December 16, 2019
Changes in 4-H Horse Program
The 4-H Horse Action Team has been discussing several issues with the team, agents and volunteers during the past few years concerning the Kansas 4-H Horse program as the team has been in the process of revising the rule book that is to be released during the 4-H Horse Panorama.
Changes to come:
Ownership - Youth may own the horse themselves, or use a family-owned horse (immediate family: parent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepsibling, grandparent, or legal guardian).
Rationale – family dynamics have changed, therefore providing the most opportunities for youth.
Leasing - If a 4-H member identifies a family-owned horse, 1 additional horse may be leased and identified.
Rationale – Families with multiple youth cannot always share a horses, plus leasing provides youth an opportunity try another training method offered through 4-H.
Entering District Horse Shows - 4-H members may participate in their county/district designated District Horse Show plus one additional District Horse Show of their choosing. But before entering the Kansas State Fair, 4-H members must indicate through which District Horse Show. There will be no picking of classes from each district, only results from one of the districts attended will be used.
Rationale – Youth have conflicts and bad days – providing another opportunity increases potential mastery.
Senior Horse Western Pleasure – Eliminated
Rationale – Class was based on horse’s age causing conflict.
Junior Horse Western Pleasure – Eliminated
Rationale – Class was based on horse’s age causing conflict.
Ranch Horse Pattern and Reining – Patterns changed.
Costume, Roping Classes – All information to be added to the web site and not included in the rule book.
Two Year Old Snafflebit - Reminder it was phased out.
Finally, with input and cooperation from the East Central District, the number of District Horse Shows has been reduced from 7 to 6 districts – Northeast, Southeast, North Central, South Central, Northwest and Southwest. The counties/districts that made-up the East Central District have been reassigned to the Northeast and Southeast Districts.
The following are the assignments:
Northeast - Douglas; Frontier District (Garnett, Lyndon, Ottawa); Johnson; and Lyon
Southeast - Coffey, Marais des Cyngnes (Mound City, Paola)
A special thanks to Abbie Powell and Kaitlyn Peine for their cooperation.