Success StoryFormer UK Equine students working with 4-H'ers



Former UK Equine students working with 4-H'ers

Author: Fernanda Camargo

Planning Unit: Animal and Food Sciences

Major Program: Equine

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

I have been working with several of my former students in the Equine Science and Management degree to provide educational opportunities and to 4-H kids and to recruit more youth to the 4-H Horse Program. 

In June we took 45 people involved with the 4-H Horse Program (parents and youth) to visit and learn about the thoroughbred industry in Central Kentucky. We visited 2 Godolphin farms, Mill Ridge, and Coolmore. In each farm, the speakers explained the process of breeding, foaling, raising and selling yearlings, and training and racing these horses. 

The second opportunity was to take the Teen Conference kids (horse track) to visit Claiborne Farm and learn about their stallions, broodmares, foals, yearlings and racing prospects, and to also visit the cemetery where the most iconic horses in the history of racing are buried. 

These students are also helping me develop and deliver a STEM lesson module in the Fall of 2019 to 4th grade youth to recruit more kids to the 4-H Horse Program, with the goal of having more people involved with the horse industry in the future. 

This has been a very rewarding experience because these incredible young adults understand the important role that horses play in our lives and they want to work with and educate kids.