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Equine Summer Study Abroad Programs in Scotland

Name: Equine Summer Study Abroad Programs in Scotland
Brand: Adelante Abroad
SKU: 16112
Rating: 4.74 (156 reviews)

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Adelante Abroad

4.74 (156 reviews)

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Equine Summer Study Abroad Programs in Scotland

Adelante Abroad

4.74 · 156 reviews

Community Choice Award Winner

Location

Scotland
- Edinburgh

Term

Short Term, Summer

Subject Areas

Animal Science

Payment plans

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

High School Diploma Associates

Housing

Dormitory

Language

English

Pricing

Starting Price

6570

Price Details

-Pre-departure orientation and counseling
-Airport pickup and orientation on arrival in Scotland
-College tuition for 2 classes worth a total of 6 US credits
-Your own private room and bathroom in college accommodations.
-Free wireless internet available.
-Access to computers in college Resource Centre. Laptops can also be borrowed on a weekly basis.
-College staff on-site will be available to assist students with individual requests
-Excursions to local cultural sites and events eg. Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, William Wallace Monument, the Highland Games, the Royal Highland Show and more.
-Sealed college transcripts upon completion

What's Included

Accommodation Some Activities Airport Transfers Classes Wifi

What's Not Included

Airfare SIM cards Transportation Travel Insurance

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2026

Last Reviewed: Jun 25, 2025

Wish List

24 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Spend your summer surrounded by Scotland’s breathtaking landscapes while advancing your equestrian expertise with Adelante’s Equine Study Abroad Program. Study 4 weeks at a prestigious equine college just outside Edinburgh. You’ll receive a hands-on, affordable education that seamlessly blends theory with practice.

This program includes Equine Fitness and Equine Anatomy, combining classroom learning with practical riding and stable management experience. Whether you’re an aspiring equestrian or a horse enthusiast, you’ll train in classical and English-style riding and work closely with experienced instructors in a real-world, professional setting. The campus boasts modern stables, riding arenas, and scenic grounds, providing the perfect environment to refine your skills.

With weekends free, you’ll also have the chance to explore Scotland’s majestic highlands, historic castles, and vibrant culture. Best of all, you can earn 6 college credit hours in just one month.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program offers hands-on equine learning with supportive instructors and scenic weekend trips around Scotland. While the campus is beautiful but isolated, communication and logistics sometimes fall short.

AI-generated summary from verified community reviews Read reviews →

Video and Photos

Students observing horses grazing in a scenic Scottish Highland meadow during the equine summer study program.

Students attending an equine care workshop, learning about horse anatomy and management in Scotland

Group of international students posing with horses in a Scottish farm as part of the summer equine program.

Student feeding horses and maintaining stables, learning practical equine care skills in Scotland.

Participant brushing and grooming a horse under the guidance of an instructor in Scotland’s summer equine program.

Student carefully grooming a horse, brushing its coat and mane as part of hands-on equine care in Scotland’s summer program.

A student riding a horse through open fields surrounded by Scottish hills as part of the summer study program.

Participants engaging with Scottish equine trainers, discussing training techniques and horse behavior.

Group of students smiling and standing together with horses on a Scottish farm during the equine summer study program.

Students studying and taking notes inside a horse stable, learning hands-on equine care during the Scotland summer study abroad program.

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

BIPOC Support

At Adelante Abroad, we take pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive community for aspiring students seeking international internships and study abroad experiences. We are committed to providing equality and opportunity, as we firmly believe that every individual, regardless of their background, deserves the chance to embark on a transformative journey. Through our specialized biopic program, we actively encourage and support students from all walks of life to participate without discrimination. We understand the importance of nurturing emerging talents, and our program stands as a testament to our dedication to providing an enriching, empowering, and unbiased platform for students to thrive and make their mark on the global stage.

LGBTQIA+ Support

At Adelante Abroad, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive space for all students, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We wholeheartedly encourage and support LGBTQIA+ students to participate without fear of discrimination. We recognize the unique challenges that LGBTQIA+ individuals may face, and we are determined to provide a safe and empowering environment for them to embark on their international internship and study abroad journeys. With a focus on celebrating individuality and fostering growth, our program stands as a beacon of acceptance, ensuring that all students can thrive, learn, and contribute meaningfully to the global community.

