Ag Science alumna uses her experiences at Penn State to open equine business

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — From a young age, Gillian Warner knew she wanted to work with horses. With the resources and encouragement from her peers and mentors at Penn State, Warner has pursued a full-time career operating her own business and traveling around the world training and teaching horseback riding.

After graduating from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in community, environment and development, and minors in international agriculture and anthropology, Warner went on to open Warner Equine out of Tadpole Lane Farm in Pennsylvania Furnace in 2022.

Raised in State College, Warner said she always was drawn to horses and agriculture. For as long as she can remember, she felt joy in interacting with horses, inspiring her to ride. In middle and high school, Warner traveled around the country to train and compete. She would spend winters in South Carolina to continue her training. She said these experiences in high school helped shape her desire to pursue riding professionally.

“After begging for the opportunity to ride, my parents finally gave in and let me have my first pony ride when I was four, and it’s been nonstop since then,” Warner said. “I knew early on that I wanted to work with animals and always planned to do so in some capacity, but it wasn't until my freshman or sophomore year of high school that I saw riding professionally as a possibility.”

In addition to her on-campus courses, Warner said she also enjoyed completing an embedded course in Belize during her first year.

“I adored the experience I had while studying abroad,” Warner said. “The college offered an embedded course program, which allowed me to study indigenous knowledge in agriculture in Belize. I always thought studying abroad required a whole semester, which always felt unavailable due to the commitments to my horses. The embedded course allowed me to stay at Penn State for the semester but included travel over spring break.”

Through Warner’s experiences in Belize, she decided to see more of the world to learn about agriculture.

“Not only did I meet some of my closest, lifelong friends on that trip,” Warner said, “but I also caught the travel bug! I have since pursued opportunities to take my passion for agriculture abroad and have explored Mongolia, Argentina and Germany by horseback. My experience in Belize made me so curious to experience agriculture in different countries around the world.”

Warner also took classes that helped her realize her vision of wanting to run her own business. She was met with encouragement when she discussed her aspiration to open her business with her peers and mentors.

“Beyond support and encouragement, I learned skills needed for the day-to-day operations of my business,” Warner said. “I learned how to write grants in my international agriculture classes, budget and create a project-management plan in my CED [continuing education] classes, crunch numbers in my agricultural business classes, and network throughout the whole process.”

With Warner’s Penn State education and support, she opened Warner Equine in January 2022. She offers horseback riding lessons, training rides, clinics and Pony Club certifications available by appointment. She said she hopes to help clients become consistent and thoughtful horsemen and women with her lessons.

“Warner Equine began to realize my vision of expanding access to compassionate equine interactions that develop collaborative partnerships between horses and riders,” she said.

Warner said her aim is to create well-rounded and enriching experiences for the horses and people with which she works, while keeping safety and fun at the forefront. She also acknowledges the different learning styles each person and horse have, and she works with each individual to create a unique and thoughtful approach.

When asked what she misses most about Penn State, Warner recalled the friendships and bonds she developed with people.

“The community and the atmosphere it creates — bringing so many passionate, intelligent and curious people together — is not easy to recreate,” she said. “I appreciate the connections I made, and continue to develop, within the Penn State community!”