Memorandum

To:
Hamline University President Fayneese Miller
From: Monica Jenson
Date: October 18, 2015
Subject: Proposal to study the feasibility of Hamline University starting a college rodeo team
Purpose
This proposal recommends that I be allowed to research the feasibility of Hamline University
being the first Minnesota college to institute a college rodeo team. Upon approval, I will then
write a report with my recommendations on whether Hamline University should start a college
rodeo program for students. This report will be send to you upon completion no later than
November 29, 2015.
Summary
The Facebook group titled Minnesota Horses currently has 17,483 members this shows the
vast horse community in the state of Minnesota, taking into account that many horse owners
based on age, preference, or geographic location do not use Facebook or are not members of the
group. Even though there is such a large horse economy in the state, Minnesota does not have a
college rodeo team.
I propose to research the feasibility of Hamline University starting a college rodeo team. In order
to answer this question I plan to look into the effect of extracurricular activities on academic
success, types of equine therapy and the effects of horsemanship on people, as well as the
potential opportunities for Hamline University to acquire new students and provide new
connections for current students.
Introduction
Minnesota college students currently do not have an opportunity to participate in college rodeo in
their state of residence. According the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA, 2015),
Minnesota is the only state in the Great Plains region that does not have a college rodeo team.
The Great Plains Region includes: Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and
Nebraska. Each of the other five states has at least one rodeo team in their residence.
Extracurricular activities are a great source of learning for students. There is a positive
correlation between academic grades and extracurricular participation (Schuepbach, 2014). This
positive change could help Hamline University students uphold high academic standards.
Horses can also be used as therapy animals. Simply being in their presence can help humans
overcome mental or physical obstacles as shown in a clinical trial when the horses were called
catalysts and metaphors which were used to surface unspoken client issues. These horses were

said to provide help in closing unfinished business, calming mental distress, stopping destructive
actions, and keeping thoughts in the present (Bivens, Klontz, Klontz, & Leinart., 2007). College
is a stressful period in ones life. These equine catalysts may be able to help rodeo team
participants as well as other students to have a moment of relaxation in their busy schedules.
Another article lays out the psychological, educational, social, and physical benefits to
horsemanship. The psychological implications of the use of horses have shown to have a positive
effect on self-confidence, self-esteem, self-concept, attention span, self-discipline, and risktaking. The educational enhancements made in using horsemanship can be used to develop skills
in activities of daily living such as literacy, nutrition, and communication. Horsemanship can be
used to develop social skills such as nonverbal communication through the use of body language
with the animals. The physical benefits of horses include improved posture, equilibrium
reactions, sitting balance, standing balance, muscle strength, coordination, and joint mobility
(Branch, & Young, 2005). Although Hamline University would not be taking part in an equine
therapy program, these psychological, educational, social and physical benefits could be passed
on to Hamline rodeo team members, and potentially other students, simply through being with
the horses.
Aside from the extracurricular and therapeutic benefits to horsemanship, providing a rodeo team
could attract a new body of potential students to Hamline University. The lack of a college rodeo
team in Minnesota will send prospective Minnesota college students out of state. There are more
than 100 college rodeos each year as well as more than 3,500 annual members (NIRA, 2015).
The addition of a college rodeo team to Hamline could increase campus diversity and add to
enrollment numbers.
In addition to attracting new students, the inclusion of a rodeo team to Hamline Universitys
campus could provide opportunities for current students. Housing rodeo team horses could
provide an opportunity for jobs such as stall cleaners, management opportunities or internships.
This equine addition could also provide the opportunity for new classes such as beginners
horsemanship, equine anatomy, stable management, and so many more.
The rest of this memo will lay out my proposed procedure for the duration of this project, my
qualifications & experience, my schedule for completion, and my sources found thus far.
Proposed Procedure
In this section of my proposal I will outline my preliminary research, proposed research, and
criteria for evaluation.
Completed Research
Currently, I have done research for my proposal on the following:

 I have looked into equine therapy and found three scholarly articles discussing the benefits of
horsemanship.
I have researched the effects of extracurricular involvement on students and found two scholarly
articles discussing the positive effects of extracurricular activities.
I have researched the college rodeo teams surrounding the state of Minnesota.

Proposed Research
The following describes topics I plan to research to answer my feasibility question:
I will develop a questionnaire to administer to a select group of Hamline students.
I will research the method of starting a college rodeo team.
I will research the costs associated with starting and maintaining a college rodeo team.
I will research other college rodeo teams.
I will research the number of equine enthusiasts in the state of Minnesota.
I will research possible locations surrounding campus for a team to house horses and practice at.
I will continue to research types of equine therapy, its effects, and if it could be useful for
Hamline University.
I will continue to research the effects of extracurricular activities on students.

Criteria
Upon completing my research, I will use the following criteria to evaluate results:
Is there a demand for a college rodeo team in the state of Minnesota?
Will current and/or future Hamline University students benefit from having a college rodeo
team?
Will Hamline University be able to fund this operation?
Qualifications and Experience
I have been a Minnesota college student for close to three years. I have upheld a 3.7 grade point
average since beginning college. In addition to attending Hamline University, I own five
personal horses that I care for and compete on. While taking part in these competitions I have
come to know many equine event producers as well as college and professional rodeo
participants.

Completion Schedule
The following is a schedule of actions that will be taken to complete the Hamline University
rodeo team feasibility report:

Task

Completed by Date

Proposal

October 18

Survey

October 18

Graphics

November 1

Progress Report

November 8

Rough Draft

November 15

PowerPoint

November 29

Final Report

November 29

References
Bivens, A., Klontz, B. T. & T., & Leinart, D. (2007). The effectiveness of equine-assisted
experiential therapy: Results of an open trial. Society & Animals. 15(3) pp 257-267.
Branch, M. & Young, R. L. (2005). Horsemastership part 2: Physical, psychological, educational
and social benefits. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation. 12(3)
pp120-125.
Guest, A. & Schneider, B. (2003). Adolescents extracurricular participation in context: The
mediating effects of schools, communities, and identity. American Sociological
Association. 76(2) pp 89-109.
National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. Membership. Retrieved from
www.collegerodeo.com/membership/
Schuepbach, M. (2014). Effects of extracurricular activities and their quality on primary
school-age students achievement in mathematics in Switzerland. School effectiveness
and school improvement. 26(2) pp 279-295.
Tyler, J. L. (1994). Equine psychotherapy: Worth more than just a horse laugh. Women &
Therapy. 15(3-4) pp 139-146.