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[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

Local club teams, a local season of competitions involving local club teams, regional travel teams that play at a higher level, regional tournaments, national showcase tournaments, nationally ranked players, elite summer camps, visiting clinicians that local clubs can sign up with, private individual coaching to help players… etc etc etc.

That was my experience with the way one youth team sport was structured. In many ways it mirrored various aspects of equestrian sport.

And… I was shocked at the expenses involved, even back when my kid was younger and we were playing at a much lower level. There were no horses involved! The facilities involved weren’t nearly as expensive to build and maintain as many riding arenas, much less full cross country courses. But some of the fees were prohibitive.

Youth sports is a MAJOR industry these days. Across all sports.

[fivestrideline]

I think getting a good education is important so whatever your family decides is best and is in the budget, go for it! Make sure you’re not spending your college money though, is my advice. Also make sure that going to an Arts high school doesn’t skimp you on pre-reqs for your STEM degree desires. If Texas A&M is the goal, you need to be top 10% of your class AND hit all the prerequisites.

Last thing to think about and make a plan - what happens if your mare DOESN’T lease? Or gets hurt/devalued by the first leaser for whatever reason and comes home? Or gets hurt tomorrow in your pasture? Do you have an out and a backup plan for this? Throwing all your hopes and funding into one basket, and a HORSE at that, is tempting fate. Just make sure your parents are ready and able to pay full out if your mare doesn’t end up being the source of income you hope she will be. Obviously I hope it all works out but horses have a funny way of undermining even the best laid plans

[phoenixrises]

I think that number is probably over and above the normal. I believe just a normal year on the WEF type circuits runs 100k ish so I would agree 400k is probably on the low end, but then again those riding 10 at a show don’t own all those horses so I can only really guess.

[dags]

@LilahEquestrian

Worst case scenario my horse can’t be re-leased

No, worst case scenario is you can’t get your horse leased, at all, period, end stop. JHF is in the middle of the summer, and middle of the summer is not a fun time to try and get a yearly lease signed. Circuit is in full swing, year end points have been accumulated, and Finals are still months away. You have some HS juniors that know they won’t be around to finish the 2025 season and will do an August to August lease, but most mid-year leases happen because someone’s main horse went lame.

Getting your horse leased out for the numbers you are thinking is in no way guaranteed, and I might even venture it’s unlikely. I would absolutely not assume the horse you’ve seen on an internet site is going to get that “public” asking price. BigEq has been running posts on it since November.

Have you consulted with your trainer about this, as I assume they would be working as the agent? Have you had a professional evaluate your horse and said, yes, I think we could get $XX/yr, and I will be taking X% of that? Horses commanding those kinds of numbers are generally very well-represented. They are also usually in tow and at shows, so they are available for trials, and those trainer/agents are making good money billing for full-care, absent-owner costs. If your mare doesn’t lease in those 30-45 days between JHF and school, she will need to go into training at your trainers place.

I’m really not that invested in what you go on and do. I have Garth Brooks singing Unanswered Prayers in my head for the first time in 20 years, but you do you. You’ll learn something, one way or another. This just happens to be my wheelhouse, so figured I’d chime in.

And if this helps, I turned pro by picking up a job teaching up/downs and riding, well, everything, during college. I had no desire to go pro as a teen, I was in college to go do Real Job things, it just… happened. And now I can’t get rid of it lol. All that to say: It is not hard to “go pro”. Like, you’d have to actively try not to if you are an able-bodied youngster willing to get on anything. Being a successful pro? Whole 'nother basket of worms. You won’t find that out until you’ve spent 36+ wks/yr cutting your teeth on the circuit as someone’s crash test dummy. And if it ends up being something you don’t want to do (I’d say like 80% of us starry-eyed teens eventually come to this realization) you now have to figure out a way to pay for the damn things.

[fivestrideline]

@dags

Have you consulted with your trainer about this, as I assume they would be working as the agent? Have you had a professional evaluate your horse and said, yes, I think we could get $XX/yr, and I will be taking X% of that? Horses commanding those kinds of numbers are generally very well-represented

A VERY good point. I’d assumed OP was working with a trainer about this, but now I remember she keeps her horses at home. Definitely ask if leasing is possible, what kind of estimated asking price, and whether the timeline is going to work or you need to put her in training and show heavily to maybe lease for 2025. Very few people will pay even $10k to lease a horse out of someone’s backyard, unless they know the person or there is a trainer involved that can vouch for the horse. Putting the mare into full training at a high quality show barn between now and JHF would serve you well for ALL of your goals.

@dags

If your mare doesn’t lease in those 30-45 days between JHF and school, she will need to go into training at your trainers place

Think about this too OP - if you’ve committed to the school, what happens if your mare doesn’t lease on time? Can you delay until next year or will you lose your scholarship? Can your parents foot the bill, and are they prepared to do so?

