Released May 21, 2007
Imagine riding across an open meadow, the wind in your face, the mane of your horse lifting in the breeze. Working as one with the horse, you move with strength and grace in a steady rhythm over the ground. Those who have known this exultation carry its memory for a lifetime.
Young people who grow up caring for horses develop responsibility, respect for nature and growth in self esteem, not to mention appreciation for the pure joy of riding. Yet, keeping a horse can be a pricey undertaking. Many youth do not have the opportunity to ride, let alone own a horse.
The 4-H program sought to fill this void, and began a Horseless Horse project in Virginia some 30 years ago. In Horseless Horse, youth learn about breeds, markings, coat colors and gaits. They also learn about needs of a horse including health, nutrition and grooming. In addition, they study equipment, horsemanship, safety and potential careers. Ideally, programs offer contact with horses and encourage members to attend a horse show or sale. Through the project, youth develop sportsmanship, responsibility, cooperation, decision-making and public speaking skills. (See http://www.joe.org/joe/1990summer/iw3.html )
Horseless Horse now is offered in at least 45 states, making it possible for more youth to have contact with horses, even urban youth who make up more than half of the national 4-H enrollment. The project continues to grow as the 4-H program moves in more metropolitan areas where more than 80 percent of the U.S. population lives.
The U.S. has an estimated 9.2 million horses and 45 states have at least 20,000, according to the American Horse Council. National 4-H reported 411,202 members enrolled in the horse and pony project area in 2003. http://www.national4-hheadquarters.gov/library/2003-es237.pdf http://horsecouncil.org/economics.html
Lillian Shupe, managing editor for Horse News, a regional monthly equestrian newspaper, got her start writing press releases for her 4-H club. As a teenager, Shupe wanted to ride horses and looked longingly at horses in a stable near her Old Bridge, N.J. home. One day she saw a sign at the end of the stable driveway offering free board in exchange for horse care. Her 4-H experience gave her confidence to ask about caring for the horses in exchange for riding one. A 4-H leader for16 years in Hunterdon County, N.J., Shupe has written two stories for Horse Tales for the Soul, volume five. A portion of proceeds from the book, http://www.hunterdon4hhorseclubs.4t.com, benefit 4-H horse programs in her county.
National 4-H offers a horse curriculum developed through collaboration of university staff in Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Book 1, Giddy Up & Go, is the Horseless Horse level and focuses on basics to acquaint youth with horses. Many states provide additional resources for the project.
Cornell University Extension offers a 64-page Horseless Horse project guide. Members are encouraged to participate in such educational events as 4-H horse quiz bowl, hippology and horse judging. One young 4-H’er from the Caps N Champs 4-H Club in Albany County, N.Y., has been successful as a horseless horse member, trading work for riding privileges.
Sarah Moylan finds it easy to be involved in the horse world. Because she doesn’t own a horse, she can ride a different horse each week for her riding lessons. The various mounts help keep her skills sharp, she says. Moylan participates in many 4-H educational activities such as horse bowls, judging, hippology and communications, competing at national levels. She does hope to own a horse someday.
Iowa State University Extension offers a 102-page Horseless Horse project guide, which many Iowa horse club leaders use, including Vicki Wade, co-leader of Jasper County Equine Experience. The group brings together all horse club members from the county for education and practice.
“I use the Horseless Horse project guide during our winter sessions. It’s a great resource for quizzes, diagrams and illustrations. I love working with the kids to watch them develop as informed, caring horse people. It’s a commitment, but so worth the time,” Wade said.
Kendra VanderLeest, a ninth-grader and member of the Prairie City Champs in Jasper County, comes to Wade’s meetings. The summer after fifth grade, she went to a horse camp for a week. “I loved caring for the horses and learning to ride,” she said. “I watched the older girls who were teachers as they showed the younger girls how to bridle and saddle a horse, lead a horse, mount and ride.”
VanderLeest loved it so much, in fact, that she talked the owner into letting her work for the rest of the summer as a helper with riding privileges. “I probably didn’t earn $20 for the whole summer, but I didn’t do it for the money. I did it for love of the horses.” This year she has been able to lease two horses from Jeff and Laurie Pierce, who transport the horses to weekly practice sessions at the Jasper County Fairgrounds in Colfax.
Many people volunteer leadership to Horseless Horse through leadership of a 4-H club. One such person is Nelda Joy of DuPage County, Ill. Her equestrian-based Just Say Nay group grew to 90 members. Nelda and husband Jim helped run an overnight horse clinic and 4-H Horse Show at the county fairgrounds for riders and Horseless Horse kids. They transported horses from their farm so that everyone could participate.
Another way to give is the heart-warming program of Rolling Rock Rescue http://www.rollingrockrescue.com, a non-profit horse rescue and retirement located in Beldenville, Wis. Horses placed in their care lead a safe, happy life; many become permanent residents, although they are available for adoption. Some horses are donated to the rescue for use as lesson horses that Horseless Horse 4-H’ers can use. A sponsorship program helps offset the costs of stabling horses. Volunteers at the rescue also can have a variety of hands-on tasks such as brushing, exercise and training as well as cleaning stalls, moving hay and filling water tanks.
Eagles Ridge Ranch of River Falls, Wis., works in cooperation with the Minnesota 4-H Horse Association to offer a Win a Paint Horse competition, open to all Minnesota 4-H members actively involved in the 4-H horse project. The ranch donates one weanling horse eligible for registration (non-breeding stock) with the American Paint Horse Association. Contestants submit a one-page typed essay about what ownership of the horse would mean to them. For more information, see http:www.mn4hhorse.com/Activities/PaintHorse.htm
Within the Horseless Horse project, the old saw rings true, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Many 4-H leaders at the county level find ways to pull together a group of people who are willing to donate, lease and transport horses so that youth have an opportunity to be around live animals, get acquainted with them and learn to ride. Contact your local county extension office to see if there are ways you can become involved.
For youngsters who love horses, a caring adult’s gift of time and love in pursuing that horse interest is priceless.
eXtension is an educational partnership of more than 70 land grant universities helping Americans improve their lives with access to timely, objective, research-based information and educational opportunities. eXtension’s interactive Web resource, http://www.extension.org/, is customized with links to local Cooperative Extension Web sites. Land grant colleges were founded on the ideals that higher education should be accessible to all, that the college should teach liberal and practical subjects, and share the college’s knowledge with people throughout their states.
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eXtension is an educational partnership of more than 70 land grant universities helping Americans improve their lives with access to timely, objective, research-based information and educational opportunities. eXtension’s interactive Web resource, http://www.extension.org, is customized with links to local Cooperative Extension Web sites. Land-grant colleges were founded on the ideals that higher education should be accessible to all, that the college should teach liberal and practical subjects, and share the college’s knowledge with people throughout their states.
Contact: Carol Ouverson, eXtension Virtual News Room, (515) 294-9640, couverso@iastate.edu, Iowa State University Extension Communications and Marketing
