Horsin Around 2011 featuring Shane Dowdy

Dec. 21, 2010

18th Annual Horsin' Around Conference Begins Feb. 12

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The 2011 Horsin' Around conference will be Feb. 12-13, 2011, at the RB Warren Arena in the Animal Science Complex on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus.

This year's event will feature Western Pleasure, Showmanship and Western Riding. The registration for the event opens Jan. 3 and closes Feb. 7. The 2011 conference will be limited to the first 450 paid registrations, and some past conferences have sold out, said Kathy Anderson, extension horse specialist at UNL.

Shane Dowdy, 2010 National Snaffle Bit Association Hall of Fame inductee, of Wetherford, Texas, will be the featured trainer.

"He has accomplished success in training and showing Western Pleasure horses like no other," Anderson said.

In 2004, Dowdy showed the American Quarter Horse Association World Champion Junior, Senior and 2-Year-Old Western Pleasure horses, as well as trained the AQHA World Champion Amateur and AQHA Select World Champion and Reserve World Champion.

"Shane is an innovator in his training methods and prides himself in having broke horses that stay fresh," Anderson said. "He has developed a reputation for one of the best clinicians available. His clinics are more than just about Western Pleasure. Shane brings a straight-forward no nonsense approach that works for people of all ages and skill levels."

For more information about Dowdy, visit his website at http://www.shanedowdy.com/.

Other presenters include Jamie Hartman of Marshfield, Mo., who comes from a three-generation horse family that has dedicated themselves to teaching and working with youth and adults of all levels. She thoroughly enjoys helping riders advance their horses beyond Western Pleasure and will present ways to advance horses to Western Riding and Showmanship.

In addition, Anderson will present "Horse Show Trends and Fads From a Judge's Point of View," and Lisa Karr-Lilienthal, UNL Equestrian team advisor, will present "What is a University Equestrian Team?"

The clinic is open to participants of all ages. Adult registration is $30 for the weekend or $20 for one day. For youth 18 and under, registration is $20 for both days or $15 for one. If the clinic doesn't sell out, adult registration will be available at the door for $40 for the weekend and $25 for one day. Youth registration at the door will be $30 for the weekend and $20 for one day. Seating will be assigned by section on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information or to preregister, call (402) 472-6411 or e-mail kanderson1@unl.edu.

Horsin' Around 2010 is sponsored by UNL Extension in the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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12/21/10-SRR Source: Kathy Anderson, Ph.D., professor, animal science, (402) 472-6414, kanderson1@unl.edu
Writer: Seanica Reineke
horse.21 Editor: Sandi Alswager Karstens, IANR News Service, (402) 472-3030, salswager2@unl.edu

Assess Horse Needs This Winter

Keeping horses safe and healthy during cold, winter months is important. Steps horse owners need to take in order to do so depend on where their horses will be during the winter.

Horses do just fine outside during the winter, provided they have enough feed and their winter coats are growing. Still, some shelter should be available for those times of bitter winds and wet conditions. Shelter can be a belt of trees or even a three-sided shed, just as long as the horses have a place to go to escape the harsh elements.

Horse hair grows naturally in the winter, so horses will have enough hair to keep them insulated and warm if they are outside. If horses are in stalls inside, cover them with blankets. Place them under artificial light to fool them into thinking it is still summer if shorter hair is wanted.

Feeding habits for horses in stalls shouldn't change much, but the hay amount for horses outside should increase. Pastures are drying up in the winter and they don't have much nutrition within them, so increasing the amount of hay available is important. Horses produce more body heat when they digest hay than they do with grain, therefore keeping them warmer. Horses in the pasture could also use plenty of salt and mineral.

Be aware of rodents in barns, too. Opossum feces can cause horses to develop Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis. Watch out for rats and mice in feed and keep out rodents as much as possible.

eXtension Horses Survey

Hello

One of the many roles is serving as National Chair for eXtension Horses or also known as HorseQuest (found at www.extension.org/horses).

EXtension Horses/HorseQuest is an on-line resource for horse producers brought to you by extension specialists from all across the United States. We have developed this survey in order to to learn what you think of eXtension Horses, how much you use it and how it helps you and your horses. Please take just a few minutes to complete this survey! This is initially being piloted here in Nebraska and then will be used nation-wide to evaluate the usefulness of eXtension Horses/HorseQuest.
The purpose of this survey is to obtain more specific feedback on how useful the segments and information on eXtension Horses is for horse enthusiasts like yourself. As a user of eXtension Horses, we are extremely interested in your feedback. If you have not yet used this site, please take a few minutes and introduce yourself to it. We think you will find it very valuable!
The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete.

Thanks so much!

Survey Take URL -http://is-nri.com/take/?i=163701&h=k-FL1LKzXmWyyVNewU3Miw

Kathy Anderson
Extension Horse Specialist
C204 Animal Sciences
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE 68583-0908
Office: 402-472-6414
Fax:: 402/472-6362
kanderson1@unl.edu

Check out our web site:
http://animalscience.unl.edu/web/anisci/anscextensionequine

University of Nebraska Horse Judging team excels at All American Quarter Horse Congress contest

The UNL Horse Judging Team was named Reserve Champion Team in the senior college division in the Intercollegiate Horse Judging Contest at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio on October 13, 2010. Team members included: Aleah German, Lincoln; Bailey Kobs, Blair; Brooke Preston, Firth; Hali Jorgensen, Omaha; Kelsey Horner, Kearny; and Mindy Leach, Malcom. The team finished 2^nd Overall out of 16 teams and was 4^th in Halter judging, 5^th in Performance, 6^th in Oral Reasons. Several individuals excelled including 6^th place high individual overall by Hali Jorgensen and Bailey Kobs was 13^th individual overall. Other individual highlights include: Halter division - Hali Jorgensen 8^th, Bailey Kobs 11^th, Mindy Leach 12^th; Performance division- Aleah German 11^th; Oral Reasons- Mindy Leach 9^th;. The team, coached by Kathy Anderson, UNL Extension Horse Specialist and Anna Pesta, UNL Graduate Student will be competing in their final contest of the year at the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City November 17^th, 2010.