[fivestrideline]

Adding on: how are potential leasers going to come try your mare? If you’re far out of the way, getting top dollar lease price for her is unlikely. People travel out of their way for a bargain, but generally are shopping for these high dollar leases AT the show or at a barn with multiple to try.

Things to think about. Plus you need to budget for the commission for your trainer for brokering the deal - I’m assuming your parents are not qualified or prepared to do this for you. And no one with that kind of money to spend is going to deal directly with a minor - really no one should no matter the cost.

I realize this all may come off negative but I PROMISE we really do want to see you succeed! These are all details that people may miss if they haven’t been down this road before.

Also, @dags is doing what you are dreaming of doing. It would serve you well to give them the time of day.

[Rel6]

@fivestrideline

Also, IHSA is co-ed so anyone can ride in college if they want!

Depends on the college. My school had a varsity IHSA team and it was the same thing with the Title IX money - the team was women’s only, because its cost offset the expensive men’s only varsity hockey team.

[fivestrideline]

Maybe I’m out of date, but are you thinking of middle/high school sponsored IEA? I’ve never heard of a college club sport being called “varsity”.

Every school is different though so I’m sure it varies. Ours didn’t receive any funding from the school, we had to raise it as a club. The school provided certain resources to ALL clubs, but you could have an underwater basket weaving club for 19 year old middle children if you wanted and still get those resources.

[Rel6]

No, I’m not. IHSA isn’t a college club sport at every school. At many, it is a varsity team that is fully funded by the school. I rode IHSA in college and was a varsity athlete. I did not pay any expenses. Lessons, competitions, travel to and from shows - it was all covered by the school.

My school was in one of the most competitive regions for IHSA, and many of the teams we competed against were very well funded varsity teams that recruited for their team.

[fivestrideline]

Ah see - like I said, I guess it varies from school to school. I learned something!

We were very competitive but we had to fund ourselves. Luckily, the barn put on fun shows that we worked and the profits went to the team - most people paid very little out of pocket. We did a lot of carpooling and hotel splits to help out as well.

[2bayboys]

I’ve only skimmed this thread but I’m a little annoyed at the OP’s parents who allowed her to apply to this school - a process that had to involve them to some degree - knowing they couldn’t afford to send her.

[Rel6]

I do get that, but OP’s parents did present her with the chance to go if she leased out her horse. Its OP not wanting to do that which generated the thread, and an alternate way to come up with that money. I’d be curious what conversations they had as a family before applying (such as whether they would need a certain level of scholarship to make it possible, whether they would need to lease/sell the horse or reduce showing to make it possible, etc).

[sixteenhands]

@2bayboys

I’ve only skimmed this thread but I’m a little annoyed at the OP’s parents who allowed her to apply to this school - a process that had to involve them to some degree - knowing they couldn’t afford to send her.

I don’t know how it works, but I assume a person has to apply to the school before a scholarship or financial aid is awarded. Maybe the OP hoped for a full ride or more money than the $25,000 promised.

[Halternatively]

Am I understanding correctly that you believe that you could lease your horse for $100K per year? Ummmmmm. I do not know of anyone who is going to drop 100K to lease a horse that is shown only a few times a year, is not in a professional program, lives in someones back yard and does not have repeated championships at WEC Ocala or similar.

A $100,000 lease means the horse is worth around $200,000 and that means the horse is a 16.2 + warmblood under the age of 12 with dozens of pages of current USEF records showing top A/AA placings with a junior or amateur at 3’3" and 3’6". It vets near-perfectly, has no spook or buck, always gets a piece of the hack and is decent on the ground. There are variations on this, but it generally fits within these parameters.

Also, if you only show a few times a year and are not in a regular program, you are likely to have a lot of fun at JHF, but be prepared to be a bit mind blown by your competition. The kids who place well there show most weekends with their BNTs and are unfazed by the magnitude of the venue or pressure. They have horses worth far, far into the six figures and many are into the sevens, and the horses are handled entirely by grooms. The kids lay down foot-perfect rounds, hand the horses off at the gate and move on to their small jr or 3’6" ride. It’s very, very difficult to come into this scene and do well if this is not your usual show routine.

All this being said, I think you are on a path of success, and are lucky to have supportive parents and a nice horse. Often, success is taking a breath and a moment to feel gratitude for all that you have, embracing it, and finding a way forward without making drastic changes.

[Mara]

In defense of the OP, I don’t think she’s given any indication that she’s unaware of her privileges, or in any way ungrateful for what she has. She’s well aware her parents cannot afford the difference in tuition and accepts that.

We (I mean people over the age of 30ish in general, not just COTH) really ought to stop assuming that all Gen Z’ers and younger are ungrateful and demanding. Some are, of course, but let’s listen to the individual speaking before mentally assigning traits they don’t exhibit.

