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[MorganMaresVT]

@phoenixrises

But it costs soooo much money to get into a D1 program with travel teams etc. who cares if you get a scholarship? And as said below equestrians aren’t getting full rides on a D1 team.

I have no horse in this race, and quite frankly think this whole discussion about making such major (and expensive) life decisions around riding horses is bananas! Someone just asked about why D1 would attract interest, and I answered.

I was a D3 athlete on a softball team for one season (recruited out of a very mediocre public high school), but left after my freshman year because it interfered with my ability to take an extra course for free every semester as part of the Scholars (Honors) Program that I was in. I went to a small liberal arts college where sports were no big deal, except hockey, which was D1. Most of those slots were filled by Canadian students looking for a path to the NHL and they were not really much a part of the college culture (nor generally successful at going on to the NHL).

I wouldn’t trade my college experience for anything, and it put me light years ahead in my PhD program, which I went to fully funded. And in turn, that PhD gave me job opportunities that allow me to have a beautiful farm and horses in my early 40s. So if I were in the position of advising a teen about these kind of decisions, I would be focusing wholly on academics, not riding. There’s plenty of time for that as a hobby later in life.

[Impractical_Horsewoman]

@Rel6

When you add up the costs incurred to get the experience to be a contender for an NCAA riding scholarship in the equitation, it is likely higher than the cost of college tuition itself.

This. To get the highly-prized skills that enable you to be eligible, you have to have parents well-heeled enough to get your butt in the saddle on many, many horses at many shows, and the right type of horses. (The one exception might be well-heeled trainer’s kids–not even trainers who are operating at the middling level at that.) Horse sports are always going to be more difficult to get ahead without money because your “equipment” is a living, breathing animal, and even the ability to ride one competitive horses isn’t enough–you need the opportunity to ride and compete on many, which is why so many trainer’s kids do have an advantage, or the kids of very wealthy people who can afford access to multiple show horses.

Obviously, some other sports are also expensive in terms of equipment–hockey (ice time can be costly, plus coaching and equipment), sailing, crew, and so forth. Basketball, football, soccer track and field, tend to have more historically discriminated-against groups represented because there are more opportunities to practice and the equipment is somewhat less costly, although still, given how competitive things are nowadays…nothing is cheap…

[aztx202]

Respectfully, that would not be a scholarship in the category of what is being discussed here. These D1 scholarships are National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) - and only for women. Your son would not be able to receive one of these. He could, of course, receive scholarship funding from other areas, but that is different from what the OP is hoping to vie for from Texas A&M or another D1 equestrian program.

Here is a link to the programs that have Division I and Division II teams: https://collegiateequestrian.com/sports/2020/5/6/schools.aspx

[Scribbler]

@LilahEquestrian

@Scribbler

I think that for various middle class dreamers, who aren’t in the pipeline to be top juniors through skill, talent, location, or cash, the equestrian scholarship fantasy is based on a misconception.

I mean one of my friends who I used to show with got a riding scholarship to TAMU a few years ago. She didn’t do the equitation, wasn’t very wealthy, the highest thing she did was the 1.10 jumpers at very small local A shows. She got a scholarship because she rode well and effective.

My point about the fantasy was that an equestrian scholarship does not seem to lead to the same tier of pro sports as a football scholarship. It’s great that your friend got an equestrian scholarship. But what did she do after university? Did she become a horse pro? Did she compete Grand Prix?

[Foitin]

Look at the roster for TAMU jumping seat. Its public, this doesn’t have to be a mystery. There are not many if any surprises. I know one of the lesser-known riders well. Nicest kid ever. Worked extremely hard. Typically showed 4 horses per season.

[OverandOnward]

@DownYonder

I can’t wrap my mind around why someone in a sport like equestrian would be so adamant about attending a D1 school.

Not just “a” D1 school, that D1 school. OP didn’t mention “a D1” school, she mentioned only Texas A&M.

Possibly family legacy. This is one of those universities with a fanatically loyal generational devotion. She doesn’t say that this is so, though. It’s just one possible reason for a single-purpose focus on Texas A&M.