Nebraska Humane Society

Over the past few years the Nebraska Humane Society has seen a dramatic increase in the need to rescue abused and neglected equines. Unfortunately NHS does not have an equine facility and relies on the use of foster homes and boarding facilities to house their equine friends. Foster homes provide the loving care and TLC needed to get horses on their road to recovery and ready for adoption. NHS takes in many different horses of all breeds and disciplines. Before the horses go up for adoption they are fully vetted and they try to work with each horse as much possible to help potential adopters select a horse that is right for them and make sure it will be a good fit.

If you are interested in adopting or fostering a horse from the Nebraska Humane Society you can contact Kristie Biodrowski at 402-444-7800 ext 325 to see some of the horses currently available please visit the NHS website www.nehumanesociety.org

In order to foster a horse you must live within 25 miles of Omaha.

As of the end of September, they have the following:

1 Red Dun QH mare 8 yrs old, very nice under saddle but needs an intermediate to advanced rider, she also has an old bowed tendon injury so she can only be lightly ridden for pleasure

2 TB Geldings

• Easter is 8, he is not broke to ride that we know of, hopefully we will begin work with him soon and know more

• Deputy is 4, he is in the process of learning his ground manners

Major: 15 year old Paint/TB Cross gelding Chestnut and White

• He is not saddle broke that we know of.

We also just took in 4 Arabians, 2 Mares and 2 Geldings. They are not up for adoption yet but will be soon.

How can UNL Equine Extension help you and your horses??

"Welcome to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Horse Producer's Survey! We are excited to be able to expand how UNL Extension can reach out and assist Nebraska's Horse owners! We need your input on ways UNL Extension can be helpful to you and your horses. Please take a few minutes to complete this on-line survey by simply following the link below."

http://polldaddy.com/s/A52D906290DE4922

We truly do appreciate your input!

Kathy Anderson,
UNL Extension Horse Specialist

Horse industry trivia

Here are some interesting Horse Industry statistics provided by the Horse Industry Alliance:

• 1/3 Americans want to or have had involvement with horses
• 97% ride for pleasure, only 6% ride for competition
  
• Only 10% ride once per week or more
• (i.e. 90% think they are "riders" even through they ride less than once a week)
• 80% favored Western
• 60% started as a child
• More $$$ are spent on horses than $$$ spent in the movie industry

Yes, we are a MAJOR industry to the U.S. economy!

Horse events at the NEW Nebraska State Fair - check it out!

The new Grand Island Nebraska State Fair will be starting on Friday, August 27, 2010 and there are a host of horse events to take in! From Quarter Horses, Barrel racing, a huge Draft horse show with several hitches and more, Morgans, Paints, and much more! Even if you are not showing, you might want to stop out and take a look at the fabulous new facilities and watch some of the shows. I also understand Thompson 4-H Arena has had a bit of a "face-lift" - so check it out!

A schedule of the entire Nebraska State Fair can be found at: http://www.statefair.org/fair/

A map of the new grounds is at: http://www.statefair.org/fair/generalinformation/Grounds&Facilities.asp

A general schedule of the horse shows is at: http://www.statefair.org/fair/entertaiment/equineandlivestockshows.asp

Hope you enjoy your time at the NEW Nebraska State Fair!

Kathy Anderson

Welcome to Husker Horse Info!

Welcome to our new Husker Horse Info blog. Through this blog we will post a variety to tips and information that will help you with your horses, horse activities, and things going on at UNL related to horses. We will make every attempt to post information routinely and timely.

As we are in the midst of a very hot time, you may want information on how to help your horses survive this blistering heat! One thing to consider is are they getting enough salt?

Ever notice your horse trying to lick your hands? Your horse may be telling you it is in need of salt. If the craving for salt is not met, you also might begin to notice your horse eating less feed and drinking less water. Next, your horse may begin to lose weight and become dehydrated.

Free choice salt can be provided either as block or a loose form. Horses will tend to consume higher levels of the loose salt than salt provided in blocks. Providing either loose or block salt is simple. Stall feeders for loose salt are available at many feed or tack stores and are easily mounted in most stalls. Blocks can be placed in mounted feeders or if on the ground, should also be placed in some type of on-the-ground feeder. Even though a horse’s needs for salt increases with sweat, this supplemental salt should be provided year round. This will ensure your horse always has sufficient opportunity to consume the required amount. It has been found; horses have a wide variety of the amount of salt consumed. Furthermore, intake will increase during hot, humid weather-with or without exercise.

For more information on helping horse handle the hot weather go to:

http://www.extension.org/pages/Help_Your_Horse_Beat_the_Heat_this_Summer

Welcome to the Husker Horse Info blog site! Here you will topics up for discussion that pertain to all things horses in and around Nebraska. Fell free to voice your comments and suggestions on all the topics addressed. Thanks for visiting and come back again to check out what is new!