Why are we fundraising?

About Us

The Maryland Equestrian Club (MEC) is an organization on campus that strives to bring together student equestrians through a common love for horses. We are unique to many of the other animal-based clubs on campus as we provide riding opportunities from our horses on campus to students at more affordable costs than they would find elsewhere. Our members dedicate a lot to our club and our horses. As a team, we take hours of our weekly schedules to take care of all the horses at the campus farm. Every day, our members spend at least 3 hours on the farm for feeding and grooming and most days spend another 2 hours in lessons. MEC is a great way for Animal Science students, or anyone interested in horses, to gain experience with horses, under saddle, and on the ground. Our horses must be safe to ride— many of our members are new to working with them, and we want this club to give them the best experience possible.

The Dilemma

Sadly in these past few years, we have also had to let go of many of our beloved horses as they moved onto their well-deserved retirement. Thus, it has been hard to recover our herd so we are looking to raise money to welcome a new member into our barn. Finding an affordable horse that can meet the skillset and safety requirements of our riders is imperative and is not an easy task. Our goal is to raise the funds we need to purchase a horse that will fit into our program!

Our Goal

With these funds, we would be able to purchase a safer riding horse. This would benefit our members who ride and do chores, and would take some of the workload off of our other horses. Donations are extremely helpful, as we have many new members trying to get involved in lessons, and having a horse that can teach our new members is crucial for us being able to introduce the horse world to as many people as we can. We would greatly appreciate any support to our cause, since finding safe, affordable horses is extremely challenging in the present market. Our three current lesson rockstars are below. From left to right we have Millie, Sonny, and Diva! We need a new addition just like them. 

Launch this year

We are incredibly grateful to last year's and last semester's donors, as they allowed us to welcome Sonny (left) and Quin (right) to our herd. And Tex (solo image) You make a difference!

Thank you

Even if you can't donate right now, we appreciate you taking the time to look through our page. Other ways to make an impact could involve sharing this campaign by posting on social media under the hashtag #MECRidingHorseFundraiser, checking out our Instagram account @marylandequestrianclub, or telling your friends and family!

Gifts in support of the University of Maryland are accepted and managed by the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Inc., an affiliated 501(c)(3) organization authorized by the Board of Regents. Contributions to the University of Maryland are tax deductible as allowed by law. Please see your tax advisor for details.