FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES JUNE 2012 59
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Education
By Lauren R. Giannini
Sloane Milstein has more than enough credits on her resumé to
give credence to The High School Equestrian’s Guide to College
Riding. She has been there and done a lot, sports-wise. In
addition to hunter/jumper, eventing and sidesaddle, she has also
competed as an Olympic hopeful: pistol shooting in 2008 and
Modern Pentathlon (shooting, running, swimming, fencing and
riding) in 2004.
At Sacred Heart University, ranked Division I, the NCAA’s
highest level of intercollegiate sport, Sloane served as varsity
equestrian coach, Intercollegiate Horse Show Association coach
and Athletic Administrator.
With her credentials, it’s no wonder that she concocted this gem
of a guide. It’s quite impressive how much she manages to pack
into 120 pages. In fact, Sloane offers much more than “how to ride
through your bachelor degree” years. She provides a complete
course in self awareness and goal setting. Worksheets provide
valuable practice. One self assessment “quiz” determines if you
are a competitive rider, recreational rider or fence-sitter. There’s
help all along the way; but you need introspection and honesty to
reap the maximum benefts. The Guide to College Riding takes
the form of well-organized information and exercises to hone your
lifemanship skills and refne your research so that you can make
intelligent, thoughtful choices. You learn various essential criteria
to enable you to formulate sound opinions when considering a
school. Information includes tips about location and campus size,
extracurricular and social requirements, academic qualifcations
and how to fnd the right school that offers your preferred major.
Wait – there’s more, lots more. Suppose you’re looking for a
school and you’ve never really had a chance to do much more
than pleasure ride and you get the wild idea, why not fnd a school
with a riding program? Perhaps your success in the show ring
makes you wonder if you have what it takes to be recruited into
an equestrian program. Or maybe you have a good mind but
skimped on your studies to spend time in the saddle and you
need to score well when you take SAT or ACT tests. Suppose
the college application process throws you and your parents into
a tizzy?
No worries: Sloane unravels the mysteries from flling out
the applications to the differences between NCAA, NCEA and
IHSA. She goes into great detail: what you need to do during
each step of the process, alternatives for fnancial aid, how to
interview, questions to ask and even what to avoid. The Guide
to College Riding lives up to its name, offering an abundance of
help, information, clarifying worksheets and exercises, even a list
of questions to ask your school counselor. Sloane covers the
gamut, including what to do while you’re in high school to prepare
for riding in college.
Education is the bottom line, no matter how great your passion
for equestrian competition. The author herself is back in school.
She stopped coaching two years ago in order to earn her doctorate
in Educational Leadership. She’ll do her dissertation this summer.
“I’m still involved – clinics, presentations at Equine Affaire – but
the reality check is one of the things I teach in my guide,” stated
Sloane. “When I decided to get my Ph.D., I wanted a school close
enough to home so I could keep coaching; but it was too hard
to juggle both and do a good job. I do individual consultations
and College Riding 101 is a great way to interact with high school
groups. I’m also a steward for the Interscholastic Equestrian
Association. I plan to teach Sports Management and Equestrian
Management, and I’m looking forward to getting back into the
classroom.” The Guide to College Riding is a great resource and
while reading it cover to cover is a terrifc idea, you can pick and
choose what will help you best to achieve your dream college/
riding experience.
To obtain your copy of The High School Equestrian’s Guide
to College Riding, please visit: www.collegeriding101.com. You
can preview the book by downloading the frst chapter for free.
Bonuses include a listing of all colleges and universities with
websites and the type of program/team offered and a glossary of
terms pertinent to the entire college application process.
Soft cover, 120 pages: $24.95