Management: Equine Business Management

Cazenovia College’s 240-acre Equine Education Center, located less than five miles from the main campus, is home to the Management program’s Equine Business Management specialization and Intercollegiate Equestrian Team. It houses a herd of 70 horses, including Thoroughbreds, Warmbloods and Quarter Horses, as well as numerous other breeds. The large heated indoor arena, multiple outdoor riding areas and turn-out paddocks, provide ample space for the various activities that students pursue. The facility offers students a premier educational environment that features a network-wired classroom.

Our Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) and Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) Team may compete in 6-8 shows each academic year before moving on to Regionals, Zones/Semi Finals, and Nationals. Additionally, the team sends riders to one or more tournaments each season to experience competition outside the region.

Cazenovia College has a long history of success at intercollegiate and rated competitions. Competitions are organized for Hunter Seat, Western and Dressage riders at different proficiency levels. Everyone, from the least to the most experienced rider, has an opportunity to compete and excel. Positions on all teams are earned by competitive tryouts that are scheduled at various times throughout the year. Incoming students who are interested in any team positions are urged to discuss this with the admissions counselors in order to obtain information about tryout dates. Our riders have won twelve individual National Championships (in IHSA and IDA) to date and Cazenovia was the 2002 Reserve National Championship Team.  Cazenovia College has continued the winning tradition with multiple national awards since that time, including the 2007 Open Western Horsemanship National Champion, 2007 fourth place National Hunter Seat Team, 2009 Open Hunter Seat on the Flat National Champion, 2017 Open Reining National Champion, and the 2022 Level II Western Horsemanship. Cazenovia College has been proud to host the National Championships for the IHSA and the IDA three times.

The Equine Ambassadors Club is also available to all interested students on campus. The club functions as an educational, social, and service organization with a variety of activities throughout the year.

• Proof of medical insurance for the student is required.
• Because of the sequential nature of certain required courses, students entering in January will have less flexibility in course selection.
• Students must enroll in two equitation classes (two academic credits each) during their program. Each course has a fee and is not counted as part of an overload;
• All equestrian team students must enroll in a riding class each semester which is therefore not billed as an overload in addition to the riding course fee. Non-program walk-trot riding students may enroll in a riding class or choose an equivalent activity as designated by the head coach;
• An elective equine internship may be taken after the successful completion of three semesters of coursework in the program. Internships can be arranged during a semester, between semesters, or during the summer. Students interested in an internship in another state or abroad should plan on completing the internship during the summer or should plan on devoting a complete semester to the experience;
• BU 481 is the required internship for the senior capstone experience. Students can enroll in the course as early as the summer between their junior and senior years and must have earned at least 90 credits;
• Students who are required to take practicums are encouraged to attend summer college or enroll in winter session or summer session courses at some point if they plan on finishing the program within four years;
• Students intending to complete the Equine Reproductive Management Certificate should plan on using some of their elective credits to take the required courses. This sequence begins in the fall of the junior year and continues through the spring of the junior and senior years;
• A wide variety of equine electives are offered each semester, including courses in equine reproduction, horse show management, riding instruction, equine photography, equine behavior, horse-training techniques, and advanced equine management, as well as special topics;
• Students who transfer credits in should be aware that their capstone experience (BU 495), BU 499 and BU 481 must be taken in residence at Cazenovia College; and
• Cazenovia College abides by a Horse Welfare Work Standard.  This standard (which is based on the latest research)  states that no horse being ridden will ordinarily be asked to carry a combined weight (student+tack) that exceeds 17% of the horse’s own body weight.  Furthermore no horse being driven will be asked to pull a combined weight (student+vehicle) exceeding the horse’s own body weight.  .Students entering the program with a documented physical requirement for a certain size or type of horse will be furnished with reasonable accommodations, however students should realize such horses may not be available every semester and this could impact their progress in the program.

During the academic year our Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Riding Teams and our Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) Team participate in a number of intercollegiate competitions. The IHSA riders compete in hunter seat and/or western shows up to 10 times per school year before moving on to Regionals, Zones and Nationals. Additionally, the team sends riders to one or more tournaments each season to experience competition outside the region.

At the 2002 National Championships, which Cazenovia College hosted at its Equine Center, the Hunter Seat team finished as National Reserve Champions and our riders earned two National Championships and two National Reserve Championships. Cazenovia College has continued the winning tradition with multiple national awards since that time, including the 2007 Open Western Horsemanship National Champion, 2007 fourth place National Hunter Seat Team and 2009 Open Hunter Seat on the Flat National Champion.

Competitions are organized for both Hunter Seat and Western riders, at different proficiency levels. Everyone, from the least to the most experienced rider, has an opportunity to compete and excel. The Dressage Team competes under the auspices of the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA). They too were invited to compete at the national level every year from 2002 to the present, and have won National Champion and Reserve National Champion titles. The College was proud to host the IDA National Championship in 2004 becoming the first college to have hosted both the IHSA and the IDA National Championships.

Positions on all teams are by competitive tryouts that are scheduled at various times throughout the year. Incoming students who are interested in any team positions are urged to discuss this with the admissions counselors in order to obtain information about try out dates.

The Equine Ambassadors Club is also available to all interested students on campus. The club functions as an educational, social, and service organization with a variety of activities throughout the year.