Cassandra Steptoe

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Before each riding lesson, equestrian team members across the country ask for horse assignments from their coaches for the lesson. Collegiate riding differs from other equestrian competitions because riders do not ride their own mounts but rather draw horses provided by the host school at every show.

Schools in southwest Virginia are known for their high quality riding teams having competed at the national level consistently for many years. This success comes from large operations that have up to 60 horses at some college barns. With so many animals and often limited budgets on the part of the schools, care and management might be an easy place to cut corners.

Where other sports might have one-time purchases of facilities or equipment, equestrian programs must purchase or lease the animals as well as pay for feeding, farrier bills and other upkeep. Because of these heightened expenses, each horse must be useful and a sound investment for the program.

“We’re always trying to train for a higher level and to ride the horses at that higher level we need to be used to riding nicer horses,” executive director of the Liberty University Equestrian Center Jim Arrigon said. “But they have to be something that’s gentle and something easy enough that (students) can use.”

Former horse manager of Emory and Henry’s equestrian team Ericka Brennesholtz added that horses are used to enhance the team and therefore do not need to be perfect.

“I think what makes a great horse for the program is one that is not quite push button, but will always help to build confidence and knowledge,” said Brennesholtz.

The Donors

Liberty alumni Brittany Kimmel rode on the Liberty equestrian team for two years before she graduated in 2016. When she left school, she had to plan for her horse Lakota’s future.

“I was considering my schedule of working full time,” Kimmel related. “The options of boarding barns in (my area) don’t offer as much pasture space as Liberty’s Equestrian center does and I would hate to see him … not get the exercise that he deserves.”  Kimmel related. Additionally, the financial strain Kimmel faced to provide for Lakota influenced her decision.

Eventually, she decided to donate Lakota to Liberty’s program, though she had some doubts concerning the level of attention the program would provide Lakota. But these doubts were alleviated when she observed the quality care Liberty provided.

“I’ve watched the hoops that the staff at (the equestrian center) will jump through for even the most complicated care,” Kimmel said. “Another positive is that when donating to a university, the monetary value of the gift is able to be written off on taxes.”

This care is what makes Liberty stand out from other schools, when people are considering both sending their students and horses there. Often, incoming students who might not be able to afford both college tuition and a horse, decide to donate or lease their horse to the school for the duration. This offsets costs for the student as well as usually providing a horse suitable for collegiate riders.

Additionally, when donating a horse to the university, tax breaks are available, however, the amount claimed must be equal to or less than what the horse is valued. Appraisals are not needed for horses claimed for under $500, as long as a complete description and picture of the horse are presented, according to finance.zacks.com.  Official evaluators are available through The American Society of Equine Appraisers (ASEA).

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Inhibitions

But some owners are not convinced of the benefits of donating. Michelle Van Der Westhuizen of Kingsport, Tenn. decided not to donate her personal horse Daniel to Liberty University’s program for a variety of reasons.

“I had briefly thought about donating him to LU before I came to college, but decided against it mainly for personal reasons,” Van Der Westhuizen said. “I believe that God gave me my horse to stand as a testimony to what He has done in my life. I decided that a wiser investment would be to sell him and then put the money I receive for him towards my future in missions.”

Van Der Westhuizen’s older sister did temporarily donate her horse Michael to Berry college, where she attended as a pre vet student. The observation there as well as experiences that some of her friends had had also influenced her decision.

“One of my concerns was how well he would be taken care of,” Van Der Westhuizen said. “Although the barn management assured me several times that he would be well taken care of, I know that it’s often the college students who end up doing damage to horses’ training. People aren’t always supervised, so there would be no way to ensure this from not happening.”

Though currently being used as a high school equestrian team horse, Daniel is still owned by Van Der Westhuizen and lives at her home barn.

In Search Of

When looking for potential team horses, Arrigon and Western coach Lauren Eagles take into consideration costs, how difficult the horse is to ride and personality.

“If they don’t have a good temperament they just don’t work out in a college program,” Arrigon explained. “They have to be able to take a joke.”

In addition to donations, the program has a small budget for purchasing and leasing horses. Arrigon and Eagles build relationships with reputable farms and other colleges for opportunities to acquire horses. These horses are sometimes the best for the program as they are used to a regular lesson program with multiple riders taking lessons on them weekly.

“Networking is the most important part of acquiring horses for a collegiate program,” Eagles reflected. “The more people you know the better chance you have a good quality horses sent towards your program.”

Emory and Henry College attains horses with similar tactics as well as taking in horses that are ready for a less strenuous lifestyle.

“The majority of the horses were donated,” Brennesholtz said. “I have my mare Jersey who I have free leased to them but 90% of them were donated to the college. The horses that are donated are done with their main career and needing to be retired.”

Randolph employs a trial period strategy in order to make sure the horse would be a good fit, before accepting an animal.

“We usually do donations or what we call 'care leases,' which are basically a free lease that we consider the horse our own and pay for the care but get to use them for the program,” Dees said. “We usually find them through connections that our director, myself, our assistant, or students have.”

