Membership in UMEC is open to all students, faculty and staff at the University of Maryland, College Park. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any members or offer lessons to anyone who is not in one of the above categories.

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Meetings

UMEC meets the first Tuesday of each month at 7pm in room 0408 of the Animal Sciences Building (unless otherwise indicated). In order to be active in the club, members must attend or be excused from 75% of meetings each semester.

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Previous Experience

UMEC offers riding lessons for all levels of riders. We offer English style lessons for everyone from the complete novice to those of you who have grown up on horseback. Remember though, you have to be a club member to ride; don't forget to sign up!

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Equipment/Tack

All of our horses come completely outfitted for you, in their stylish saddles, bridles, and the latest in footwear. As for you, we provide helmets for those who don't have them, but the rest is up to you! When riding, student must wear long pants (not necessary those specific for riding, jeans are ok too) and closed shoes with a heel.

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Signing up for Lessons

Lesson sign-ups take place during the first meeting of each semester. Students and instructors list their availabilities and are matched up based upon experience and availability times. Lesson spaces are limited, however, and it's important to attend the first meeting of the semester in order to not miss sign ups.

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I would like to learn to teach

We'd love to have you! In order to teach a lesson, you must be a member of UMEC (meaning that you must be either a student, faculty, or staff at the University). All instructors are evaluated by the UMEC directors, and are assigned a riding level to teach if they are qualified. All interested parties should also be prepared to present a riding/teaching experience résumé. For more information, please contact our teaching director at umec_horseusage@yahoo.com.

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I wasn't scheduled for a lesson

Although UMEC makes every attempt to place each interested member in a lesson, this is not always possible. The horses are limited in the number of lessons they can give each week (we don't like to wear out our equine friends), and our instructors have limited availability too (classes and work get in the way of so many fun things). If you are not placed in a lesson, you will be placed on a waiting list; if a spot opens up in our schedule that works for you, the teaching director will contact you. And don't forget, a new schedule is made up each semester, so you may be able to ride then, even if you can't ride this semester.

***For more information about lessons, please go to our programs page or contact our teaching director at umec_horseusage@yahoo.com***
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What else can I do besides riding??

UMEC is more than just riding! UMEC shares responsibility for the care of the horses on the campus farm. Club members can help around the farm by cleaning and feeding the horses. Feeder/cleaner sign-ups are held during the first meeting of each semester, so be sure to be there if you want to feed or clean (for more information, please contact umec_herdhealth@yahoo.com or visit our programs page). Additionally, the club offers instructional clinics throughout the semester that can be attended by all club members. We also organize various activities and trips throughout the semester, such as trips to visit the Budweiser Clydesdales and to tracks.
We also participate in social events like the homecoming parade on campus.


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Is UMEC a competitive club?

UMEC is a not a competitive club; our focus is on educating our members about proper horse care/skills, barn management, and riding. Our members and our horses do not travel to shows, nor do we host shows for people from other clubs. However. we do hold small schooling shows on the campus farm each semester, and our spring show is an exciting part of Ag Day. These shows are open only to club members. If you are interested in competing, please refer to the University's Equestrian Team, which is independent from UMEC and is associated with Waradaca stables.

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Can I board my horse?

The campus farm and UMEC does not offer any boarding options; the only horses on the farm are owned by the UMCP Animal and Avaian Sciences Department.

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Who teaches the horses?

Just like our riders, our horses are constantly learning! All our horses are in our training program, where they learn new things and have what they already know reinforced. Training also keeps our horses fit, allowing them to work happily for all our students. Training sessions for each horse are held several times a week, with both mounted and unmounted sessions. As to who keeps our horses fit and happy, the answer is again you, the club member! All our trainers and their assistants are UMEC members. For more information about our training program, please contact our training director at umec_horseusage@yahoo.com and visit our programs page.

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How much does UMEC cost?

All UMEC members pay a $20 membership fee each semester they are in the club (fall/winter, spring, and summer). All riding members pay an additional fee of $200 per semester. This riding fee covers one lesson per week for the semester. Discounts can be earned in a variety of ways, but these can only be applied against the riding fee (meaning that there is no way to work off the $20 membership fee) and can only be used that semester (so if you earn a discount in the fall, it can only be used towards that fall's riding fee). A $75 discount can be earned for each day a member feeds or cleans in addition to the one required day.  This means that if a member only cleans or feeds once a week, no discount applies. Discounts can also be earned by participating in the club as a head trainer or instructor. A payment plan worksheet is available under Files.

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How do I join the list-serve?

You can join the list-serve/mailing list different ways. You can simply send a blank email to umequestrianclub-subscribe @yahoogroups.com and follow the directions. Or you may directly join the yahoogroup using a yahoo ID, just look for umequestrianclub. Or you can email the Administrative Director at umequestrianclub@yahoo.com to be manually added, dependent upon your approval to the group.

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Not receiving list-serv mail

You probably are having the emails sent to a "Junk Mail" folder in your email account. Check that first, then you should check the status on the mailing list.

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SOP levels

SOP stands for Standard Operational Procedure and these ground levels dictate how much you can do with and around the horses. It is based on your knowledge and skill around the barns and you can be trained ant then checked off by any herd health director to levels 1-5. It is important to know that all UMEC members who wish to handle the horses must be level 1, all cleaners must be level 2, and all feeders must be level 3. Level 4 and 5 cover more advanced knowledge. It is important to look over the study guides and prepare with them prior to taking each level test. Additional information can be obtained by asking other club members and the directors, by reading books available in the UMEC library, and by searching for academic sites on the web. For more information on the UMEC Handling Levels, please e-mail umec_herdhealth@yahoo.com and all study guides are available under Files.

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Help!! I'm new! What do I do??

Well, there's a new page just for new members that tells you what to do and when. But basically you'll need to fill out all the forms, pay the fees, and keep up with the responsibilities! All paperwork is available under Files.

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