Considering a career in the horse industry? Formal education here is as necessary as for any other profession and as available. Many people who want to enter the horse industry are not aware of the opportunities for attaining marketable skills.

An objective approach to choosing the avenue of education to suit your needs is fundamental. The approach to choosing an institution for a profession in the horse industry is no different than identifying the colleges, study programs, or trade schools required for a liberal arts or engineering degree. However, objectivity in self-evaluation of career goals, and evaluation of the institution, are re-quired no matter the job in which you choose to work.

The following guidelines should help you focus your approach:

1. Consider the whole; give some thought to what careers and opportunities exist.
   
2. Make an objective self-analysis of personal goals and educational needs.
   
3. Develop a plan; objectively assess the type of educational institution needed and narrow your choices to those that fit.

Put time and effort in now to arrive at a reasonable choice. An education will pay off. Successful fulfillment of professional goals in the horse world is far more accessible to those who are educationally prepared for its demands.

Self-Evaluation

To choose the best educational program to suit your needs, be prepared to objectively evaluate your interests, abilities, accom-plishments, needs, aspirations, personality traits, and pocketbook. First, determine the depth of your interest in order to choose be-tween pursuing a professional’s or a hobbyist’s education.

Second, match as nearly as possible, your goals and needs with the institution that most clearly addresses those concerns. You can limit your investigation to a few institutions that feature programs that “fit” your needs if you have an adequate understanding of what those needs are.

Consider the following categories, then decide which one comes closest to describing you.

1. I am certain I want to be a professional horseman, and I am totally committed.
   
2. I know I would like to work with horses on a limited basis, but only part-time.
   
3. I know I would like to pursue a focus on the professional side of the horse industry as a compliment to my regular academic goals.
   
4. I am training to obtain a non-horse related job, but my hobby is of significant interest to me.
   
5. I want to bring my horse with me to college, but I am not interested in pursuing a career in the equine industry.

If you identify with either of the first two, be sure to investigate all of the educational opportunities specifically geared toward producing equine professionals.

For all of you in category four, the choice of schools is dictated by traditional academics rather than equine considerations. If astrophysics, cosmetic surgery, or institutional law is your strong suit, don’t muddle the issues. Institutions serving the needs of the professional horseman are not for you.

If you fit category three, you are a hobbyist, and another possibility exists. Look at schools oriented toward your chosen profession, then consider following that  with a semester or more at an institution specializing in hands-on riding/training/instructing.

Choosing Wisely

What school is for me? An objective evaluation tool is indispensable in making this choice. Use the chart on page 92 when you examine a school. Focus your concerns on programs, personnel, and financing.

The next step is to take your checklist and visit one or two institutions that appear to best fit your needs. This sounds expensive and time consuming–especially if the institution is located a long way from your home. But, it would be far more expensive to make the wrong choice. You do not buy a horse merely from a pretty picture. Similarly, do not rely on just a brochure and a phone call. Make a trip, observe, and ask questions.

Be prepared to ask questions on what you need to know. No credible institution with a valid educational program would ever object to enrolling a serious student. Visit classes–and not just for five minutes. Be aggressive and curious. Keep your checklist in hand and use it. Talk to instructors, students, and administration personnel, and most importantly, make up your own mind.

Take-Home Message

A number of educational programs exist to prepare individuals to enter the horse industry. Consider your choices objectively, and carefully, as you would with any educational institution. A serious career deserves a serious, considered plan of action. Your efforts will not go unrewarded.

Misunderstandings: Do I Need College?

A formal college education is not always needed to pursue a career in the horse industry. However, it can help you develop necessary skills to survive in the business. The horse industry today offers a product for recreation–not as a necessary function in our daily lives. The need for a well-schooled riding horse for transportation, or a horse trained to pull a cart, has disappeared in our culture. The clientele and audience for the horse industry are hobbyists, sports fans, and/or sports participants. The professional horseman’s economic success–and survival–arerelated to the skills of marketing, communication, business acumen, and motivation. These skills are acquired through exposure to people, ideas, and a post-secondary education, along with the technical skills pertinent to the chose facet of the horse industry