Horse
Horses
Interested in learning more about the 4-H Horse Project?
More Info Here!
If you are enrolling in ANY livestock or horse project this 4-H year you MUST have an animal care form on file for each species. These need to be in the office by your species enrollment deadline. For example, if you are taking a horse project you will need to have to sign-up for the project by March 1st and have your animal ID submitted by April 1st and completed by May 1st.
Don’t have a horse?! NO PROBLEM! Click the above picture to learn all about the horseless horse 4-H project! This is also a fantastic project for youth to take along side the 4-H Horse project!
Horse ID’s Due April 1 each year
Note – Horses that do not have their ID’s submitted by April 1st will not be eligible to participate in County and State events such as the Douglas County Fair & Rodeo or Colorado State Fair.
Important Documents & Links
- 4-H Event Dates & Deadlines
- Douglas County 4-H Code Of Show Ring Ethics
- Animal Care and Housing Form
- Colorado State 4-H Dress Code
Project Resources
- Colorado 4-H Horse Project Manual
- Colorado 4-H Horse Show Rule Book
- Douglas County 4-H Horse Project
- 2024 February Horse Meeting Power Point
- Douglas County 4-H Horse Project Important Dates (Updated 3/21/2024)
- Horse ID Due April 1, 2024
- 4-H Horse ID Cheat Sheet (Call/Email if you have questions)
- Record Books
Competition Rules
Awards & Scholarships
- DC 4-H Horse Scholarship Application (Typically Opens in January)
- Superior Horseman Award Form (Typically Opens in July)
2023-2024 New Horse Member Night
Will be held February 13, 2024. See the weekly blast for registration information
Meeting for all 4-H Youth (and families) who are participating in the Horse Project for the first time! Extremely important to attend in order to set yourselves up correctly for the upcoming year!
*If you missed this meeting, contact the extension office to get everything you might have missed!*
Interested in Horse Judging, Hippology, or Horse Bowl?
Contact the Extension Office for more information! Call 720-733-6940
Miniature Horses
Miniature Horse
This is a new project for Douglas County 4-H in 2024.
Please stay tuned for more information and resources.
Please utilize this book for this project: https://extensionpubs.osu.edu/small-equine/
Riding Levels
**This is a quick reminder that we are NOT showing by Levels at County Fair but there are some Level requirements for certain classes/divisions at County Fair. Everyone, at a minimum, MUST have completed a Safety Certification – Miniature Equines included.
The DC Horse Steering Committee does award prizes for attaining certain Levels each year and it is highly encouraged to continue to excel into a different level.
Level Testing Opportunities
Every rider begins 4-H unrated and can level up throughout the year. But you must be at least level 1 to ride and participate at Fair! So, schedule testing early. The test is two parts, a written and riding part, and the rider must test and pass in every discipline they plan to show in.
Unrated members can come to most rides, workouts, and fun shows, though some workouts/clinics may require passing the Riding Safety Test to participate.
Written Tests
Written tests are the same for all disciplines and progress from level 1 to level 4.
With the exception of the level 1 written exam which has two sections of tack I.D. (English and Western). Members must take both tack I.D. sections of the test.
All Written levels exams must be taken at the Douglas County Extension office, or at County organized Study/Exam nights.
Written tests must be taken before riding tests can be taken.
- Written Test Study & Test Night
- Study Guide Level I Written Tests A & B
- Study Guide Level II Written Tests A & B
- Study Guide Level III Written Test
- Study Guide Level IV Written Test
- DougCo 4-H Level 1 Kahoot! Study Game!
- DougCo 4-H Level 2 Kahoot! Study Game!
- DougCo 4-H Level 3 Kahoot! Study Game!
- DougCo 4-H Level 4 Kahoot! Study Game!
Riding Tests
Level 1 riding test must be scheduled with county-approved leaders through the Extension Office, while Level 2 and above riding test must be scheduled with State-approved Level raters. You can contact a rater by looking them up on the state list. When in doubt, contact the extension office.
Camps&Clinics
Written Levels Study & Test Night
Will be February 21, 2024 – See the weekly blast for registration information
2024 Douglas County Horse Camp
Registration is due to the Douglas County Extension office, with payment, by May 15th, 2024.
Registration Horse Camp-Register via 4HOnline
Tentatively Scheduled for the Week of June 10th
**Registration for WRH is limited to 15 DOUGLAS COUNTY 4-H Participants. Please register in 4HOnline
Other Educational Opportunities in our Community
Note – Not necessarily 4-H related or in Douglas County, but great learning opportunities
Horse Shows
Buckle Series
The Douglas County 4-H Open Horse Show Buckle Series is a welcoming, educational, and FUN environment where both 4-H youth and community members alike gain experience working with and showing their horses!
