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 to recreational horse owners. Specific topics around horse care and maintenance were presented by seven instructors.  Sixty-seven people attended the all-day event, a class evaluation was done at the end of the day.  In general, 85% of those attending felt that the content was based on credible up-to-date information and was adequate treatment of the topic, and 60% found the content was relevant to their interest in horses.  Eighty nine percent gained knowledge about ferries and hoof care, 56% gained knowledge about assessing hay quality, and 80% gained knowledge about equine vaccines.  Moderate knowledge was gained in duties of the state veterinarian office, bio security, and arena construction and maintenance.   “I now have informed decisions regarding my horse, and,  I plan to use what I learned the next time I run into one of these problems,” were typical replies to the survey when asked how the participants plan to use the knowledge they gained.   Two Kenton County residents that attended the Equine Conference have already submitted hay samples for nutritional analysis and one horse owner has started using a better qualified farrier to ensure good hoof care.