Ride On

Posted by Sandra Schonenstein in clubs

What? We have a horse club? You actually ride real horses, you don’t just talk about them? Those are the questions that Andi Star, Horse Club president, usually hears when she tells students about her club.

All Horse Club participants can ride on their trips.

Star first started riding when she was six years old. “Riding was my first love, I was obsessed,” Star says, “I even told someone I was going to marry a horse instead of a guy. It was my life.”

Star’s love for horses started when she was 6 years old.

But then, as Star grew older, her responsibilities started to get in the way of her and the horses. Now studying musical theater, her schedule has become very tight and unpredictable. But she missed riding and being with horses. That is why when she heard about a Horse Club on campus, she decided to join. “I decided I wanted to get back into it, and also I wanted to help the school to learn more about horses,” Star says.

Andi Star expresses her love for horses

Star increased her involvement with the club and went on all the riding times that the group scheduled. So when this year the creator of the group, David James Baker, left to travel abroad for Laureate, he decided to name Star the president of the Horse Club. Star is very proud of her position in the club and enthusiastic about sharing her love for horses.

“When you are in art school, you are so clustered in one area and sometimes this becomes frustrating and you need to clear your head,” Star says, “I think horseback riding is a great way to do it. It is relaxing and fun; it is a social sport, which you can do with your friends. Horses are very loving and beautiful creatures, they understand you in a way that they don’t have to speak back to you. There is a big bond between a horse and a rider.”

Karen Nord is the owner of Nord Stables, and she also teaches people how to ride.

Many students Star has encountered think that horses are scary or they have never been on one before. This is something that she is trying to change. In the Horse Club, it doesn’t matter if you have never ridden before. The meetings take place once a week in Nord Stables, which are owned by Karen Nord. The riding that takes place here is English style. Horseback riding is a very expensive sport and that is why many people have not tried it before. But at the Nord Stables, the price is $5-per person for a trip, compared to the usual fare of approximately $45.

What students do on the trips depend on how many times they have been on horses before. On the first trip, the members usually start by talking about the horses and showing students how to put the saddles on the horses and to groom them. The reason to do this is not just to keep them clean, but also to see if the horses have any kind of injuries. After this, students learn how to ride.

“You don’t want to miss the grooming of a horse because this is how you start to get to know your horse,” Star says. “This is when you talk to them, and you don’t want to skip out on that. Because it’s safety.”

Grooming the horses is extremely important, not only for the horses health, but also for the riders safety.

When the trips are scheduled, Star first talks to Nord and then she gets in touch with the students in order to see what days work for most of the people. Star hopes that soon the weather will be warm enough to go on the first trip of the year. She also hopes that a lot of people join, as she wants to share her love of horses with everyone. “Horses just light a smile on your face, and to me they just mean home.”

Riding is a fun and social sport that can be done outdoor with friends.

To be a part of the Horse Club, just ask to join the Facebook group page:

To learn more about Karen Nord´s stables, visit her website  or the stables at 2312 West Alameda Street