Tradition continues with Ag Progress Days' Equine Experience

The Equine Experience at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days has a history of offering attractions and activities that educate and entertain horse lovers of all ages and experience levels.

Visitors at this year's event, to be held Aug. 18 - 20, will have the opportunity to learn about a variety of topics through training and breed clinics, demonstrations, informational displays and lectures.

Handling demonstrations will be conducted by Penn State faculty, staff and students. These demonstrations are geared toward helping horse owners learn skills to more safely and confidently enjoy their horses.

This year the Leon Wintermyer Inc. six-horse hitch of Percherons, driven by Barbara Richardson, will be on hand all three days. These gentle giants will be housed on the grounds all week and visitors can see them in their own tent. These impressive animals will be hitched and driven once each day plus once for a special performance during the evening session on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

Also during the Wednesday evening session, Ron Johnson will present a reining demonstration and discuss horse training methods. Other events scheduled for the large equine arena include performances by the Keystone Dressage and Combined Training Drill Team, the Pennsylvania State Police Mounted Patrol, and a demonstration of the Pennsylvania 4-H Horsemanship Skills program.

Breed demonstrations will feature hunter breeds, Paso Finos, Morgans, Quarter Horses, draft breeds and Arabians.

In addition to the demonstrations, a complete series of lectures will be presented in the Equine Learning Center located in the Equine display building. Topics include parasite control, equine disease, horsekeeping on a budget, equine nutrition, grooming, massage, animal ID and micro-chipping, and careers in the equine industry.

The Pennsylvania Equine Council’s Learning Station will be available again this year. The station is located in the exhibit building and allows visitors to groom a horse, visit with council members and learn what issues are at the forefront of Pennsylvania’s equine industry.

The 4-H Equine Skillathon, an opportunity for 4-H members to test their equine knowledge, will take place Thursday morning. To learn more about the 4-H Skillathon, visit http://www.das.psu.edu/das/4-h/horses/calendar-deadlines-and-event-details. A complete Equine Experience program is available at the Ag Progress Days Web site at http://apd.psu.edu. Click on the Equine Learning Center link at the lower left of the page.

Sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 18; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 19; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 20. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days Web site at http://apd.psu.edu.