SIDELINESDIGITAL | May 2026
RANDI C.
HEATHMAN
Guiding Equestrian Students
on Their Unique Paths
WOMEN IN BUSINESS
Randi C. Heathman has never known a life without horses, quite
literally. Raised in Horton, Michigan, she grew up with horses
in her backyard. Today, she combines that lifelong passion
with her professional expertise as an independent educational
consultant and founder of The Equestrian College Advisor,
helping equestrian students navigate the often-overwhelming
path to college while balancing their riding goals.
A self-described “Type A (some might say A-plus...)”
personality, Randi was naturally drawn to dressage, where
precision and problem-solving are key. That same mindset
carries into her work with students, where she helps piece
together each individual’s academic and equestrian journey—
despite advice not to specialize. “I knew I wanted to work with
equestrians,” she said. “I knew it would be hard—and I was
right about that. But I was also right to stay the course. I’m so
proud of myself for having the courage to follow my gut.”
Horse-wise, Randi takes pride in developing her own horses
without shortcuts, a journey she says makes every milestone
more meaningful—like riding her current partner, Kashmir H,
down centerline for the first time and knowing exactly how
much work went into that moment. “Now my sights are set
on earning my USDF Gold Medal with Kashmir—but don’t tell
him that, it’s a lot of pressure!”
How did you first get involved with horses?
Does in utero count? My parents met through
horses and my mother rode into her final
trimester. We always had horses in the backyard
and family lore says my first word was horse.
What were your early years with horses like?
Idyllic. I had a pony in the backyard who was a
saint and I was given the freedom to ride him all
over the farm.
How did you get to where
you are now in your career?
My college admission career coincided with the
development of my college’s varsity equestrian
program, so gaining knowledge about both
specialties ran parallel at a really formative
time in my career. Then as I encountered more
and more confused—and anxious—students
and parents who wanted to match up both a
great education and a fulfilling college riding
experience, I wanted to figure out a way to
help them. Discovering the field of educational
consulting was the final piece of the puzzle
and once that snapped into place,
I never looked back.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I’m a huge movie and theater buff and every
few years I also like to take a solo vacation to a
tropical resort somewhere to just sit by a pool
with a book and completely zone out.
How do you balance everything
going on in your life?
It’s so engrained now that I don’t even think about
it—but I will say, having a strong community of
family and friends and mentors around me to rely
on when I need support is crucial.
What impact would you most
like to make on the world?
I want kids to know that they matter. That’s
it. The thing I find most frustrating about the
journey to college from the student side is that
they’re made to feel anxious about it. There’s
this sense that they “have” to do this “the right
way,” that there’s a “good” college and a “bad”
college and that there’s only one way to reach
their goals—or that if they haven’t set their life’s
course at age 17, they’re somehow failing at
life. And all of that is wrong—but it’s also very
easy for me to say that as a 45-year-old woman
with 20 years of experience to back that up. It’s
an entirely different situation for a teenager to
conceptualize.
So instead of focusing on the trappings of
the college process (which we do have to factor
in, admittedly), I want to create a space for
students to feel like it’s OK to ask questions,
to speculate, to try a path that doesn’t fit on
their way to finding the path that does. And
the whole time that exploration is happening,
I want them to know that they’re OK—they
matter and they’re special, and they’ll be OK in
the end.
If I can do that, I’m doing just fine.