Equine

Equine Education Competition Teams Forming

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Have you ever considered getting involved in Horse Bowl, Hippology or Horse Judging, but didn’t know where to start? We’ve got just what you need! An informational session will be held on February 7th, that will help you in better understanding each event, and allow you to sign up to participate! For those who have competed previously, please know that we want you to attend as well! The Hippology and Horse Bowl Contests will be held on April 15th, and the Judging contest on July 17th.  All 4-H members enrolling in a Horse project are eligible to participate.

Please join us for an informational meeting, so that we can establish teams and plan practice dates and times…

Attendance during this organizational meeting is very important!

When:  Tuesday, February 7th  / 7-8:00 p.m.

Where:  Online – Zoom Meeting

Please send an email to Lisa Kuhn at lakuhn2010@gmail.com so you can  be sent the meeting link. Lisa is also more than happy to answer any questions you may have…

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

There is also a clinic on Saturday, March 4th on the OSU campus that you can attend to better understand how the contests will operate and to learn about different horse related topics. You can register online on the state website.  If you are planning on participating in the contests, we would strongly suggest signing up for this free clinic.

Fall Horse Banquet

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The Licking County 4-H Horse & Pony Council will host their annual Fall Banquet on Sunday, September 18, 2022. Horse project members and advisors are encouraged to attend.

When: 3:00-5:00pm

Where: Licking Heights South – 6623 Summit Rd, Pataskala, OH 43062

Agenda:

  • Refreshments
  • Club Introductions
  • State Fair & 4-H Year Recognition
  • Beeson Award
  • Scholarship Awards

Please RSVP to Laura Tyler: cmteamlt@gmail.com or 614.619.2900

 

IMPORTANT: Required Livestock Forms for Hartford Fair

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Hartford Junior Fair Livestock and Equine exhibitors have online forms that will be due before they bring their animals to the fair. Please note below which forms are required for each species and the deadline for each form. Most species must have their forms completed by 11:59p.m. on Friday, August 5, 2022. The only exception to this is Market Hogs. Market Hogs will complete their forms after the Hartford Fair tag is placed in their hog’s ear on August 6th and before 10:00am on August 7th. Instructions will be displayed throughout the Swine Complex. All MARKET ANIMALS must have forms completed in order to be allowed to weigh-in on the fairgrounds – no exceptions.

DUNF: https://go.osu.edu/2022HartfordDUNF (all market animals)

UPI Form: https://go.osu.edu/ProducerForm2022  (market steer / heifer, market goat, market lamb, dairy feeders)

Livestock Project Skillathons at the Hartford Fair

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All members are encouraged to participate in the Livestock Project Skillathons at the Hartford Fair. Members do NOT have to be entered in a species to participate in the skillathon for that species; all are welcome! Be sure to check the schedule HERE to ensure you know when and where each skillathon will take place as there have been some changes from previous years.

 

2022 Hartford Fair Groom & Clean Contest

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HARTFORD FAIR GROOM & CLEAN CONTEST

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Location: Main Arena

Entries: 2:00pm  / Contest: 3:00 pm

Sponsored and Facilitated: Licking County Horse and Pony Council.

All questions and entry information contact Licking County Horse and Pony Council.

GENERAL RULES

  • Each team will consist of 3 contestants and a holder and must provide a safe horse or pony for the contest.
  • Horse must be at least 13.2 hands or taller.
  • Horse must have a properly fitted flat nylon or leather halter (no show halters) and a tie rope.
  • Horses must meet a minimum Body Condition Score (BCS) of 4, in order to participate.
  • Show sheen or products that make it easier for dirt to be removed from the hair coat are strictly prohibited prior to being muddied.
  • Grooming of any horse participating in the contest after muddying and prior to the grooming portion of the contest by any person will result in the disqualification of the team associated with that horse.
  • Judges have the right to substitute any horse prior to the beginning of the contest. If the horse is not sufficiently muddy at the start of the competition, the team may be penalized. If the horse does not have sufficient length of mane at the start of the competition, the team may be penalized. If the horse has a roached mane, the team may be severely penalized.

EQUIPMENT:

  • Basic groom equipment necessary: Curry (rubber or plastic), Body Brush, Stiff Brush, Dandy Brush, Mane and tail comb or brush (not both), Hoof pick and grooming cloth. Only one ground cloth, quart of water, fly spray and chain lead are optional for showmanship.
  • Three complete sets of grooming equipment are best (one for each contestant on the team).
  • Equipment is to be placed on the ground behind the horse on a ground cloth with bristles facing up.

TEAMS:

  • Must be currently enrolled in or completed a 4-H/FFA-horse project.
  • 4-H, FFA, or OHC Organization may enter junior (9-13 years) and senior (14-18 years) teams of three (3) members. There will be an additional holder for each team.
  • Teams may use a member from another club if needed to fill a team. A junior can be used on a senior team, but you cannot use a senior on a junior team.
  • All team members MUST WEAR boots or heavy leather shoes and long pants.

