Horse Advisory

Attention 4-H/FFA Horse Exhibitors: Items due by June 1st

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Reminder, the following forms are due for Primary AND Back-up horses on June 1st to the Extension Office.

  • Horse ID Form with 1 Photo
    • Photo Requirement: It should be a side photo of the horse that must show youth, horse’s face and any leg markings
  • Negative Coggins Test from your Veterinarian
  • Horse Housing Form ( if not housed at your address)
  • Horse Lease (if applicable)
  • Pony Form (if applicable)

The following items are also due per exhibitor by June 1st:

If you have questions, please visit: https://fairfield.osu.edu/program-areas/4-h-youth-development/pas-horse-show-information or contact Aubry Fowler at email: fowler.443@osu.edu or phone: 740-653-5419.

Counselor Opportunity: Leadership Camp

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Applications for 2025 Leadership Camp counselors are now available and due March 24! This opportunity is open to individuals ages 18+ by June 1, 2025, who have an interest, confidence, and ability in teaching and facilitating leadership skill development to teen campers AND are excited about doing so in a camp setting. Applicants are required to fully attend staff training dates (May 9-11 and May 31) and camp (June 1-5), all held at 4-H Camp Ohio. Learn more and find links to apply at go.osu.edu/leadershipcamp!

Mandatory Horse Exhibitor Safety Training (EquiSTEP) is open! Must complete by June 1st

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EquiSTEP is an annual statewide requirement for all youth participating in Ohio 4-H Horse Program activities and/or enrolled in a 4-H horse project.  EquiSTEP replaces the statewide requirement of reading the Horses, Safety, and You (191R) resource and viewing the Every Time, Every Ride and Horses, Kids, and Ethics videos for youth and their families who are new to the   4-H horse program.

The EquiSTEP curriculum follows the 4’Hs and focuses on head (helmet safety), hands (equine safety & handling), health (equine health & nutrition), and heart (sportsmanship) and is designed to rotate topics every year.

EquiSTEP is designed to be completed online by each participant individually through Scarlet Canvas or administered in a group setting by a county 4-H educator to their participants, similar to QA for livestock market projects.

Here is the link to enroll in/access this year’s EquiSTEP: https://cfaesosu.catalog.instructure.com/courses/equistep-2025 (This link is also available at the bottom of the home page for horse.osu.edu.)   The course opened at the beginning of February and must be completed by Fairfield County 4-H and FFA exhibitors by June 1st.

To complete EquiSTEP individually, a participant must enroll using their own unique email address.  (Participants should not use their school email addresses as the course enrollment invitation will be blocked by the school’s email system.)  Participants must view all five videos (introduction and STEPS 1-4) which last approximately one hour in total.  Once the videos are completed, participants will be able to access the 10-question quiz.  Participants must complete the quiz associated with the training and achieve a minimum score of 7 (out of 10) in order to pass the training.  Once the quiz is successfully completed, participants will need to complete the course survey to trigger a certificate of completion.  The certificate will be emailed to the participant’s email address as well as their county’s 4-H email address.  The participant must select Fairfield County to trigger the email to the correct email address and they must click on the submit button at the end of the survey to trigger the email.

 

Teen Opportunity: Ohio State Fair Junior Fair Board Applications due 3/12/2025

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Applications are open through March 12. The Ohio State Fair Junior Fair Board is made up of our great state’s best and brightest young leaders, hand-picked to contribute to the success of the Ohio State Fair each year. These students come together for two weeks of hard work and team building while fostering professional relationships along the way.

What are the requirements for my organization members?

In addition to being an outstanding leader, prospective members should meet the following general criteria:

  • 16-20 years old
  • Currently a member of 4-H, FFA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, or Farm Bureau, or any other career technical organization
  • Highly involved members in their organization
  • Significant accomplishments within the organization (i.e. competition at the state and/or national level, leadership experiences, community service/volunteer experiences, etc.)
  • Leadership experience with the potential and desire to continue to grow as a leader
  • Very responsible, respectful, and professional
  • Members are only eligible to serve one two year term on the JFB representing one organization

What is the time commitment?