Accessibility Support

Adelante Abroad is committed to offering comprehensive accessibility support for participants with physical disabilities and/or chronic conditions. While our foremost goal is to provide optimal conditions for all participants, there may be instances where certain program country locations pose challenges to full accessibility. Despite these limitations, we continually strive to ensure that all individuals can benefit from our programs to the best of our abilities.

Impact 🌎

Sustainability

At Adelante Abroad, we are driven by a vision of sustainability that goes beyond mere neutrality. Our commitment is to create programs and business practices that generate a net positive impact on the world. By striving to tip the scales towards positive outcomes, we seek to ensure that any potential negative effects are outweighed by the overall benefit we bring to the individuals, communities, and environments we engage with, aligning our efforts to leave a lasting, positive legacy.

Ethical Impact

At Adelante Abroad, our ethical impact programming is thoughtfully designed to harmonize student experiences with the well-being of our host communities and the environment. We meticulously assess the social and environmental implications of our programs, ensuring a balanced approach that maximizes positive outcomes for both our students and the communities they engage with. By fostering meaningful connections, minimizing environmental footprints, and prioritizing sustainable practices, we aim to create lasting benefits for host communities, safeguard our planet's resources, and preserve the integrity of the experiences we offer for generations to come.

Program Highlights

Hands-On Learning at Renowned Equine Centers
Earn transferable US College Credit for 2 classes
Cultural Immersion in Scotland’s Equestrian Heritage
Small Group Learning & Mentorship
Resume-Boosting Experience - showcase your adaptability, specialized knowledge, and global perspective

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Equine Summer Program in Scotland

Interested in enhancing your equestrian knowledge over the summer? Team up with Adelante to study abroad in Scotland in this truly unique program. Riders have the opportunity to verse themselves in 'British' style equestrianism. Classroom instruction includes Equine Anatomy and Physiology & Fitness. Also, candidates experience practical and hands-on exercises outside of the classroom. This program gives you a one-of-a-kind experience at an extremely affordable price.

Program Reviews

4.74 Rating

based on 156 reviews

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Rating Spread Study

5 rating 76.28%
4 rating 22.44%
3 rating 0.64%
2 rating 0.64%
1 rating 0%

Academics 3.85
Support 4.7
Fun 4.4
Housing 4.1
Safety 4.85

Good for Students, Building your resume, Adventure travelers

Showing 137 - 144 of 156 reviews

This was first time out of the United States and doing this study abroad program was a blast! The professors are extremely generous with their time and services they provide for us. We went on educational field trips to fantastic locations such as the school of veterinary medicine near Edinburgh. The horses we worked with had such unique personalities and were great teachers to students who have never ridden in an English saddle. The weekend outings were a lot of fun especially to the city of Edinburgh to see the castle and St. Andrews.

What would you improve about this program?

I wish we had more riding time because I was given a false impression of the riding. I was originally told that we would be jumping more than what we really did and we would even do some cross country. We did not do any of those activities so I was extremely disappointed. I also wished we had more time on our weekend outings. We would get into the cities and only be given a few hours to explore before we had to meet up and leave to go back to the college.

Read my full story

The way that this program was advertised left something to be wanting in the actual experience. It was advertised as right outside Edinburgh which is not true- it's a 30-45 minute taxi ride into and out of town which is expensive.
The campus is rural and it's beautiful but the town it's in is quite small and is also a decent car ride away (about 15 minutes).

The horses we got to work with are great and have a multitude of talent.
The staff is excellent and are super helpful.

Overall an absolutely fantastic experience.

What would you improve about this program?

The way that the program is pitched to students. It's not all riding and I didn't have nearly the amount of down time to travel the country on my own as I was told I would. The schooling was great but there was more written work than I expected.

I absolutely loved my time in Scotland. I enjoyed all the staff at Oatridge and they really tried to help us have a great experience in and outside of the classroom. The classes were not very challenging but we still learned things that I couldn't back home. Learning about the management practices over here was the most interesting part. The excursions on the weekend were great and we saw a lot of the high points of Scotland but I wish we were told before hand of the free days so we could plan out a bit more. The food and wifi were not great but I came to experience Scotland and learn about horses and that's what I did!