COMPETITION PROCEDURE:

  • At least two hours before the scheduled start, team members will apply the mud uniformly over the horses/ponies under the supervision. Allow more drying time if the weather is damp.
  • The horses/ponies will be dirtied using mud (sandy mud does not work). Never put mud in body openings or in cracks or tight places (i.e., between the rear legs).
  • Once competition begins, total time for grooming is 30 minutes. Teams are told by the announcer when only 10, 5 and 2 minutes remain — then STOP. Equipment is replaced on the ground cloth. Teams return to their starting position away from the horse/pony
  • Handlers will have control of the horses/ponies at all times and line the teams up in numerical order. They will maintain a safe distance between horses/ponies and move horses/ponies (after telling team members) only as needed for safety.
  • Handlers will not coach the team members in any way. They will speak to team members only when necessary to maintain safety.
  • ANY COACHING from the handler or spectators will result in the disqualification of the team

SHOWMANSHIP:

  • Teams are given 10 minutes to work with their groomed horse/pony to prepare for showmanship.
  • No attire change will be allowed. You must start and finish the competition in the same outfit. 4-H rules will apply in showmanship.
  • The only equipment change allowed for the showing will be a chain lead strap to replace the tie rope used while grooming. NO halter change.
  • All three members will be judged on their ability to show the horse/pony. Each member will show the horse/pony as instructed by the judge. The team members will decide which one will do each part of the pattern.
  • The showmanship pattern will be determined by the judges and posted one hour prior to the contest.

Hartford Fair Verification Letters

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Verification Letters for Hartford Fair entries went in the mail on July 7, 2022. Please watch for your letter to arrive in the mail. Once you receive it, please open it immediately and check that all is correct. If you find a mistake or missing entry, reach out to the Hartford Fair Office IMMEDIATELY to have it corrected or to add missing/additional entries. There is a $10 late fee to add on entries at this point. All corrections/additional entries must be made before July 22, 2022. No changes will be made after this date.

If you do not receive your verification letter (within a reasonable time frame for it to be delivered), please check in with the Hartford Fair Office to ensure that they did receive your entries and that your mailing address is correct. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR VERIFICATION LETTERS!

I’ve Submitted My Fair Entries… Now What?

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Hopefully you were able to submit your fair entries by the June 18th deadline. The next step will be to check your verification letters when they arrive. All entries (open and junior classes) will be mailed verification letters. Those letters will be going out in the mail late next week so please be sure to watch for them. Once they arrive, please take the time to review them to ensure that they are correct. If you find an error, you must contact the Hartford Fair Office before Friday, July 22nd to have the correction made. NO CHANGES WILL BE MADE AFTER JULY 22, 2022.

A few thing to keep in mind…

  • For Junior Fair Entries (4-H specifically), the address listed in 4-HOnline is the address that will be used to mail your entries. If you have moved since you completed your 4-H enrollment, if you forgot to update your address when completing your enrollment, OR if your mailing address is a PO Box but you have your physical address listed in 4-HOnline, you will need to correct that immediately. Please reach out to Adrienne Anderson at anderson.1410@osu.edu to have your address updated. She will then reach out to the fair office with your corrected address.
  • If you do not receive your verification letter or you will be out of town or unable to check your mail, please know that you can reach out to Beth at the fair office. She would be happy to provide you with the information so that you are able to confirm that your entries are correct.
  • We encourage members to have their advisors look over their verification letters to help catch any mistakes or issues.
  • PLEASE take the time to check and confirm that your entries are correct. Checking for and correcting mistakes now will set members up to have a good experience come fair time.

Hartford Fair Logo

Hartford Fair Horse Department Updates

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To Hartford Fair Horse Project Members on behalf of Alisha Tilley, Hartford Fair Horse Department Chair:

The Hartford Fair is just around the corner, as a Fair Board we are excited to bring our fair family together. Our goal is to provide our exhibitors the opportunity to safely compete and have fun at The Hartford Independent Fair.

Pre-Fair Open Arena Dates:

To provide exhibitors an opportunity to practice at the grounds we will hold open arena dates in July. If you plan to attend, please let your advisor know so that they can send an attendance count to Alisha Tilley so they know how many participants to expect.

Dates and Times:

Saturday, July 9, 2022, 3:00pm to 6:00pm

Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 6:00 to 9:00pm

Sunday, July 24, 2022, 5:00 to 8:00pm

*$5.00 grounds fee applies per horse/rider at each date payable via cash on day of open ride.

*If there is a cancellation please check The Hartford Fair Facebook page.

We have received many great questions in the last month. Outlined below are common questions we wanted to pass along to help you prepare for the 2022 fair. Many of the answers can be found in the rules section of the entry information please review with your members.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Are we allowed to decorate our stalls?

Yes, we encourage clubs to decorate their stalls and the ends of barns. Please keep in mind the rules regarding decorating stalls. We ask no stall decorations to be attached with nails or screws. Additionally, we discourage the use of staples and tape.

