For the fall 2021 semester, the Asbury Equine program created instructional and immersive events that will further educate equine students in their journey throughout the university’s program.
This semester marks the first year that Asbury was selected to participate in an Equine Thoroughbred Makeover event in early October hosted by the Thoroughbred Charities of America.
This event will allow retired racehorses to be re-schooled to live another life outside of competitive racing, be incorporated into an environment where they will receive love and patient care, and be retrained as ranch horses, hunter-jumpers, dressage, and trail horses.
Asbury will be saving horses from the neglect of post-racing retirement and will have four horses in the makeover: three from the Equine Program and one horse from Jessica Hayes, an Asbury hunter-jumper coach, and advisor of the Thoroughbred Makeover.
Trainers involved in the makeover will only have ten months to retrain the horses for the makeover, instead of regular training, which has no harsh deadline.
“This opportunity will expand the exposure of the Asbury Equine Department, and it gives our students the opportunity to train at a much higher level,” said Hayes. “It pushes the students to rise to a higher standard in a short period.”
To become versed in all that the Equine Program offers, prospective students partook in an exciting immersion into the equine facility during the fall equine visit event on Oct. 21.
Students and parents started with a campus tour. They then were led to the Asbury Equine Center, where they met faculty and staff in the department, toured the farm, participated in scenic trail rides, and concluded the night with dinner and worship.
“We were very excited about the fall visit,” said Director and Manager of the Equine Program Harold Rainwater. “Everything from trail rides, pizza, to sunset worship. We’re excited to welcome new, prospective students.”
During Nov. 16-21, the Asbury Equine Program will be attending the Police Mount Colloquium, where students will obtain experience in law enforcement-level horse training. The program has participated in this seminar since 2002, and this year, Asbury will have a record number of ten colts registered in the police classes. The horses, along with students, will be trained in crowd and protest control and response and saddle fitting and riding tips.
Any interested students can participate in and attend the event, although only advanced riders who have horses with finished training are chosen to be actively involved in the classes. For more information, please visit https://www.asbury.edu/academics/departments/science-health/equine-program/.
