BEYOND THE SHOW PEN

Learn how youth can develop valuable life skills, become more self-confident, and gain educational opportunities by getting involved in the horse industry.

- ALLISON ARMSTRONG REHNBORG

Horse-crazy kids and parents alike know the challenges, rewards, and opportunities that a youth rider can experience in the show pen. Showing horses teaches young people how to work hard, develop discipline and sportsmanship, perform under pressure, and a host of other important life skills. But riding and showing horses isn’t everything. In fact, there’s a wealth of educational experiences, skill-building opportunities, and other benefits available in the horse industry for youth who venture beyond competitions. Many of these opportunities can open doors for youth to gain scholarships and internships, and may even lead them into lifelong careers in the horse industry—all because they took the time to invest in more than winning ribbons.

For Christine Gillettof Richland Hills, Texas, who enjoyed showing horses as a youth, investing in life outside the show pen led her to develop a successful career in event planning. Today, she is the public events coordinator for the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Before that, she worked for the American Paint Horse Association as director of APHA events and youth activities. Gillett says that many of the skills she developed by working in the industry started with finding her own voice.

“When a kid finds their voice in the horse industry, that voice is going to be heard somewhere else, too,” Gillett said. “It’s important for kids to develop that voice in a safe space where they’re comfortable, like talking about horses or how they want to improve their breed’s organization, and then they’re going to go on and use that voice in their classroom or in their first job or as they go through life.”