Stall decorations and tack boxes are permitted to be placed starting Thursday, August 4th.

Keep in mind you are placing tack boxes and all décor at your own risk. We encourage all exhibitors to safely secure their items with locks etc.

 

When are Stalled horses moving in?

Those who are choosing to stall will move their horse or pony onto the grounds Saturday, August 6th 6:00am to 2:00pm. At this time, Vet check will be held at the stalls at a time to be announced during the Barn meeting.

 

When is grading?

Grading will be held for stalled horses immediately following the barn meeting on Saturday. Also, grading will take place each morning 8:00-9:00 for exhibitors choosing to haul-in.

 

Tack Stalls:

We will again try to provide tack stalls to every club to allow for extra storage of tack and equipment. No hay is to be stored in the barns; it is a fire hazard.  Tack stalls are storage areas, there is no selling of animals, show clothes or products during the fair out of tack stalls!

Please keep in mind department rules regarding stall usage to ensure the safety of all exhibitors and animals.

Rule 14:

  1. No Hanging of any air-chairs, hammocks or swings of any kind in the aisles or from the barn.  Tack boxes and equipment should NOT block any aisles in barns.
  2. No Crock pots, fridges or cooking devices to be plugged in tack stall or aisles.

 

Exhibitor Packets:

Each exhibitor will receive their back number, patterns, and department rules and schedule after they grade.

 

Wash rack etiquette:

Please clean up after yourself and your horse when you are done using the wash rack; this includes supplies and manure.

 

Pop-Up Tents:

Two Pop-Up Tents per 4-H Club permitted. Tents must be located against the fence area and not a safety hazard for exhibitors, spectators or horses. Additionally, tents are not to be used for over night camping and left at owner’s risk.

 

Haul-In Horses/Ponies:

In 2022 haul-in exhibitors will stall with their club. Advisors, please provide how many haul-in stalls you will need each day by July 17, 2022 to Alisha Tilley. In your email please include your club name with your number of haul-in stalls you will need to rotate horses in and out of during the week.

We realize some haul-in exhibitors may not need/want a stall. Please confirm how many haul-in stalls each day you expect to need for those choosing to stall for the day they are showing.  For example you have 12 members in your club, 6 of them are stalling, but you will only have 2 exhibitors hauling in each day. We will designate 2 haul in stalls in your block of stalls for your club. Keep in mind your club will be responsible for sanitizing the stalls between exhibitors.

Our goal is to try to meet each clubs desired per day haul-in stall need. Please keep in mind the exhibitors who have requested a stall are first priority. Also, these stalls are going to be haul-in and out same day, this is not an opportunity to stall a second horse.

Rule 14(c) still applies: Only one horse or pony per exhibitor may be stalled at the fair, No switching of horses.

 The haul-in rules still apply, horses or ponies are expected to be off the grounds at the conclusion of the show.

 

Volunteering:

Advisors received a volunteer sign-up sheet by email for grading, trash clean up and gates. We are going to need extra help each day to clean up and put trash cans out for pick up and pull them back into the complex post pick up. Please reach out to your advisor to sign up for a volunteer shift.

Pee Wee and Fun Show: Volunteers are needed for Friday’s events to happen, we encourage clubs to sign up.

 

Seniors:

We will maintain our senior wall in the front barn for the 2022 fair. Exhibitors who will be graduating out of 4-H this year are welcome to create poster to be hung on the senior wall. Turn in posters to the announcer’s booth during the barn meeting to be hung by the Senior or Junior Fair Board.

Senior Poster Rules:

    • Signs should be constructed on a half poster board sheet (14”X 22”).
    • Please laminate or cover with clear contact paper as they will be outside.
    • No wooden, metal, or full poster board size signs permitted to allow for enough space for everyone.

 

Opening Ceremonies:

We will hold opening ceremony to present the colors, showcase our clubs and send off our graduating seniors. Advisors, If your club or senior club members would like to participate in opening ceremonies, please complete the form that you received via email and return to Alisha by August 1, 2022.

 

Dash for Cash Open Barrel Show:

If my child would like to participate in the open barrel show, do I need to vacate the stall at the scheduled release time?

No, exhibitors entered in Dash for Cash should advise the senior fair board during the barn meeting if they plan to use their stall. All applicable fees will apply as outline in the Dash for Cash rules and entry information.

Again, thank you for all your hard work with your clubs. Please take time to review with your club all the rules. Please feel free to reach out anytime you may have a question.

REMINDER: Beeson Award Application Due Soon

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The Beeson Award for “Outstanding 4-H Horse Project Member” is due by Friday, June 24, 2022 to the Licking County Extension Office. This honor is available to members who have participate in horse projects for a minimum of three (3) years. A 4-H Horse Project member may nominate him/herself, be nominated by an Advisor, or by another 4-H member. Please consider who you might want to nominate for this honor. To view the full list of guidelines and the application, please click HERE.