industries are in your area? If you are very remote, you may not have the same opportunities, but house cleaning is an option perhaps?
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As a teenage girl (I assume girl though I didn’t look back to see if it was said specifically) I think I would try to avoid under the table “jobs” where women are routinely put in dangerous situations and exploited.
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Who is this trainer? I am so curious!
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Greg Best
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Is he still around? I thought he went back to Australia a couple of years ago.
I was also wondering if there were other, more financially viable compromises.
When people comment that a rural or ‘not that great’ high school is not the end of the world and doesn’t have that much of an impact on college admissions, I think they’re forgetting that high school also prepares kids academically for college. In addition to lacking a fat course catalog, a ton of AP offerings and extracurriculars, some schools also just plain underperform horrifically.
I’ve got a couple of educators in the family - my mom, for one, is a retired high school teacher - and I also live in a university town. There are freshman coming in and spending their first year getting the foundation high school should’ve given them to do the work.
About the college thing. Story detour. I’m an alumna of the university I mentioned above. I chose that school so I could keep my horse. I wanted to do equine studies but my trainer at the time said “why would you pay tuition to learn what you’re learning as a working student?” She advised me to stay home, get a degree to fall back in and keep showing my horse so I would “stay in circulation.” She knew I wouldn’t be able to afford taking my horse to school, even in 1990s dollars.
I burned out my freshman year – and I wasn’t even showing near the level the OP aspires too. Part of it was high grade barn drama, part of it was me. I moved my horse to a low-key barn and took what was supposed to a “brief break from showing” (other than a wildly inglorious IHSA career). That brief break turned into a lengthy, lengthy break from horses altogether.
One of my best barn rat friends growing up got an equine studies degree. I think she worked for a breeding farm for a few years, like two, maybe? She’s been in healthcare ever since and doesn’t ride anymore.
I know of one other person with an ES degree. Came through the same program as my BBRF. She’s got the dream farm and dream life but is an ammy with a metric f***ton of family money behind her.
The moral of my stories here is that, what seems like the only and obvious road in the moment may end up taking you further away from where you want to be. Without a family fully bankrolling you, anyway.
But back to this high school thing.
Is there a more affordable alternative to this school that might also put OP in geographic proximity to better riding opportunities and working student gigs? Are there other ways to get a good education and open more doors that don’t involve $75k in school fees?
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Greg is a good clinician and I can see now how my use of “best” led vx’s mind that direction. But I was actually referring to T Whitehead at Kent. I put best in italics because there are of course many ways to judge a trainer, and I’m not all that familiar with many of the other schools’ trainers, they may be fantastic teachers. But T is highly experienced as a rider at the top of the sport, well known and connected, as well as being fantastic.
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Trying to unpack what’s really going on from the various things OP adds as conversation continues.
I can’t really tell if the small town high school is just lackluster or it’s significantly underperforming. I can’t tell if OP just doesn’t feel part of the popular crowd, or if they are significantly excluded or bullied. If the high school situation is serious enough that OP isn’t going to be able to launch into a decent university, I would absolutely support finding some enrichment. That could be doing online AP courses, or living with an aunt in a suburb with a better magnet school. You don’t need to spend $75k a year to get a solid high school education. You do however need focus and a goal. And OP has now said they aren’t very invested in college and career at this point.
As far as horses, OP doesn’t have the cash to do Big Eq even if they were living in New Jersey or at a high end boarding school. It’s a nonstarter.
But OP also feels they have nothing to learn from any local horse professionals. It’s possible that the local horse people are brutal and violent. But it’s also possible OP is living in a tween princess for day after school movie fantasy where everything will magically happen after the right adults recognize and save you.
That’s not how real life works
One more thought. If you want a really important part of horsemanship go apprentice with a breeder or colt starter. There have been lots of threads on COTH about how the h/j world is not producing many young trainers that can start young horses because everyone has come up through programs with high dollar made horses. I know where I live, many sport horse riders send their young horses to cowboy style trainers to get started
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