This would be a degree that could serve as the “fall-back”. If pro trainer doesn’t work out, this is a degree that would open doors to any number of other positions somewhere in ag, including equine-based ag.

If her emphasis is ag and equine sciences, you can’t do better. They have an over-the-top amazing equestrian facility that opened in 2014. The university has made a commitment to equine sciences and business as a growing industry, and has gone all-in on it, to the tune of over $30 million for this 100% new facility (as of 2014). (Their other major commercial equine emphasis is reproduction.)

I doubt that any university degree is help toward becoming a pro trainer. But a degree from Texas A&M will certainly set people up for a well-compensated lifetime career in the ag industry, doing something.

The university web pages, I’m sorry to say, do not have a good photo tour of the equine complex. I’ve got better iphone pix from when I toured it several years ago. The web page photos cover the dumb stuff of office, trophy shelf – oh who cares, show us the horses and barns and arenas! They didn’t.

Their site.

Hildebrand Equine Complex - Facilities - Texas A&M Athletics - 12thMan.com

My pix below … There is no concept of the size, though. This facility is huge. Has tons of my favorite things. Capacity I think 100 horses stabled, more in pasture. Not sure though.

The entire equestrian building is fireproof material.

“BVRI” is the local recycling company.

grooming bay / wash stall

Plus a hay barn that I didn’t see, but that I’m told is impressive in its size.

Billionaire UT board member with Aggie ties gives millions to new equestrian...

[OverandOnward]

Some TAMU info on being selected for their NCAA equestrian team. I’m sure OP is already familiar with this.

Q&A for Prospective Equestrian Student-Athletes - Texas A&M Athletics...

There are four collegiate equestrian disciplines at the NCAA level: equitation on the flat, equitation over fences (based on USEF standards), western horsemanship and reining. We are looking for riders who not only have proper equitation and horsemanship, but for those who are also functional on any type of horse.

The new recruits for 2024:

Equestrian Completes 2024 Signing Class - Texas A&M Athletics - 12thMan.com

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

@LilahEquestrian

I mean one of my friends who I used to show with got a riding scholarship to TAMU a few years ago. She didn’t do the equitation, wasn’t very wealthy, the highest thing she did was the 1.10 jumpers at very small local A shows. She got a scholarship because she rode well and effective.

That’s great.

Just some food for thought on tuition & scholarships…

During 2022 - 2023 public information indicates tuition at Texas A&M was:

$13,239 for In-state
$40,139 for Out-of-state

Per Niche, tuition at The Grier School:

$67,500 (tuition plus boarding)

Soooo… I’m not so sure it makes much common sense to spend major dollars to attend a private high school that costs $67,500 per year in hopes of getting an athletic scholarship to attend a public university that costs under $14,000 per year for in state students.

Of course there are other reasons why the private high school and TAMU might be great places to go to school and ride, but I just don’t see a reason to focus on any sort of athletic scholarship to TAMU. It already is a good value for in state students

[MHM]

@Virginia_Horse_Mom

During 2022 - 2023 public information indicates tuition at Texas A&M was:

$13,239 for In-state
$40,139 for Out-of-state

Wow. That’s quite a gap. And it does seem remarkably reasonable for in-state students.

I’ll add my pictures to the collection. As I recall, the facility has a connection to a well known vet from the area, so there is a statue of him examining a horse by the entrance.

[MHM]

OK, I had to laugh at the bios of a couple of those kids that included all their extremely extensive competitive records and activities, plus the things they like to do in their spare time.

What spare time?? Lol.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

What a beautiful work of art. And a really cool idea for perspective.

It’s really hard to beat the $$ value proposition when it comes to attending a good public university as an in state student. Especially in many southern states.

[OverandOnward]

And it is an equine agriculture degree that leads to good career employment. Not as a pro trainer. But in equine management fields, and in the huge array of knowledge based products that are available to horse owners and managers.

