Equine Summer Study Abroad Programs in Scotland

Having ridden saddle seat my whole life, jumping and dressage were foreign concepts to me. I was excited and nervous to learn how to ride the different disciplines, and I was pleased to find out that it was okay that I had no experience in either of them! There were people from all different disciplines and experience levels. The instructors were very nice, helpful, and knowledgeable! I feel like I really learned a lot about the different styles of riding and I feel like I really improved as the weeks went on. Another cool thing about the riding portion of this program was that we were able to ride different horses. Being able to ride different horses helped my riding confidence a lot.

I really enjoyed the academic side of this program, as well! The classes were challenging, but still very fun. The professors are very nice and more than willing to help you succeed. Coming into the program, I had a general understanding of the class material that was covered, but being able to specifically study the equine side of it was a fun change and more within my interests.

it was such a blast here in Scotland! I would suggest that you make sure you bring a big enough jacket because it can get pretty windy and cold here. Also do not forget to bring a rain jacket or an umbrella because it will rain quite a bit. The program was really fun you get to ride four times a week which is exciting if you are someone who does not ride often or has never ridden at all. There is a word requirement on this review which is strange and I am now running out of things to say... we went to the perth races gold cup which is steeple racing and that was pretty fun. At the end of your riding lessons you get to do a "friendly" competition in dressage and jumping which is kind of cool. So if you are considering coming to scotland for education abroad you should do it!

Before coming to this program, I had not ridden in years and my horse experience was rusty at best. I was worried that the program would be geared to people with a lot of horse experience. I was pleasantly surprised to find that all levels of riders and horse experience were accepted. I never felt out of place among beginners and advanced riders. The classes were easy if you have any kind of background in anatomy or physiology and even if you don't, they're not too hard. Our professors/instructors were all very welcoming and would help any way they could.
You get to ride almost every day of the week which helps to break up your class schedule. All of the horses are fantastic and fun to ride. You will change horses almost every lesson so you get to experience lots of different types of horse.
Having not ridden since I was in middle school, I felt very comfortable and at home back in the saddle. The instructors group you into four different groups based on your ability which helps you learn with people similar to you.

Upon arriving to Scotland, I was not sure what to expect. It was cold, wet, and overall dreary. I remember getting on the bus and heading to the SRUC Oatridge Campus, where we had no idea what to expect and we were quite silent. However, the bright and shining Louise was and still is the kindest and most polite person I ever met and she helped me feel right at home.

As the weeks progressed, I came to realize that the students are incredibly willing to help you with anything you need, whether its academically related or not. It all seemed like such a large family. Another week in and I could not feel any more at home. Many students offered to take us to the local restaurants and pubs and immerse ourselves in their culture. Being a shy student from the US, I was humbled by this experience. Never have I seen such acts of kindness and friendship before.

Moving along to the academic side of the program, the staff are incredibly knowledgeable about their subject material. They understand how to communicate the essential information to the students effectively and efficiently. It was truly and enlightening experience and I am glad to bring home exciting new information.

I have been blessed with this experience and opportunity, and I hope to return as soon as possible. The beauty of both the rolling fields and hills did not even compare with the inside beauty of the people.

This program was not only very educational and very applicable to my desired education and future employment, it was also a blast and I made so many friends. The structure of the program balances school work, sight seeing, and English riding lessons very well so you don't feel like you're sitting in a classroom the whole time you're studying abroad. The classes were very hands on and great for students that learn visually and by doing rather than listening to a lecture. There is a lot of freedom given with assignments so it is imperative that you are able to manage your time wisely so you aren't stressed out at the end of the program trying to get everything done all at once. The living accommodations were very nice, my only complaint is that the mattresses are very hard and the pillows are quite thin so I had some issues with back and neck pain for the majority of the trip.

Very educational and fun. Riding for half the day and class for the other half. Lots of free time to explore and be a tourist. Louise is the best. Sam and Liz the riding instructors are very patient and helpful. There is a very wide range of horses with lots of personalities. You will certainly wind up eating haggis at some point whether it be haggis burgers, haggis breakfast patties, or regular haggis. We ride just about every day so make sure to bring enough riding clothes. Its easy to forget to study for the exams at the end with everything going on, but you really do need to do a decent amount of studying. Classes are very hands on and you go out to the yard a lot to put the classroom learning in to practice. This also means that there is a practical portion of the exam at the end.

It was an amazing experience. It is a great Study Abroad to take, especially if this would be your first one. Overall the academics are not hard, but they give you a view of anatomy and physiology for the horse. This is very useful as most anatomy classes are for humans. The staff is great and wonderful. The riding was a lot of fun. It was nothing very advanced, however it is a great way to strengthen your basics, especially in jumping. It was also a wonderful trip to see new styles of training and riding. I felt the fitness portion of the program was very interesting and I greatly enjoyed learning new methods to bring a horse into fitness and how to assess a horse's fitness. I greatly recommend this experience and I am sad it is only a four week program.

I had an amazing time while I was here. The people here are so welcoming and happy that we are here. The program was very well organized. I was nervous to ride but when I got here that instructors made me feel right at home. Through the program I have grown tremendously with my riding capability. I now have the confidence of riding that I lacked before I came here. For the class room, the teachers were very nice. They wanted you to do well and helped in any way they could. The country is beautiful. Just looking outside the rooms you could see the beautiful hills. The planned events that we had while we were hear were awesome as well. They allowed us to see Scotland and how beautiful it is. The nature here is gorgeous and hiking around is a great thing to do while you are here. I enjoyed this program so much and very happy that I came here and did this program.