NC 4-H Horse Program Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 7 December 2020
Upcoming Educational Contests
NC 4-H Horse Program Educational Event & Horse Show Sponsors Needed!

As we prepare for the 2021 contest and show season, the NC 4-H Horse Program is seeking donors to support the six different educational contests and the State 4-H Horse Show. For more details, and to make a contribution, please use the forms linked below. Sponsorships can be paid via check or online using the link in the payment information section on the forms.


2021 Horse Bowl Question Submission

In order to participate in District Horsebowl contests, each county must have submitted 40 questions to EHH by January 15, 2021. Leaders, coaches, and 4-H’ers are encouraged to read, Preparing for Horse Bowl Competitions prior to writing and submitting questions.


Question templates(Excel & Google Sheets) can be downloaded from the Horsebowl Contest page!
2021 Tentative NC State 4-H Horsebowl & Hippology Contest

Save the date! The tentative plans are for the 2021 NC State 4-H Horsebowl and Hippology contests to be held March 27 at NCSU. Keep checking the calendar of events on the website for district Horsebowl qualifying dates. They will be added as they become available.

For more information, you can find it on our website, or by following the links below:

2021 Tentative NC State 4-H Judging Contest

Save the Date! The tentative plans are for the 2021 NC State 4-H Horse Judging Contest to be held April 10 at St. Andrews University in Laurinburg. Keep checking the contest page on the website for updates, registration, and other details.

For more information, you can find it on our website, or by following the links below:

Let's Learn
Open Horse Show Judges Academy Now Available

This virtual academy is designed to provide the open horse show judge, or those studying to become an open horse show judge, with additional learning resources through a virtual platform through a variety of disciplines. Each section will have recorded lectures from a variety of experienced judges and instructors that you can view as many times as you desire. Each section will also have practice classes that you can place on your own, followed by an official placing and reasons for that placing. There are also additional quiz sections to test your knowledge of each section. No grades are assigned for the completion of this course; these quizzes are intended as an additional educational tool to help you retain the material.

Modules Featured:

Halter/Conformation – All disciplines 
Western- Western Pleasure, Ranch Riding 
Hunter- Equitation Over Fences, Stock Type & USEF Hunter Under Saddle 
Saddle Seat- Hunter Pleasure, Western Pleasure, Country English Pleasure, Show Hack
Gaited- How to judge all types of gaited together

Cost of registration: $50

This course is open and will remain open until October 20, 2021. Click here to register.
Forages For Horse Owners Series

This series held via Zoom, offers owners the chances to learn about feeding hay, soil fertility, pasture management, and weed control. You can register for all three classes, or one. Classes are held on the following dates from 12:00-1:00pm:

December 10th
January 14th
February 11th

Equine Reproduction Short Course

If you register by December 15th with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, you can receive an interactive AI and stallion collection kit in the mail! This is part of their Equine Reproductive Management Short Course.

Fee: $300 for 3 days or $125/day

Dates: January 6-8, 2021

Includes: AI Kit, book on reproductive techniques, written materials, certificate, and more!

You can register up until January 4th, 2021. However, this doesn't guarantee that you'll receive the kit in time for the course.


Other Information
2021 Calendar Of Events


To view the most up to date calendar of events, access via the link above. Event dates and locations are all subject to change depending on state and local restrictions and requirements.

2021 4-H Volunteer Leader's Conference

North Carolina 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference is right around the corner. This event will be held February 5-6 over Zoom.

Again this year, each participant must register through his or her county Extension office. County Extension offices are responsible for registering volunteers to attend the conference. One invoice will be sent to each county and we request that one check be sent from each county for the total amount of the invoice.  An online registration link will be sent to county Extension offices. All registrations must be entered online.  Make plans now to join us for North Carolina 4-H Volunteer Leaders’ Conference 2021!


Cost to Attend: $30
Registration Due By: January 8th (to receive a packet), final registration ends January 27th.

To view the conference agenda, click here.
AQHA Achieve Contest

Congratulations to NC 4-H'ers Kyra Worth and Abby Holsomback for placing 7th and 6th, respectively, in the AQHA Achieve contest. Contestants completed an online exam for round 1, a recorded speech on equine diets for round 2, and a recorded, impromptu problem calculating body weight and deworming medication for round 3.
2019 Judging Contest DVD

Are you looking for new content of judging classes? This DVD has a wide variety of classes that were put together from the 2019 Southern Regionals Judging competition. This is a great tool if you're looking for something new to help improve your judging skills!

If you're interested in purchasing a copy, click here!
4-H Spotlight
We have so many amazing current and former 4-H'ers in the North Carolina Horse Program! What better way to showcase all the great things that they're doing across the state, than to highlight them in the monthly newsletter. If you would like to be featured in our newsletter, please click here to fill out a short survey!
Hannah Sather

Hannah is an alumni of 4-H, who joined 4-H in 2006. She was active until she aged out in 2015.

What activities, events, or contests did/have you participate(d) in?

I competed in horse shows, created expression contests, hippology, horse bowl, and horse judging.

What are your favorite memories from 4-H?

A few of my favorite memories are making some of my best friends while traveling on national educational contest teams!

Please describe a particular horse program accomplishment that you are most proud of:

I never competed in horse judging until my last year of 4-H because I was terrified of giving oral reasons. I had already traveled on the national hippology and horse bowl teams and wanted to try to make another team in my last year. I started learning horse judging, made the national team, and won oral reasons at Eastern Nationals!

Please describe something non-horse or
non-4-H related that you enjoy doing or in which you have experienced success.

I'm a third year Veterinary student at NCSU, large thanks to skills I learned in 4-H!
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