Many prospective students have similar questions about our Equine Science Program and here you'll find some of the answers you may be looking for. If you don't find the information you need here or you have any questions at all, please contact us.

Do I Have to own my own horse to attend EIEC?

Generally, students are not required to own a horse to attend EIEC. Students in fast-track Stable Management and Equine Business programs are not required to ride or train horses. Thus, they do not need to own or lease a horse to complete basic coursework during these quarters. (although they are always welcome to participate in riding and training courses and may bring their own horses or lease horses from FHFEC). However, all first quarter students, and students in the full-year certificate program must complete riding requirements. Again, students are always welcome to bring their own horses, but they may also lease FHFEC horses either for class use only or for their exclusive use as described in the FHFEC manual for college students. Student who weigh more then 250 pounds must provide their own horses for all programs with riding or training requirements. Horses that can carry larger riders may occasionally be available for lease by exceptional riders, but such mounts are scarce and students should not count on their availability.

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It depends on your goals. EIEC offers three types of programs: Fast-track programs that can be completed in one or two quarters, a fast-track program that can be completed by attending one day of class for all four quarters and a full-year program.

- The Stable Management and Equine Business management program requires students to take only four or five courses in a single given quarter.

- The Training Program requires students to complete four courses, one offered each quarter, meeting one day a week for the full academic year.

- The Instructor’s program requires students to complete two EIEC courses , an equine internship and to seek CHA certification course, if available, in the fourth quarter. Students must also complete at least one riding course during the first through third quarters or have the riding requirement waived through prior testing.

- The Horsemastership Certificate requires students to complete courses in all four quarters of the academic year. Students seeking certification must enroll in all required courses during the same academic year except as waived through prior transfer of credit.

Fast Track students do not need to enroll in all classes offered in a given quarter– only those that directly apply to their program.

Overall, students may take any of number of courses in any quarter so long as they meet the minimum class prerequisites listed in the EIEC catalog for each class.

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Does my age matter in enrolling at EIEC?

Not if your are 18 years old or older. Students enrolling at EIEC must have a High School Diploma or GED equivalency. Students under 18 years of age meeting this requirement may be considered for, but not guaranteed admission. On the other hand, the EIEC program is not limited to young adults. We enthusiastically encourage adults of all ages to apply. We applaud the efforts of those who return to education to seek new career goals.

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Can I enroll if I don’t know how to ride or if I have very little riding experience?

Yes, professional level interest in horses and horse sports is a requirement for enrollment at EIEC, but riding proficiency is not. Students can complete Stable Management and Equine Business Management Programs without having to ride at all. We expect that most student wanting training certificates will want to ride, but in limited cases, students could complete the training program using only driving or packing horses.

However, EIEC offers permanent riding courses for beginning and inexperienced riders during the first quarter only. Such riders enrolling for the first time during the second or third quarter should plan to take riding lessons at additional costs and after school hours from FHFEC if they wish to ride. If three or more such students enroll in second or third quarter, they may petition EIEC to open a Basic Riding section for them.

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Do I need my own car?

Probably. Housing options for EIEC students are not immediately adjacent to the EIEC campus nor are on-campus library facilities available to our students. EIEC does not provide student transportation and our rural setting makes public transportation impossible. However, EIEC will make every effort to put students in contact with each other so that car pooling arrangements may be possible.

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Does it matter if I ride English or Western?

No. EIEC instructors come from both English and Western riding backgrounds. In fact, our curriculum encourages riders to become proficient at both.

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What does my horse need to know?

This is the toughest question we have to answer.

We actually do not recommend buying a horse to attend EIEC if you are a beginning or inexperienced rider. We prefer that you start with a known FHFEC horse and let us help you learn how to buy a useful and suitable mount.

For more experienced riders taking horsemanship classes, we require mounts that can walk, trot and canter comfortably in a group of horses in a riding arena. The breed or type of horse is not important so long as it is sound, suitable and appropriate for its rider. Horses do not have to be able to perform specialty skills such as jumping, reining, cutting or dressage, but we welcome any horses who do. Check the FHFEC student handbook for more information or horse requirements.

If you are not sure your horse meets our requirements, we suggest sending a videotape of your horse as you ride it showing us your horse at a walk, trot and canter both directions around an arena.

Students in training classes may bring horse with little or no riding experience. However, training horses should be at least 2 1/2 years old of reasonable temperament, sound and suitable for their riders.

Most importantly, we expect you to bring healthy horses, with no major unsoundnesses, that are in sufficient condition to do four days of hard work per week. Do not pull an old lame Nellie right out of the pasture after six years of foals and expect her to hold up under our workload. Be fair to your horse, and let us know if you have any specific questions about the suitability and training level of your horse.

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Is special riding attire and clothing required for the program?

The Equine Science Certificate Program at Forest Hill Farms requires all students to wear long pants, jeans or riding breeches while at the stables and when riding horses. All students are also required to wear long or short sleeve shirt, blouse or tops. Proper riding boots or paddock boots with 1” heels and tops are required.

Shorts, tank tops, halter tops, see through tops and other such clothing are considered unsafe and will not be permitted. No students will be allowed to ride horses while wearing tennis shoes, running shoes, sandals, shoes with no heels or any shoe that is not approved by instructors.  Refer to Equestrian Center Handbook for more information.

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What are the requirements for getting into the Equine Science Certificate Program?

Each student must have an ASTM approved helmet for all riding classes, boots, warm clothes and a horse.  Refer to prices and guidelines for horse fees.  In addition, each student is required to provide their own set of leg wraps.

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 Are there any weight limitations for students? 

Yes, no person weighing over 250 pounds may enroll in the Equine Science Certificate Program unless this person furnishes their own horse and then must comply to the safety standards. According to safety standards set by Forest Hill Farms, horseman organizations and insurance companies a person and their tack must not weigh more that 20% of the horses total weight. All students will be required to be weighted with all their tack before being assigned a horse.

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Forest Hill Farms Equestrian Center may offer limited working student or apprenticeship positions to exceptional students to help defray board and lease costs. Students offered these positions must demonstrate excellence in college coursework and in time-management skills. Positions may be revoked if college coursework is affected. While EIEC may recommend students for these positions, they constitute a contractual relationship solely between FHFEC and the student, and are not a part of the EIEC program. Availability of and responsibilities for these positions may vary.

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EIEC offers courses for beginning an inexperienced riders during the first quarter only. Beginning riders starting the program after the first quarter may contract with Forest Hill Farms for outside riding instruction at additional cost. If six or more beginning riders enroll for second or third quarter classes, EIEC may open Basic Horsemanship classes for them. Beginning and inexperienced riders are not eligible for fourth quarter classes except for Horse Care Lab IV and non-riding equine internships.

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Whenever possible, Forest Hill Farm Equestrian Center will make horses available for use in Training courses I, II and III for students who do not have their own horses. However, appropriate horses may not always be available for all students. In such cases, students may choose to pool their available funds to purchase an appropriate horse at a local auction and (after a two week quarantine period) work as a team to teach this project horse using "Soft Hands" training techniques. At the end of the quarter (or end of the academic year if all team members plan to complete all remaining quarters), the team project horse will be offered for sale– first to any interested team members, then to interested EIEC students, and finally to the general public– at a fair market value. Any profits from the sale of this animal will be split evenly among the team members.

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