Junior Fair Board members commit approximately two weeks of time to the Ohio State Fair, arriving the Monday prior to the Fair’s Wednesday opening. First year Junior Fair Board members are paid a flat-rate stipend for their service; returning members will receive a higher stipend for their second year of service.

How do my organization members apply?

All interested applicants should submit the official Ohio State Fair Junior Fair Board application through the online application portal between February 1 and March 1. Interested students can also apply to serve as an at-large member if they represent one or more of these organizations.

Source: Ohio Expo Center & State Fair website

Teen Opportunity: Ohio 4-H Spark EXPO

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From June 11-14, teens at the Spark EXPO will learn about agriculture and related STEAM fields from industry experts, and faculty and staff of the Ohio State College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

Open to all Ohio students who have completed the eighth grade or ninth grade at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year. Participants do not need to be enrolled in the 4-H program.

As part of Spark EXPO, students visit Ohio State’s Columbus and Wooster campuses and learn from Ohio State students, teachers, scientists, and researchers. Students explore careers, hear from Ohio 4-H alumni who share their career stories, and learn about the college and career-readiness program: Ohio 4-H Pathways to the Future.

Want to see all the fun from last year? Click here.

Additional details or to register: go.osu.edu/4hsparkexpo.

Payment is due no later than April 25 to be considered a complete registration. Health Forms are included in registration.

The event includes on-campus accommodations, meals, program materials, and transportation. Supervision is provided by adult program staff.

Youth Opportunity: Forestry & Wildlife Camp

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The Forestry Wildlife Camp is open to campers in grades 7-11. Registration for camp is due April 1. Campers can enjoy wildlife education, fishing, hiking, tree climbing, outdoor survival, ODNR careers & college opportunities, learning about forestry and more!

There is a GoLink for registration, go.osu.edu/ForestryWLCamp25. Or members can apply by clicking this link.  http://go.osu.edu/ForestryWLCamp25

We will also need experienced camp counselors to assist at this camp. Counselor fees will be covered with our Ohio 4-H Foundation grant funds. The link for camp counselors to apply is https://go.osu.edu/25forestrycampcounselorapplication. Those are due March 21. We will have a zoom meeting/training with those counselors who are selected prior to the camp.

 

Scholarship Opportunity: Fairfield Foundation – due 3/7/2025

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With the preliminary review deadline quickly approaching on Friday, February 14, we’d like to offer a list of common mistakes that would make a scholarship application ineligible:

  • High school students must confirm that their counselors upload their transcript BEFORE the final deadline.
  • Student Aid Index (SAI): When uploading your 2025-2026 FAFSA information, make sure that your document shows your name, school year, and SAI.

You can find example documents and tips in the FAQs section of our website. Don’t wait until the last minute! You need time to request transcripts and if applicable, letters of reference. Some scholarships require additional information, which can only be viewed and requested AFTER you submit the general application portion.

Remember our preliminary review deadline is Friday, February 14 and our final application deadline is Friday, March 7, 2025. If you have any questions, please email Program Officer, Andrea Spires Drumm, at aspires@fairifeldcountyfoundation.org.

Source: Fairfield County Foundation Newsletter 2/5/2025

You’re invited – Jr. Fair Horse Exhibitor Meeting: November 7th

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Sent on behalf of Fairfield County Junior Fair Horse Superintendents:

Junior Fair Horse Exhibitors and 4-H/FFA Advisors,

As a Fairfield County Junior Fair horse exhibitor family, the Junior Fair Horse Superintendents are inviting you to come and talk about the 2024/2025 Junior Fair Shows on Thursday, November 7th, 2024, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at OSU Extension Office/Fairfield County Ag Center. We hope that you can join us at this open meeting!

Stay Connected at Fair – Junior Fair Department Social Media Pages

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Junior Fair Horses

  • Join Remind101 using code @jrhorse24 (NEW CODE FOR 2024)

Junior Fair Swine

Junior Fair Meat/Market Goats

Junior Fair Beef

Junior Fair Poultry

Junior Fair Rabbits

  • Facebook Group: Fairfield County Junior Fair Rabbit Show
  • Remind101 – Market Rabbits: join using code @7k6kdk (NEW CODE FOR 2024)
  • Remind101 – Breeding Rabbits: join using code @2024bree (NEW CODE FOR 2024)

Junior Fair Pygmy Goats