There is no reason to not take this program if you love horses and want to travel. The campus is beautiful but it has typical college beds and college food. I'd recommend bringing a laptop because the library isn't always open and it's necessary for school work. I brought an Ipad and it didn't cut it. A lot of people had complaints but if you take into account the fact that we are on a college campus and not in a 5-star hotel then you'll be fine. Weekend trips were a lot of fun but if you want to do more than that then you have to plan it yourself. Come prepared. Especially if you want to visit the isle of skye. I'm kicking myself that I never read the travel books I bought until the last week.

What would you improve about this program?

More opportunities to ride at higher levels, longer days into cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow, More realistic advertising so we're not expecting more than what we received.

Day to day was fine. The wifi is not so good and the living is a little rough. The hot water half the time doesn't work all of the appliances in one of the kitchens was broken. The food is mediocre. A lot of the staff at oatridge are not cooperative. We would ask for something and then it would be promised. Like the tv remote. then it came time for us to need the remote and no one would help us find it. The staff will ask us questions about when we are leaving or if we will be here for lunch and we have no idea if we will and then they get mad at us for not knowing. also they wont let you use the phone which is rough because all of us don't have international minutes.

What would you improve about this program?

More riding time. More day trips that are longer. Taking us on more outings to other places. there is not much in uphall. having staff available 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Response from Adelante Abroad

Mikaela - thanks for taking the time to complete the review. Your details are helpful for us to continually update and improve the program. We o try to warn everyone that wifi can be spotty prior to their departure. Food is a tough one, hard to change a culture of a 4-week program and it is a college campus! Phone we do advise that Viber is good for communications, and also that you can buy a UK cell phone cheaply with no contract. Staff aren’t expecting our students to ask to use the phone!

We have seen mixed comments on the day trips, but I think the overall feeling is that everyone would like the opportunity to stay longer in the cities. In such a short program it may not be possible to fit in any more excursions but definitely something that can be looked into for future years based on everyone's comments.

Lastly, having staff available to our students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week would triple the program cost, of course. We provide emergency contact information for if the need arose.

We truly appreciate your comments - thank you.

Team Adelante

By Allison Munder on June 19, 2014

Everything about the structure of the program and the staff was wonderful, I had a fantastic time. The courses were interesting yet challenging, the location was perfect, and I feel that I learned a good deal about horses and Scottish culture.

What would you improve about this program?

The beds were terrible.

Overall I found this program very enjoyable. The classes were informative and we were offered hands on experience with horses. I really enjoyed riding and also visiting the yards of experienced dressage riders and eventers. We got to ride multiple times a week on a variety of horses. All of the teachers were very friendly and willing to work with you. I also enjoyed the weekend trips to interesting places like Edinburgh and Loch Ness. I would have liked to go to the Burgie Horse Trials though! I would recommend this program to anybody who is interested in learning more about horses, whether or not they have had a lot of experience in the past.

What would you improve about this program?

I didn't really like the rooms we stayed in, the bathroom was extremely small, and the beds could have been a bit comfier. A bit more variety in the food served would have been nice as well.

This program was extremely fun and I would recommend it to anyone. The extra trips we went on during the weekends were a great opportunity to see the scenery of Scotland. The classes were a good overview of the things that I had already learned from college. I enjoyed the riding aspect of the program, especially since I have only ridden western, it was a good experience to get to ride english and jump. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Scotland!

What would you improve about this program?

The beds are very uncomfortable and having french fries every day for lunch and dinner was a little tiring.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Highlights: Not only did we have our classes to go to, on certain days there were planned activities where we would go places. Those days were the best times I have ever had. We went to Loch Lomond, a lake that separates the Lowlands from the Highlands. It was beautiful, words can't describe the lush green grass and trees with rolling high hills and tapered rock that looked as if it were falling into the lake.

