In order to effectively balance school and horses, teen horse owners need to create a schedule, determine their goals and learn when to scale back. There is nothing wrong with trial and error; teens who discover that one system is not working should try another until they get it right.
Additionally, parents must encourage teen horse owners to excel both in school and at the barn. If teenagers bring home blue ribbons from horse shows and failing marks at school, it is up to their parents to teach them that they will not be able to afford their horses without an education.
Homework Management
A big part of learning to balance school and horses is homework management. The assignments teen horse owners bring home after school must be completed in order to maintain good grades in school, and they will not be able to understand the material if they do not put in the effort.
One of the ways in which teen horse owners can improve homework management is by bringing books to the barn. Most riding stables have indoor offices or recreation rooms with tables and chairs where students can do their homework before riding lessons. This is a great way to combine horses with school.
Some parents might not appreciate this arrangement, which is perfectly understandable. The problem is that doing homework after coming home from the barn often means teen horse owners stay up late and try to work while they are tired. A good rule is finishing homework before heading to the barn in the afternoons.
Equine PE Exemption
When teen horse owners enter high school, they might discover their educational requirements include physical education. Fortunately, many schools will accept an equine PE exemption, which means that students earn credit for riding their horses and doing chores at the barn.
If the school does offer an equine PE exemption, students will probably have to ask their trainers to fill out a form every semester. Teen horse owners might be required to spend a certain number of hours at the barn to qualify for the exemption, in which case their parents and trainers will have to play an active role in this process.
Some schools also allow students to leave school early when they obtain a PE exemption. Rather than filling the physical education hour with another class, they simply go to the barn for the last hour of the day. If this is available to teen horse owners, they should discuss their options with their parents to determine what course of action will be most beneficial.
Teen horse owners who want to leave school early for the equine PE exemption should:
- Make sure they have a ride home or to the barn
- Follow all rules regarding the exemption
- Provide their school with contact information for the barn
- Discuss the decision with their parents and trainer
Horse Shows
Fortunately, most horse shows take place on the weekends, so teen horse owners do not have to worry about how to balance school and horses in this area. However, national competitions sometimes start during the week, and these horse shows might require taking a day off from school.
However, teen horse owners must objectively decide whether or not they can afford to take time off from school. If their grades are slipping or if they have trouble understanding the material, it might be best to forego the horse shows in favor of education.
Family Horses
Teen horse owners often come with "horsey" families, where every member has his or her own animal. Family horses are a great way for families to bond and spend time together, but they can also get in the way of priorities. It is important to avoid letting family horses get in the way of teen horse owners' efforts to balance school and horses.
The easiest way to do this is to communicate with one another. Parents and teenagers should talk about how both school and equestrian activities are progressing. When students have trouble at school, they should talk to their parents and seek advice about how to balance responsibilities.
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