Author: Samuel Smith
Major Program: Equine
The 12th annual UK Equine Farm and Facilities Expo was held at Spendthrift Farm on Tuesday, Sept. 28 2021 and allowed over approximately 150 novices and experts alike to explore the 1,200 acre farm and learn about horse farm management. Horse farm managers and horse owners were able to tour the historic farm and to hear presentations on farm layout and planning, pasture establishment and spray options for farms of all sizes. In 2019, Spendthrift made the decision to completely re-establish some
The UK Horse Pasture Evaluation Program had another strong evaluation season during the summer of 2021. This program began in 2005 as part of Equine Programs to develop stronger ties with Kentucky’s horse industry. The program focuses on the following objectives:• Providing detailed pasture management recommendations to horse farm owners and managers.• Improving pastureland by increasing forage quality and quantity and reduce the need for stored feeds, such as hay and grain.&bull
Author: Fernanda Camargo
In May 2022 I hosted a group of 44 4-H youth from Missouri and several adults. I had been contacted by the organizer of this tour back in January, as she was requesting ideas of where they should visit. I made some recommendations, and could not allow them to come visit Kentucky and not visit UK's farm and learn about our program. The event included a tour of the Maine Chance Farm, and an overview of the Equine Science and Management degree, including the courses we teach, the requireme
I developed the horse major for the 2022 Teen Conference, where we hosted 25 teens and a few adults. On the first day I taught them the basics of equine nutrition, which included the anatomy and physiology of the horse GI tract, dietary requirements, feed tag reading, how to formulate a balanced diet according to the horse's needs, different ingredients in concentrates, how to choose hay, and day to day management of the thin and fat horse. On the next day, I organized a field trip to H
The Sixth Tex Cauthen Farrier / Veterinarian / Researcher Seminar: PROTECTING THE HORSE, THE HOOF, AND THE BIOMECHANICS OF THE HIND LIMBThis year’s symposium was held on Jan. 23, 2022, via zoom and in person from the Gluck Equine Research Center. The focus of this year’s seminar was the Horse, the Hoof and the biomechanics of the hind limb. There were over 150 veterinarians, farriers, researchers, and horse owners from all over the world. The presentations included an overview of saf
Author: Bob Coleman
Farm Equipment for the Acreage OwnerApril 2022Meeting the demand for extension education is always a challenge. That challenge is what does the client need versus what do they want. Sometimes know what they want can lead to a program of what do they need. The equipment field day concept came out of a Master Horse Owner program where those in attendance showed a great deal of interest in the evening topic of what equipment should I have on my farm. Because of this interest and need, the Oldham Co
Hay Production Field DayJuly 2021Sometimes planning takes a back seat to reality. How can it happen that no matter how much planning goes into an event or activity it may not turn out exactly as planned as Robert Burns penned in “The Mouse “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley.”The Hay Filed day was organized by the ANR Agent in Boone County and supported by the extension specialists Drs. Ray Smith and Bob Coleman. The goal of the field day was t
Author: T. Adam Probst
In order to help equine producers be efficient and profitable, Central Kentucky County Extension Agents for Agriculture & Natural Resources collaborated with Ag Equine Programs to offer the Equine Farm and Facilities Expo. The assistance of long-time business community sponsors allowed producers to see what the latest offerings are in farm machinery, equine nutrition products, and numerous other necessities for equine operations. Just like in years past, the expo included discussions an
Author: Mary Jane Little
The Kentucky 4-H Horse Program developed a newsletter titled: From the Horse's Mouth, which releases monthly updates including program highlights/successes, upcoming events, educational articles, and recipes for homemade horse snacks. The scope of this newsletter reaches extension agents, certified horse leaders, parents, and social media and has a reach of approximately 850 people/month and growing.The newsletter began in May of 2021 and has received praise from across the Commonwealth
"Life-skill development through hands-on learning is a cornerstone of 4-H youth programs. 4-H projects embrace youth life-skill development by providing means to encourage young people to become responsible, productive citizens (Ward, 1996). Participation in the 4-H horse project and non-riding competitive horse-related contests are tools for youth to develop life skills such as leadership, sportsmanship, and handling pressure while simultaneously enhancing their horse knowledge. For youth
Author: Marion Simon
Jessica and Todd Slusher of Three Hill Farm first attended ThirdThursday in 2017, they also began attending the Small FarmConferences. They implemented numerous NRCS EQIP projects,received a Small-Scale Farm Grant, received numerous assistance fromthe Franklin County Extension, hosted pre-and post-pandemic programsfor youth, including an African American youth group from Tennessee.They have developed waterways, fenced off highly erodible areas,developed a roadside organic vegetable and egg marke
Author: Traci Johnson
Ranking 6th in Kentucky, the market value of horses sold in Oldham County was over 6.3 million dollars, according to the 2017 U.S. Agriculture Census. Horses are a leading business and recreational interest, including many thoroughbred breeding farms, training and boarding operations, layup facilities, and pleasure horses. During a recent area Master Horseman program, tractor and equipment knowledge was identified as a topic that many horse farm managers and owners needed more infor
Author: Daniel Allen
According to a 2011 Purdue University study of recreational horse owners, nearly 54% of expenses associated with horse care was maintenance. Maintenance included feed, bedding, stable supplies, veterinary and farrier service, medications, and boarding. The Northern Kentucky Horse Network worked with Northern Kentucky Agriculture Agents and UK equine specialists on the fourth annual Equine Conference. This program was designed to bring the latest research and support available t
Author: Steven Musen
Author: Linda McClanahan
In order to help equine producers be efficient and profitable, Central Kentucky County Extension Agents for Agriculture & Natural Resources collaborated with UK Extension Specialists and Ag Equine Programs to offer the Equine Farm and Facilities Expo. The assistance of long-time business community sponsors allowed producers to see what the latest offerings are in farm machinery, equine nutrition products, and numerous other necessities for equine operations. Just like in years past, the
Author: Keenan Bishop
In order to help equine producers be efficient and profitable, Central Kentucky County Extension Agents for Agriculture & Natural Resources collaborated with the UK Ag Equine Programs to offer the Equine Farm and Facilities Expo. The assistance of long-time business community sponsors allowed producers to see what the latest offerings are in farm machinery, equine nutrition products, and numerous other necessities for profitable and efficient equine operations. Just like in years past,
Author: Benjamin Conner
Author: Garrard Coffey