[OverandOnward]

OP/Lilah – With luck you & parents have already done this – Whatever school you are going to, FIRST get in touch with TAMU admissions and make SURE that they see it as a credible school and a good background for admissions. And that your class ranking will count toward their 10%, even though your boarding school is not a TX school.

Whatever boarding school you go to may be the best on the planet. But as I hope guidance counselors are advising you, there is a name-recocgnition factor, and a small school in another part of the country may not be known at TAMU. If there is a need to verify it and make sure that TAMU gives full credence to all grades/coursework, now is the time to do that directly with TAMU admissions. Before the big plan and all expenses are committed.

With luck TAMU has already admitted graduates from the school. But especially with a small school located states away, maybe not.

[OverandOnward]

So I’m beginning to see OP’s strategy – possibly.

Going by the roster of current TAMU NCAA team members, posted above and I’ll post again, most are from out-of-state. And yes they have impressive credentials from showing during their high school years.

That’s interesting because out-of-state tuition at TAMU starts at around $40k per year (= 2 semesters).

So, I’m speculating that the team has scholarship money to help get their favored candidates on board, and that explains why so many out-of-state students are on their team roster.

If OP can also qualify for scholarship money, it would go even farther for OP’s in-state tuition. About $15k+ per year. By the time OP attends it may be as much as 10% higher.

And more robust showing qualifications may also open up OP’s options for other schools in other states, as well. As OP’s focus may adjust over the next few years.

OP seems to already have some quite impressive credentials among her qualifiers. She’s a legit ‘A’ jr competitor, even if she hasn’t had many chances to show.

OP seems to be expecting that attending her first choice riding/showing boarding school could boost those credentials quite a bit. That’s how I read her earlier posts, that showing more, and showing at name shows, is a major incentive.

So – assuming success in riding and academics at the boarding school – this may well be a helpful strategy in a highly competitive bid for admission, scholarship money and NCAA team membership at Texas A&M.

This is how young athletes often approach D1 admission, and admission anywhere, really. Focus on the high school and programs that give them the best leg up to get into their first-choice university/college. And get some scholarship money as well. Sometimes families do move to give their kids a chance to compete in the best high school and/or best programs to further their college ambitions.

It is easy to dismiss this perspective from all angles – that’s how people typically react to ambition. People generally seem to be uncomfortable with ambition and with reaching out beyond one’s usual parameters.

But from this perspective, as I see it, this is a more realistic plan. Now that OP has some funding coming in for the boarding school tuition. If it’s (mostly) paid for (it wasn’t at the beginning of the thread, but things have progressed), I’m all for it. Go get 'em OP!

2023-24 Equestrian Roster - Texas A&M Athletics - 12thMan.com

Texas A&M Tuition Calculator

[dags]

To be fair, I don’t think OP thinks they’ll get 100k/year for the mare, but I’d venture that even 40k/yr will be a stretch. I hope that’s closer to what they’re thinking than the 100k number.

[NC001]

OP it sounds like you are working through figuring things out- good for you! I would also still try to make some extra money to help. Working hard for extra cash isn’t going to hurt and it may really come in handy.

I absolutely think where you go to high school impacts you chances of getting into college. My daughter is heading to her first choice college this fall and I work at a major univeristy that is highly selective. The past year has been a whirlwind of college stats and decisions. Honestly, all you hear about is how hard it is to get into college these days but honestly, outside of the top ivy leagues, I think it’s over hyped to a big extent.
OP do your best academically, take the hard classes, do everything you can to get into TAMU but don’t feel like its unattainable. Stranger things have happened. Do what you can and good luck with riding in high school. My daughter has been lucky and has been able to show and train while taking multiple AP classes and doing a varsity sport (and was captain) and other clubs. She would go to her varisty sport inthe mornings before school, school all day, then go to the barn in the evenings, then study.
She is taking her horse to college which hopefully works out and will ride on the college’s club team.

There are lots of options- keep working towards your goals and best of luck!

[Halternatively]

I’m not sure if your comment is directed at me, but I did not mean to insinuate that OP is unaware of her privileges, demanding or ungrateful. As a parent of children around the same age as OP and having been along side them as they encountered similar forks in the road, I remind them to breathe and feel gratitude - this is different from telling them to have gratitude where there is none.

OP, I am not suggesting in any way whatsoever that you are ungrateful, demanding or unaware of any privileges you may have. If I came off that way, I sincerely apologize. I think quite the opposite - you seem well aware of the financial involvement required to send you to this school, and to have horses, and grateful to your parents for all they are able to give. This is commendable, and I applaud you for this and for looking for ways to make your goals reality. I hope that you find success in whatever form it takes.