Feed alone is a big employer, as an example. Not just feed, but the science of feeding, how feed is provided to horses, under what conditions, is a key field for feed promoters to show results. Targeted mostly at owners and managers of large horse facilities.

Further context is that Texas has hundreds of major horse ranches that do commercial breeding and other horse related services. Millions of horses whose owners are consumers of horse related goods and services.

Plus education, research and government agencies.

And of course that’s also true across the agricultural west.

Anyway. Just some reasons why an ag degree of some kind from Texas A&M does lead to career employability.

I have no idea if that is OP strategy, of course. But it would be a legitimate approach.

[DownYonder]

One of the articles posted above said that the seed money for that huge new equestrian complex was donated by the billionaire son of a DVM who had received his veterinary degree from Texas A&M. So the statue is to acknowledge that vet.

[MHM]

Yes, I knew it was something along those lines.

[Scribbler]

I agree, the horse related agriculture industry jobs, especially feed and pharmaceuticals, are good career paths. But they are not horse pro Grand Prix careers. Also in ag industry jobs you probably want to think about livestock generally because the larger companies do a full range, chickens to cows.

This is not however what a student at an arts oriented super elite girls boarding school is getting prepared for.

You absolutely want your math and sciences fo do animal nutrition or pharmacology. And you would be very well served by getting out an working on neighboring cattle ranchers and getting to know the kind of people typical of your future clients.

But none of this leads to riding. And the OP wants to navigate high school and university to end up a Grand Prix pro

OP, do you under how the high school and university riding teams work? You don’t compete on your own horse. The host school provides the horses and the riders draw random numbers to get a horse. You then compete on a strange horse that you only have a short time to warm up. That’s a good part of the reason these leagues never go above 2 foot 9.

These leagues could be extremely helpful in creating good catch riders with flexible skills. And a fun thing to do in college.

But the skills that you need as a pro are bringing along young horses, moving up the levels, and developing an ongoing relationship with these horses. Multiple of these horses. The college leagues don’t have this component.

[MHM]

@Scribbler

You then compete on a strange horse that you only have a short time to warm up. That’s a good part of the reason these leagues never go above 2 foot 9.

The high school and college shows I’ve seen do not provide any time at all for the competitors to warm up on the horses.

The horses are schooled by riders who are not showing that day, and the exhibitors just get on and walk into the ring. Period.

[Scribbler]

@MHM

@Scribbler

You then compete on a strange horse that you only have a short time to warm up. That’s a good part of the reason these leagues never go above 2 foot 9.

The high school and college shows I’ve seen do not provide any time at all for the competitors to warm up on the horses.

The horses are schooled by riders who are not showing that day, and the exhibitors just get on and walk into the ring. Period.

Ok, even more challenging than I thought!

It’s potentially great experience but it doesn’t really ladder into developing and problem solving your own.horse

[Montanas_Girl]

I spent 10 years in academia (animal/equine science), including at a school with a top-tier NCEA equestrian program, and now work in the feed industry. OP, if you and/or your parents would like to talk with someone who has experience advising students and working with equestrian teams of all levels, I’m happy to provide you my contact information. I think I have my profile set to private, but let me know in this thread if that’s something you’d find helpful, and I will send you a PM.

[OverandOnward]

The help offered in the post above sound invaluable.

There is no argument in this thread that a degree from anywhere, high school or college, will not secure a future as a pro trainer.

I think the other point that many in this thread are trying to make is to also get a good education with a fallback plan, a degree in whatever other career direction Lilah may be interested in pursuing.

Having a backup plan doesn’t mean that someone won’t make it as a pro trainer. It just means that they are a more well-rounded person with options in life. Something we all need to have.

And it does seem that Lilah and her parents are on that track.

[rothmpp]

@LilahEquestrian

I also know soneone who has made a career out of college admissions advising specializing in equine studies. I don’t believe Montanas_Girl is the same person I know.

If your end goal is a D1 riding career, Montanas_Girl and my friend (who I can get you contact info for via DM) would be very good sources for the best way to spend your money and time.