An Educational Opportunity for Horse Owners

Developing a program where horse owners could attend to get the latest information on horse care was a challenge the Northern Kentucky Network took seriously. Starting in 2016 they embarked on what was called the Equine Conference in Northern Kentucky. The conference was developed through a partnership of horse owners from the network, ANR agents from Kenton, Campbell, and Boone Counties along with the UK Extension Horse Specialist. The concept was to develop a program for horse owners that provide them with the latest information on how to care for their horses. 

The program committee uses surveys and their own experiences to determine the topics for the conference and then challenge the agents and specialist to find the best speakers to present at the conference. With the wealth of industry professionals in Kentucky and neighboring states there have been strong programs the last three years that incorporate industry leaders, top veterinarians, and researchers from the University of Kentucky. The willingness of the presenters to participate has made this conference the success it is.

While the original thought was for the adult horse owner as the focus group early on there was interest from the youth involved in the industry.  To meet that demand a half day program was developed for the youth which has quickly grown into a full day program much like the adult program. For both groups a coordinating committee works to develop the topics for each session and then speakers are approached. 

Each year the conference has grown in numbers and attracts horse owners both from the local area but across the state and into neighboring states.  The success can be attributed to the collaboration between the leadership of the Northern Kentucky Horse Network, UK Cooperative Extension at the county and campus level and the industry presenters who give of their time to bring new information to horse owners wanting to learn. 

There is that saying “if you build it, they will come” and the Equine Conference committee has built something that the horse owners wanted and they certainly have come youth and adult alike. The committee is looking forward to the 4^th Annual Equine Conference in Boone County