Auburn University animal sciences department to host HORSE U Nov. 4

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A one-day educational program for children and teens who own or have a passion for horses is set for Saturday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., on the Auburn University campus. Check-in will begin at 8 a.m. at the Stanley P. Wilson Beef Teaching Unit, 500 Shug Jordan Parkway.

The event—the sixth annual Horse Ownership Resources, Skills and Education for Youths, or HORSE U—will offer youths nine and older important information related to horse health, care and handling.

"This program is designed for all young horse enthusiasts," said Courteney Holland, Auburn equine specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and coordinator of HORSE U 2017. "You don’t have to own a horse to participate."

HORSE U 2017, hosted by equine science students in Auburn’s Department of Animal Sciences, will feature educational presentations on saddle fit, horse judging, forage quality and analysis and nutrition for special-needs horses. The program also will include hands-on sessions focused on digestive tract problems in horses and a trivia game that challenges participants’ basic horse knowledge.

The hands-on activities will take place at the Auburn University Horse Center on Wire Road. Transportation from the Beef Teaching Unit to the Horse Center and back will be provided.

Participants must wear long pants and closed-toe shoes to work with the horses and must be at least 9 years old by Dec. 31, 2017.

Advance registration is required for all participants, including parents and chaperones who plan to accompany their children during the program. The cost is $20 per person, due at registration, and includes lunch, a T-shirt and a grab bag. Registration is available online. The deadline for registering is Oct. 21, but space is limited to 350 students so Holland recommended registering early.

All who register also must have a hold-harmless agreement on file with the animal sciences department by the Oct. 21 deadline. The form, which can be downloaded and printed from the HORSE U website, must be signed by a parent or legal guardian and either mailed to the department at the address on the form or scanned and emailed to cem0022@auburn.edu.

For more about HORSE U 2017, contact Holland at cem0022@auburn.edu or 205-902-6542.

Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.