By Garrett Woodrum
The Pulse of this Place
Creste Jean is the WKU Equine manager and coach. Leading to this role, Jean had to build the Equestrian team back from the ground up.
Creste Jean is the Western Kentucky University Equestrian manager and coach. However, her story leading up to this point was not always clear.
As a kid, Creste described her family as "not very horsey". Despite this, she grew a love for the breed and the care that they need. At the age of ten, her grandfather surprised her with a two-year-old horse, whom she saw for only a couple of weeks out of the year.
As a kid, Creste described her family as "not very horsey". Despite this, she grew a love for the breed and the care that they need. At the age of ten, her grandfather surprised her with a two-year-old horse, whom she saw for only a couple of weeks out of the year.
A student cattle-drives at WKU's learning farm on December 2nd, 2024.
"It's very rewarding when we can take a horse that didn't make it at one job and repurpose it for what we need here"
The farms nearly 40 horses are largely donated. Paige Smith, an Equine Instructor uses her connection to Arizona to secure the program donations. Many of the horses that are donated are deemed not applicable by the sender. Creste also mentions that it takes a very special horse to be a school horse.
"They have to have lots of different riders on them all the time. They have to be friendly on the ground and not scare anyone".
"They have to have lots of different riders on them all the time. They have to be friendly on the ground and not scare anyone".
Photograph: Lee Scott / Unsplash
"We are lucky to be able to have an avenue to generate those experiences through those horses".
Bringing up the fact that many of these students come in apprehensive, she adds that many of them become like family.
Bringing up the fact that many of these students come in apprehensive, she adds that many of them become like family.
