by Lily Kubly
A
big decision presents itself for young equestrians when it comes to graduating
high school: do I continue in college or take a hiatus? With new change coming,
it seems many want to take a break and focus on classes and their future
careers (unless riding will be or involve their future career, of course).
When
presented with this dilemma, I knew that I wanted to ride by any means
possible. It really wasn’t even a decision that I made; I knew in my heart that
I wanted to ride beyond high school before I even applied to colleges. I would
not commit to anything right away in order to make sure this was for sure
something I wanted to continue with the challenges of college work, but deep
down I knew that it was something I wanted to continue even if part time.
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| Lily and Gunner |
At
the point of making college decisions, riding was a major part of who I was.
Traveling for shows was not uncommon especially my junior year and the first
half of my senior year of high school. I had traveled to Florida that winter of
my junior year (2011) to compete in the 3’3 juniors with my young horse,
Gunner. After florida, I began competing again in the junior Eq classes (I had
traveled and done them my sophomore year also) and traveled all over to get
qualified for the USEF Pessoa medal finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse
Show in Harrisburg. That was successful and I went on to go to Capital
Challenge for two weeks before the medal finals as well that fall of 2011.
With
all the change that was coming my way, I couldn’t imagine also giving up
something I had been so passionate about all my life. It would mean a complete
lifestyle change without riding; moving cities and also discontinuing something
that had been such a big part of most of my life. College marks the end of
riding for a lot of junior riders who either decide to focus on something else
or loose interest, and I knew I didn’t want to fall in those catagories and
give up all that I had worked for.
The
next fall (2012) I began my freshman year at University of Missouri in Columbia
or Mizzou (an out of state school for me as I am from Milwaukee) and, as
planned, started riding as soon as I could. As small of a town as Columbia is,
I was fortunate to find an awesome Hunter/Jumper barn just 15 minutes from
campus. I was able to consistently ride at least five times a week even with my
schoolwork. I met a few good friends right away at the barn also who helped me
adjust to campus socially.
Things
started off well on campus, but as the first semester dragged on, I slowly started
to realize Columbia was not the right place for me. I felt disconnected to the
people around me and homesickness hit me really hard. I was constantly torn
between staying and seeing if it gets better next semester, and leaving and
starting over as soon as possible. I felt really lost and unsure of myself and
my life, as I imagine most students do first semester, so I decided to stick
out the year and see if things get better. And things get better for a while.
During the first few weeks of second semester, things finally felt like they
were falling in place. I was still riding consistently, classes started off
better for me, and I was starting to really connect with the friends I had made
first semester, but after relatively short a period of time I started to feel
lost again.
During
these periods of feeling lost, the barn was the place where I was able to find
myself the most. Getting of campus was definitely the best thing for me as well
in order to remove myself from the situation and get my mind off everything.
Just being around the horses was therapy enough. The way they are always
excited to see you (even if you just left them for a few minutes in the isle)
was just what I needed.
Here, I did my most rational thinking and was
able to really sort through the issues in my head. I was able to work towards
my riding goals and put my spirit into something else other than school. I can
truly say the barn kept me in school and grounded during that period of time.
In
the end, I ended up leaving Missouri which was by far the best choice for me.
And now about two years down the road and in Madison, WI, I am still
consistently riding and competing when possible and I am so happy I did so. It
means I’m constantly busy, but I could not be more thankful for the opportunity
to ride as much as I do.
 |
| Lily and Desi |
There
have definitely been parts of my college career where I took some time off due
to a horse with lameness, being without a horse to ride, or transferring schools
(which I did twice; from Mizzou to Milwaukee then to Madison). And to be
honest, at this point I was looking forward to a little break to find myself
again through these changes and make time for other things in my life. These
periods of time helped me realize how much riding does for me and how it affects
my life. I realized my motivation in general is way higher when I am riding
consistently. My grades are always better during the times I ride most even
though I have less time for schoolwork. It keeps me focused and motivated and
allows me to better manage my time by staying organized and on task. This
applies to keeping in shape as well. Riding in itself is active, but I have also
always been an active person and enjoy pushing myself at the gym or on runs,
but I noticed I actually was less active during time off depending on the
length of time. When I took about a month and a half or so off of riding, my
longest break ever, I slowly stopped going to the gym as much as I had before.
If it is only a week or a few days off I tend to be more active, though.
It’s also a great way to get off campus. As
much as I love school, hanging with friends, and my roomates, it’s a good way
to escape from stress associated with campus at least for a few hours and also
feel more at home in your college town. The drives to the barn are when I
realize how beautiful the area around Madison is. The drive always involves a
scenic view of the capital and the rolling hills around the area. I also get to
see and realize how much goes on outside the city and how much suburban life
there is beyond the downtown area.
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| Lily and Uno in Kentucky 2014 |
Another
thing it has done for me is keep me grounded. Having a horse to ride is both a
privilege and a responsibility. College social life (especially in Madison) is
abundant and it’s easy to get distracted by all the things there are to do and
all the fun people you meet. With a horse to ride consistently, there is still
time to be social, but it keeps me from overdoing it. I look forward to riding
and know I need to keep my grades up in order to continue it.
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