It is your first year of college, maybe even your first semester. Everything is new and unfamiliar. In an attempt to make as many friends as possible and make the most out of your college experience you attend the much anticipated activities fair.
You marked it off on your calendar and set reminders on your phone. You even planned a student center meetup with your new friends prior to so that you wouldn't have to walk over by yourself. With your trenta iced latte in hand you embark on one of the most important journeys of your social collegiate career.
Like a mirage in the desolate wasteland that is inevitable your campus quad you see your first glimpse of the much anticipated activities fair. Rows and rows of tables as far as the eye can see. Swarms of over caffeinated freshman buzzing around left and right. The students behind the tables have their best customer voices ready and sound like the sales people at the mall wanting you to let them straighten your hair.
You are overzealous and perhaps a bit overwhelmed. In your somewhat frantic and surely over caffeinated state you sign up at every table. You have no idea what you are even signing up for. You barely take a second to read the handmade sign taped onto the plastic pop-up tables. All you know is name, email, class year. Name, email, class year. Name, email, class year. Over and over you just keep signing.
After what seems like mere minutes you realize you have been at the fair for well over two hours and have lost your friends in the crowd. Your hand is beginning to cramp and the coffee buzz is wearing off. But, you are finally nearing the end. You can see the last table on the horizon and your dorm room off in the distance. An exhausted you asks yourself, "Do I really need to stop and check them out?" A voice in the back of your head tells you that you should see it through; like that half marathon you trained for months for - you just have to finish. But, your bed is beckoning you - come and take a nap.
You compromise and decide to whiz through and just glimpse at the tables so that you can get back to the safety of your dorm and catch up with your friends. But, then something catches your eye, well actually your nose. A smell that you know, so familiar, but you just can't put your finger on it. You immediately turn and to try and identify what it is.
The first thing you see are a pair of feet. Boots more precisely. They are filthy and covered nearly to the top in a mysterious brown substance. You follow the boots up to see funny looking pants. They look like your beloved leggings but with weird patches on the knees and a zipper on the side. You think to yourself, how do they go to the bathroom in those? Your eyes keep moving up and you see a polo covered in dirt and hay, but it is not what's on the polo that makes you question who this person is. It is the polo itself. Who wears polos anymore, it's not 2003. You finally make it to the persons face. They are smiling from ear to ear and are wearing a grubby baseball cap and have hay sticking to their pony tail.
Intrigued, but somewhat scared you slowly approach the table. You see the words Equestrian Team and something begins to click. You heart begins to race and your somewhat judgmental facial expression melts into a smile. The smell was that of horses or horse manure you're honestly not quite sure, but you couldn't care less: it smelled like home.
So you are interested in joining your college equestrian team? Great! Haven't haven't ridden in a couple years?
No. Big. Deal.
Coming back to the equestrian world can sound daunting especially when joining a collegiate team. Questions and concerns begin to flood your mind and start to dampen your over the moon joy:
-Will I be good enough?
-Will I have enough time with my school work?
-Will I make any friends?
But, the main question plaguing your conscious is:
What if I don't remember how to ride?
Well we say it is like riding a bike. Except instead of wheels you get four legs and instead of an inanimate object you get personality, fur, and an independent mind.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a few years off. Maybe life got too busy, maybe you couldn't afford it, maybe you needed a break. Whatever the reason it doesn't matter to us. We are more than happy to give you a refresher and help you along the way.
Speaking from personal experience both new and veteran riders alike say the same thing: riding in college is an escape. What it is an escape from is up to you. Maybe your major is stressful and you need a way to relax. Maybe you are missing home and being around horses is a form of therapy. Maybe you aren't a city person and like being out in the country. Whatever it is we guarantee that riding on your collegiate team, wherever you are, is something that is sure to complete your college experience.
You marked it off on your calendar and set reminders on your phone. You even planned a student center meetup with your new friends prior to so that you wouldn't have to walk over by yourself. With your trenta iced latte in hand you embark on one of the most important journeys of your social collegiate career.
Like a mirage in the desolate wasteland that is inevitable your campus quad you see your first glimpse of the much anticipated activities fair. Rows and rows of tables as far as the eye can see. Swarms of over caffeinated freshman buzzing around left and right. The students behind the tables have their best customer voices ready and sound like the sales people at the mall wanting you to let them straighten your hair.
You are overzealous and perhaps a bit overwhelmed. In your somewhat frantic and surely over caffeinated state you sign up at every table. You have no idea what you are even signing up for. You barely take a second to read the handmade sign taped onto the plastic pop-up tables. All you know is name, email, class year. Name, email, class year. Name, email, class year. Over and over you just keep signing.
After what seems like mere minutes you realize you have been at the fair for well over two hours and have lost your friends in the crowd. Your hand is beginning to cramp and the coffee buzz is wearing off. But, you are finally nearing the end. You can see the last table on the horizon and your dorm room off in the distance. An exhausted you asks yourself, "Do I really need to stop and check them out?" A voice in the back of your head tells you that you should see it through; like that half marathon you trained for months for - you just have to finish. But, your bed is beckoning you - come and take a nap.
You compromise and decide to whiz through and just glimpse at the tables so that you can get back to the safety of your dorm and catch up with your friends. But, then something catches your eye, well actually your nose. A smell that you know, so familiar, but you just can't put your finger on it. You immediately turn and to try and identify what it is.
The first thing you see are a pair of feet. Boots more precisely. They are filthy and covered nearly to the top in a mysterious brown substance. You follow the boots up to see funny looking pants. They look like your beloved leggings but with weird patches on the knees and a zipper on the side. You think to yourself, how do they go to the bathroom in those? Your eyes keep moving up and you see a polo covered in dirt and hay, but it is not what's on the polo that makes you question who this person is. It is the polo itself. Who wears polos anymore, it's not 2003. You finally make it to the persons face. They are smiling from ear to ear and are wearing a grubby baseball cap and have hay sticking to their pony tail.
Intrigued, but somewhat scared you slowly approach the table. You see the words Equestrian Team and something begins to click. You heart begins to race and your somewhat judgmental facial expression melts into a smile. The smell was that of horses or horse manure you're honestly not quite sure, but you couldn't care less: it smelled like home.
So you are interested in joining your college equestrian team? Great! Haven't haven't ridden in a couple years?
No. Big. Deal.
Coming back to the equestrian world can sound daunting especially when joining a collegiate team. Questions and concerns begin to flood your mind and start to dampen your over the moon joy:
-Will I be good enough?
-Will I have enough time with my school work?
-Will I make any friends?
But, the main question plaguing your conscious is:
What if I don't remember how to ride?
Well we say it is like riding a bike. Except instead of wheels you get four legs and instead of an inanimate object you get personality, fur, and an independent mind.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a few years off. Maybe life got too busy, maybe you couldn't afford it, maybe you needed a break. Whatever the reason it doesn't matter to us. We are more than happy to give you a refresher and help you along the way.
Speaking from personal experience both new and veteran riders alike say the same thing: riding in college is an escape. What it is an escape from is up to you. Maybe your major is stressful and you need a way to relax. Maybe you are missing home and being around horses is a form of therapy. Maybe you aren't a city person and like being out in the country. Whatever it is we guarantee that riding on your collegiate team, wherever you are, is something that is sure to complete your college experience.