Equine Study-abroad Venture Deemed Success
In Bilsborrow, England, from left,Grace Owen,
Jennifer Cutchens, Lillier Sledge, Kelly Shearer,
Jessica Hampf and Paige Gann.
The eight Auburn University horticulture students were four weeks into their study-abroad program at Myerscough College in Bilsborrow, England, when a second group of CoA g students—this one made up of six animal sciences majors—arrived for a month-long equine science study-abroad program at Myerscough.
From all indications, that program was a success of the highest order.
"When we flew back into Atlanta, all I really wanted to do was to get back on the plane and go back for four more weeks." says junior pre-veterinary major and advanced competition rider Jessica Hampf. "I learned so much. It was wonderful. I loved every second of it."
The same holds for the other program participants, including senior Lillie Sledge.
In fact, for Sledge, the experience gave her a whole new perspective on her future and her long-held goal to be accepted into the AU College of Veterinary Medicine.
"It showed me that there are other ways to do what I want to do—work with horses—besides vet school," she says. "They have a certification program that's more for horse lovers than vet school would be, and I'd love to go through that. I will be going back."
For the six students, every day began with two hours of class time and lectures in which the top-notch Myerscough faculty members covered such topics as horse biomechanics, performance testing, gait analysis, training the competition horse, rehabilitation and therapy and even tacking. The afternoons were filled with field trips to numerous venues and events, ranging from horse shows to area stables to a custom saddle maker's shop, and, the rest of the time, with British-style riding lessons.
"But the riding lessons were just a small part of the entire program; that wasn't what this was all about," Hampf says. "The program was very much based on solid equine science."
Participants earned 10 elective credits in the program.
Per-student cost of the AU equine study-abroad venture was just over $5,700, but that included airfare, tuition and room and board, as well as money earmarked for three weekend excursions.
CoAg animal sciences professor Dale Coleman, who organized and coordinated the program, says that based on the positive feedback from this year's participants, the department plans to offer the program again next year. More details will be available as plans are finalized.