For Kat Boniface, the history of horses goes far beyond the famous thoroughbred.
Boniface, a doctoral student in the history department at the University of California, Riverside, arrived at UCR in 2015. Since then, she’s narrowed the focus of her research from medieval history to horses and horsemanship, topics in a rising field known as equine history.
As unconventional as her research field is the route Boniface took to UCR.
Raised in North Hollywood, she began her undergraduate studies at Stony Brook University in New York. Midway through, she changed course, opting instead to pursue a trade degree from Meredith Manor, an equestrian college in West Virginia that trains students for hands-on careers with horses.