The lake itself is black and I can see why now the Scottish believe the Lochness lives in its depths. Edinburgh castle was amazing, the history and beauty of it astounded me. I loved riding in my riding lessons,they were really fun. The most exciting part I loved was running by myself out through the countryside and smelling the grape seed oil flowers and seeing the beautiful stone walls built on both sides of the road. I ran almost everyday and that was a joy for me to be alone out there just me and nature in a place that is foreign.

Morning: In Scotland a typical morning consisted of getting up and starting your day off right by having breakfast at the cafeteria, which was served around 8. Usually it was cereal, milk, orange or apple juice and a pastry of some sort. After breakfast the Equine group and Ecology group would go their separate ways and head to their classes. The equine group only had two classes Equine Fitness and Equine Anatomy and Physiology as well as riding lessons which were splited up into two groups based on our riding experience. The style of riding was English and the instructors were fantastic.

Afternoon:There was lunch which we had little pieces of paper explaining that we can get a sandwich, drink, and some sort of treat for our meal provided by the school. For dinner we would meet around 5pm to eat and afterwards we all would hang out or do the very little homework we were assigned. The equine group seemed to enjoy the more social night life so we would go to pubs and socialize with the Scottish and participate in any activities they had planned.

Evening: They had no TV or computers in the dorms or "flats" as the Scottish would call them so the only fun we would have is socialize and hang out with each other and the Scottish. We learned a lot about their culture that way and it was nice to get away from the norm. The biggest hassle was the Internet and making phone calls. The Internet was always down so it was hard to get a hold of family and friends and face book but again in a way it was kind of nice.

Kyla Szemplinski

2014 Alum

Hannah Dritt

Shayna Sosnowik

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Dr. Raymond Barclay

Program

Equine Summer Study Abroad Programs in Scotland

Job Title

Director of Adelante Abroad, Scotland

Dr. Raymond Barclay built and now oversees both the Study Programs (Equine and Ecology) and the Internship Programs (Research & Observation) in Scotland. Previously, he worked with the University of Arkansas for 20 years, with offices in Scotland for 15 years serving as Director of Global Studies. He is a former Fulbright Fellow and has evaluated technology and communication programs in Bolivia, Ireland and Scotland. He has conducted lectures in Bolivia, England, Greece, Ireland, Italy and Romania. Travel is second nature to him, and he feels it should be like that for most. He tries to make sure that everything in Scotland is prepared for program candidates, although they also do plenty on their own to truly grow during their time abroad!

Dr. Raymond Barclay - Director of Adelante Abroad, Scotland

Tell us a little more about this program, what makes it a unique study abroad experience?

Raymond: The Equine Summer School is a one of kind international program designed for students majoring in equine or animal science, veterinary medicine or those who simply have an interest in equestrianism. The course is located on the site of the Scottish National Equestrian Center. It is not duplicated anywhere and you can only access it via your screened application accepted by Adelante Abroad.

Describe a typical day for students on this program.

Raymond: The program provides a very practical and hands-on experience, which includes a combination of classroom lectures, field trips and riding (and more riding!). The two courses are in the morning and each afternoon is dedicated to time with the horses, either riding or hands-on studying. Saturdays are full day, offsite excursions such as Burgie Hosre Trials and the Royal Highland Show, as well as cultural trips such as visits to Glasgow and Loch Lomond. Each student has a horse to evaluate and the opportunity learn about British Equestrianism.

Student riding horse

What are some extra-curricular activities program participants enjoy?

Raymond: The program includes several tours throughout Scotland, including visits to prehistoric and ancient Celtic Kingdoms, the Scottish Highlands, the historic capital of Edinburgh, Stirling Castle, the William Wallace Monument, the Scottish Parliament and other cultural and historic sites. These are all included in the program!

What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering this program?

Raymond: Come prepared to ride horses and to learn and discover new skills about equine fitness and anatomy.

Horse Race

About Adelante Abroad

Internship, Volunteer, Semester & Summer Study Abroad Programs define Adelante Abroad's menu of offerings and expertise. Choose to intern overseas in Spain, Ecuador, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, or Scotland. With year round start dates, Adelante is sure to provide a travel program that's right for you! Our affordable internship abroad programs include...

Equine Summer Study Abroad Programs in Scotland

Equine Summer Study Abroad Programs in Scotland