THANK YOU to sponsors: The DC Horse Steering Committee
All proceeds directly benefit the Douglas County 4-H Horse Program
Douglas County Buckle Series Horse Show* Please see the Buckle Series website for more information such as Show Bill, Prize List, Entry Form, and Release of Liability!
Buckle Series Hoodies & Hats!
Can be purchased at all Buckle Series Shows or by contacting the extension office
Horse Show Organizational Guide
Have you been thinking about holding a show, but you just don’t know what all goes into it and how to get it all done? Well, here’s the guide for you with great advice, timelines, checklists and sample show bills and tabulation sheets. So, read all about it and give it a try!
Douglas County Fair & Rodeo
Open Riding
4-H Open Ride Nights
Sponsored by the Douglas County Horse Steering Committee
With the idea to give our Douglas County 4-H Horse project members more experience and educational opportunities, the Douglas County Horse Steering Committee is sponsoring a series of open ride nights this spring. Each night will have a theme/topic of what the instruction will be on. We ask that everyone RSVP to the event and also to provide feedback before and after! We want these to be educational, safe, and fun learning environments for all so please help us do so!
Please note – These are nights dedicated to the education of the 4-H members, parents should be present, but please do not expect to ride. To give the 4-H kids the best atmosphere to learn and for safety, we ask that only active 4-H members in good standing participate in these ride nights.
Please stay tuned for ride night dates.
Public Open Riding
Public open riding schedule is published at www.fairgrounds.douglas.co.us—click on the EVENT CALENDAR. Call first before you drive to the Fairgrounds as the open riding schedule is subject to change 720-733-6900. Douglas County reserves the right to cancel open riding at any time without notice.
Open Riding Rules:
No stallions allowed.
Horses must be kept under control at all times.
No racing, roping, barrel racing, jumping, trick riding, etc allowed.
No Lunging in Indoor or Outdoor Arena. Lunging only allowed in warm-up arenas.
No lessons allowed.
A parent or guardian must accompany anyone under the age of 18 (riders and/or spectators).
All riders must check in, sign a waiver and pay fee prior to riding.
Riders ride at their own risk.
Parking in designated areas only.
Open riding in designated areas only. Weather and schedule permitting,
Dogs are not allowed in the open riding area.
Stalls are NOT provided for open riding.
Riders are expected to clean up after horses. Wheelbarrows and shovels are provided.
Do not tie horses to temporary panels.
Alcohol is not permitted.
Anyone not complying with these rules will be asked to leave.
$5.00 per session per horse or rider: Cash only / no change given
Educational Resources
Horse Educational Resources
Remember – No one method is right for every person and animal. Take everything with a grain of salt and build your toolbox of knowledge. Pick and choose what will work best for you and your current animal!
IMPORTANT Some resources are from other universities, states, counties, and programs. Please use them for their educational value, but ALWAYS be sure to check with local rules and guidelines.
- AZ 4-H Ag at Home: Animal Projects – Physical Evaluation of Hay and Reducing Waste
- Adams County 4-H Vet Chat: Horse!
- AZ 4-H Ag at Home: Animal Projects – Horse Diseases
- AZ 4-H Ag at Home: Animal Projects – Deworming Your Horse
- AZ 4-H Ag at Home: Animal Projects – Quick Release Knot
- AZ 4-H Ag at Home: Animal Projects – Haltering a Horse
- AZ 4-H Ag at Home: Animal Projects – Grooming Your Horse
- “Getting There & Back” Trailer Safety Webinar recorded 4/22/2020 from UNH
- Disclaimer- for young kids – this does talk about tough topics such as fatal trailer accidents and shows some graphic images. Parents might want to scroll through before allowing young kids to watch. It appears to be just trailering basics starting at section 3.
- Penn State Extension: Equine Nutrition & Feeding
- Penn State Extension Equine Webinars
- Mississippi State Extension: Horse Judging
- Equine Conformation
- Oregon 4-H: Quartering System for Equine Showmanship
- Equine Vital Signs and How to Take Them
- How to Check Your Horse’s Pulse
- Equine Dehydration Test
- How to Wrap a Horse’s Leg (Polo)
- Purdue University: The Science and Art of Trailering Horses
- CSU: Equine Biosecurity- What can you do?