Once these horses come into the programs, the responsibility of their care and well being transfers to the college themselves.

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Care

The horses that come to the programs are put into the training regime of the team. A majority of the horses brought into the program are older and more experienced but at times this also comes with special care needs.

The Horse Industry Handbook by the American Youth Horse Council says that most horses should get about 20 pounds of forage per day. Hay supplier for the college barns around Lynchburg, VA Richard Jones believes he delivers over 20,000 bales of hay every three months. With the average bale weighing 50 lbs., this gives each horse at Liberty, Randolph and Sweet Briar about 18 lbs. of hay per day. With the addition of grass during turnout, this meets the requirements of most horses.

The horses used for lessons and competitions are as much athletes as the riders and must stay fit to be useful Arrigon believes. Lessons last an hour or more and most horses are used daily. This rigorous schedule keeps some owners from donating for fear that their horses might become overworked. However, the school keep a close eye on operations at the center in order to keep the horses healthy.

“I’ve been very outspoken with the staff that the horses are the number one priority here and to do everything we do with the horses as the final focus,” Arrigon said. “Once we start taking some of our horses to shows, people will see how nice our horses are and how well cared for they are and we’ll turn the reputation (of poor care at college programs) around.”

Arrigon personally owns ten of the Liberty school horses so his understanding of donor concerns is more than just head knowledge. The stellar care at Liberty’s equestrian center draws donors as well as patrons who are willing to lease or sell their horses to be used by the team.

Brennesholtz also vouches for the care Emory and Henry provides for the horses, though the school takes full responsibility for the care of donated horses and donors have little say on the matter.

“If any horses get injured, they will typically let the donors know but it is up to Emory and Henry to cover the cost of care,” Brennesholtz said. “They are always quick to call the vet and make sure they are caring for their horses the best way possible.”

Local vet Dr. Randall Scarrow services college barns around southwest Virginia and understands the care and planning for needed for successful programs. Scarrow provides everything from regular check ups to more serious veterinary work for college barns as well as the private sector, though there are pointed differences.

“There is much more order and routine in the college barns which is a necessity due to the number of horses and people needing supervision,” Scarrow said. “I find the management of the college stables to be extremely good. The number of people interacting with the horses allows for early recognition of problems that are taken care of quickly.”

But no matter the ultimate goals for the horses’ life, Scarrow believes that there are certain aspects to horse care that can apply to them all.

“I firmly believe that horses need a job,” Scarrow said. “They are healthiest and happiest when doing what they love.”

This is not to say there are not concerns that must be addressed at any barn.

“The general herd health of such a large group of horses is always a concern.  Horses housed in close proximity allow for the rapid spread of disease,” Scarrow said. “Another aspect is that with the majority of school programs rely on donated horses. These are mostly horses that have had great careers but may have small problems requiring maintenance to keep them at the top of their game.”

But when these horses begin to age and reach the end of their usefulness, the programs must find a way to retire the horses.

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Retirement

Another concern some potential donors have is what will happen to their horses once they become less useful to the program. Liberty alleviates this by providing owners first right of refusal and trying horses in multiple facets of the program before deeming them unfit. Horses that are not working can be used in physical education classes at the school and trail rides. These programs only require two to three days of riding from the horses as opposed to the five day work week of a team horse.

“I would say the biggest difference between the team lessons and the physical education lessons is that we are not training to be competitive riders,” class instructor and barn staff member Meghan Nedow said. “Some of the horses we use for physical education are older and … have been there, done that, so they are able to handle the extreme beginners safely but can also be ridden by more experienced riders.”

In the future, Arrigon hopes to have a program for retired mounts that would also help the community. Partnering with the Liberty University Phycology department, Arrigon is planning a program focusing on how horses can help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The majority of the animals the veterans would be working with would be retired or horses needing rehabilitation.

This program is still in its fledgling stages and is seeking grant money in order to be able to offer the service free of charge. Meanwhile, retired and unused horses reside in a separate barn and turnout field. The separation keeps older horses together and ensures that younger, stronger horses do not bully them.

“Some of the horses that retire or take a vacation go live in the quarantine barn because it’s a much quieter setting for the horses,” Nedow explained. “These horses have worked really hard and are very loved so they deserve to have happy lives in a safe environment.”

Though Emory and Henry often sees horses work into their late 20s, a recently constructed retirement barn gives them a soft place to land.

“If the horses need to be retired, they have a retirement field near the campus that has a barn where they get checked on every day and they get to live out the rest of their lives,” Brennesholtz said.

Conclusion

The high quality care and careful selection of the most college equestrian teams keeps the program running smoothly and helps it excel. As an equestrian center, the level of excellence literally rests on the backs of the horses it uses, according to Arrigon. Students can forget the ribbons they earned as collegiate riders, but they often remember the horses they rode and bonded with. This legacy drives the program to seek and maintain the best horses they can.