Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 28, 1994 TAG: 9408290023
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-16 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The horses have returned to Virginia Tech.
It would seem logical that the state's land-grant university, which is also home to the state's only veterinary college, would have a riding program. But this year is the first in four years the school will offer riding classes and the first in 40 that such classes will be on campus.
Gary Minish, chairman of Tech's animal and poultry science department, said the decision to bring back riding classes was based not only on popular demand, but on the need to round out the program.
"Ours is a science-based program, and while this is a service course for the university, it does provide an important aspect for those students who will work in the equine industry," he said.
Cindy Wood, coordinating counselor for undergraduates, sees the program as having an impact beyond the department. For students who aren't in the animal science program, it "will be a 'sanity check,' an elective," she said.
A small notice posted last spring only in the animal and poultry science department turned up twice the number of students for seats - or saddles - in the class. But just 30 of those had the riding experience to pass the tryout, and the class still has room for 10 more advanced riders. The staff had to limit enrollment to advanced riders with the savvy to work with new horses. Anyone interested can apply at the department at 3410 Litton-Reaves Hall this week.
The history of horses at Tech is as up and down as their hooves when they trot. Originally, the curriculum included many equine classes, but by the 1940s, as tractors replaced horses on the farms, interest died out.
This changed in the 1960s, when the young baby boomers discovered pleasure riding and interest in equine classes rose. Tom Meachum, professor emeritus in animal science, said the school established its first riding program in 1969, including equitation classes and intercollegiate competition. Interest in equine science classes rose as well.
The riding class was offered as a physical education class first, but it eventually fell to the animal science department to schedule the classes. While Tech cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry were on campus, there were no stables, so the university contracted with local stables until the middle of the 1989-90 school year, when the program was discontinued.
"It certainly didn't die because of a lack of student interest, but because it was unmanageable, having the riding program completely off-campus," Cook said. "It was harder for us to check on it, it was a transportation nightmare for the students, and we just had less control. The new program we're starting this year avoids all of that by having the horses and classes on campus."
Teresa Little MacDonald will teach the riding classes. Formerly director of Ferrum College's riding program, MacDonald is a graduate of Radford University and Tech and participated in both schools' riding programs. She also taught riding classes for Tech just before the demise of the program in 1989.
McDonald said the program is starting slowly, offering only two intermediate level classes this year. The department eventually will teach six levels of riding, from beginner to advanced jumping.
A lack of properly trained horseflesh is keeping the program small. While the department has 71 horses, only 21 are designated for the riding program, with the others used for breeding or research. Many of those 21 are young and inexperienced, especially as teaching horses. "We'll be teaching the horses as much as we will be teaching our students," MacDonald said.
Nancy Jack, one of the equine professors in the department and the one working closest with MacDonald to upgrade the program, said the equine program had received tremendous support from the horse community, with donations of horses, equipment and money.
"It's almost a vicious circle," she explained. "People wanted to give horses, but we didn't have a trailer to transport them or a place to put them once they got here." Fred Campbell, a Richmond businessman and breeder of Arabian horses, gave the program not only a high-quality aluminum trailer, but also money to start renovating a facility for the horses, which had also been a concern for those donating animals.
Each bit of support allows the program to grow that much more, Jack said. "We are so grateful for the generous support we are getting and all that we can do with it."
by CNB