A 4-H hippology contest allows 4-H members to demonstrate their knowledge related to equine science and horse husbandry. The contest includes the individual components of examination, stations, and judging, along with a team problem-solving component. Topic areas addressed at the contest are anatomy, breeds, equipment, management, nutrition, reproduction, and visual judging/selection. Comparable to life skills discussed in 4-H literature, 21st century skills are a wide set of skills, knowledge, and habits that are crucial to success in today's academics and workplace. Cross-disciplinary, transferable soft skills needed by students for success include information, media, and technology skills; learning and innovation skills; and life and career skills (Partnership for 21st Century Learning, 2016, JOE National 4-H Hippology and Livestock Skillathon Contests Affect Knowledge and Skills; Oct 2020//Volume 58//Number 5// Research in Brief// v58-5rb3)

June 2nd - June 4th Kentucky 4-H Horse Program hosted the annual Horse Judging and Horse Knowledge Contests. Youth from across the Commonwealth gathered at a safe distance in accordance to local/university guidelines to compete in the events. 

The Horse Judging contest took place at Lakeside Arena, in Frankfort KY. Participants judged and scored horses across different breeds and disciplines to test their knowledge of conformation, how to compare equids within the same breed/discipline, and defend their answers through oral reasons. COVID-19 brought on many challenges throughout the year, and into state-level events. While the pandemic has been detrimental to programming efforts, the State Horse Contest still reached sixty youth/volunteers in participation. Top finishing individuals were invited to represent Kentucky at Southern Regionals at the end of July in Perry, GA for the horse judging portion of the 13-state contest.

The remainder of the contest took place at the Hardin County Extension Office. The state horse program boasted 100 youth/volunteers for horse bowl, hippology, communications, and art. Top finishing youth in these areas were invited to represent Kentucky at Southern Regionals also. Teams went head-to-head during the horse bowl competition to showcase their all-around equine knowledge, individuals gave presentations on equine-related topics, individuals tested their knowledge with the hippology aspect of the contest where they partake in a written exam in addition to matching stations, testing youth on everything from farm equipment to breeds, tack, diseases, and more. The art portion of the State Horse Contest exhibited the work and talent of these youth, with art ranging from metal work to photography, paper crafts to equipment displays through woodworking. 

The 2021 Kentucky 4-H State Horse Contest gave all youth the opportunity to participate from the county level and will continue to grow coming out of the pandemic. This is a long-term outcome because youth have worked for years to study for the contests/tests, and the skills they have learned/enhanced and the information they learned will last with them for a lifetime.