Frequently Asked Questions about Richland County s 4 H Horse Program This section cannot cover everything you could possibly need to know but attempts to provide a starting point and/or direction to sources of more detail. Many questions can be answered by referring to the State 4 H Horse Program website: http://horse.osu.edu which generally provides the most current information available. On this site, choose Calendar of events or resources and you will find a summary of current information (some of which are included in the Q&A section) and numerous links to items of interest including but not limited to a calendar of events (includes clinics), Guidelines and Resources (includes leasing guidelines), and State Fair Junior Horse Show (includes PAS rules, list of state fair classes, dressage show rules and entry form, production rules, production contract form, production entry form) to note just a few of the things available. If you need help accessing the appropriate information contact your club advisor. What are the horse projects available to 4 H members? The following is a list of the 4 H horse projects available for 2014: 173 Horseless Horse (poster project only) 174 Beginning Horse Management (see note below) 175 Light Horse Selection 177 Horse Training: How to Talk to Your Horse 180 Learning to Jump 181 Draft Horse (see note below) 184 Standardbred Horses 185 Equine Reproduction and Genetics 188 Trail Riding 189 Dressage 762 Horse Nutrition (see note below) 1897 Introduction to the Miniature Horse (not a state wide project, see Richland County OSU Extension for more information regarding this project) Please note the following important items related to equine projects: Except for Horseless Horse and Beginning Horse Management a separate equine records book (190R) is also required for each of the above projects. For Richland County, project 174 Beginning Horse Management has been divided into three sections which are summarized in a cover sheet supplied with the book and can be completed entirely in one year or can be repeated one section at a time. When the project is repeated it is not necessary to buy another book but a copy of the record pages must be purchased and completed each year. Further explanation is detailed on the supplementary pages supplied with the book. The project book for 177 Horse Training: How to Talk to Your Horse has no questions or records within the book itself. For Richland County a separate Member Project Guide has been created and must be completed and taken to judging with the project book and the Equine record book. The project guide was created at the county level and is not referenced in the Family Project Guide (list of all 4 H projects published by the state extension service). Also be aware that if a 4 H member repeats the project, they do NOT have to purchase another copy of the project book but they must complete a new Member Project Guide and Equine record book for each year that they take this project. The project book for 762 Horse Nutrition also has no questions or records within the book itself. At this time there is no Member Project Guide but the project judging interview will include questions based on the reference material provided in the book. As noted above, completion of the Equine Record book is also part of the project requirements. In the past, it has been suggested that members prepare a poster on a selected aspect of the project to take to judging. Other options include but are not limited to outlining the area of study, preparing questions and answers, or writing a summary of a selected area of focus.
For projects 174 180 and 184 762, the project may be completed as either a poster project or a live animal project. For each project complete project guide, including MPG, required activities and Equine Record Book 190R (except 174) For judging bring completed project guide, including MPG and Equine Record Book. If not showing a horse at the fair, in addition to the items listed above, also bring a poster or educational display depicting an aspect of something learned in the project. Fair exhibit Show animal in premium class of choice at appropriate Premium Day Show. If horse is not brought to the fair, poster or educational display must be displayed in the Junior Fair Building to receive premium. For project 181 Draft Horse Book Judging requirements are the same as above. For Fair exhibit if you are bringing a horse to the fair, the horse must be a draft horse and must be shown in the draft horse show. If this is a poster project only, bring poster to display at the fair. For project 1897 Miniature Horse Project Book judging requirements are the same as above. For Fair exhibit if bringing a horse horse must be shown in class of choice from small equine premium day classes. Be sure to check the 2014 Official Richland County Junior Fair Project Guidelines for complete judging and fair exhibit requirements. Exhibitors must submit horse registration forms and fees by May 15 including PAS class selection and body scoring. Exhibitors must also complete a fair entry for each animal exhibited by July 1 st. How should I prepare for my interview judging? Study the information in your project book, answering any questions it asks and filling in the blanks. Complete the Member Project Guide and the other required activities including a hand written one page summary if noted in the book. Be sure you have parents and/or advisors initial and date items in your book as required. In addition to studying the material contained in your particular project book, study the breed identifications, feed stuffs, and parts of the horse sections that were previously found in the Basic 4 H Horsemanship and Basic 4 H Science and that have now been incorporated in the Beginning Horse Management project. Also, review the following 4H Organizational Question: 1. Who is the founder of the 4 H program? A.B. Graham 2. In what state was the first 4 H boys and girls club meeting held? Ohio 3. What do the four H s of 4 H stand for? Head, Heart, Hand, Health 4. What is the name of the Richland County 4 H youth development extension educator? Judy Villard Overocker 5. What is the motto of 4 H? To make the best better 6. What are the official 4 H colors? Green and white 7. What is the official 4 H emblem? Green 4 leaf clover with 4 white H s 8. Review of the 4 H pledge and be able to complete each phrase. 9. Name four of the seven most common offices held within a 4 H club: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, News Reporter, Recreation Leader, Health and Safety Leader 10. What was the title and content of the 4 H demonstration you gave to your club this year? What is appropriate clothing for Project Interview Judging and for all Junior Fair activities and events at the county fair? For project judging and for junior fair activities and events the Jr. Fair Board has made the following ruling (penalty for noncompliance will be that the exhibitor will be removed from the event immediately): Appropriate clothing includes shoes, shirt/top, and pants/shorts/skirt. No halter tops, extremely short shorts, exposed midriff or shoulders, or clothing with obscene or alcohol related/illegal
drug wording or designs will be permitted and theses limitations also apply to costumes worn for Freestyle Reining. For show events at the fair, if more than one shirt is worn the outer shirt must be tucked in. NOTE: Cell phone cannot be used (including incoming and outgoing calls and texting) during judging process (including the holding area). Do I have to take my horse to the Richland County Fair to complete my project? No, any livestock project can be taken as a poster project. No project has to be exhibited at the county fair. If you are not taking your horse to the fair, you should prepare a poster about some aspect of your project and take it, along with your completed project book, to livestock judging. You can also exhibit the poster at the fair for poster premium but this is not required. How do I qualify for the End of the Year Awards? For awards and guidelines see Thursday Night Fun Show and Year End Awards listed elsewhere on the county website. What do I have to do to compete at the State Fair? The State Fair 4 H horse show is really three 4 H shows each with its own entry requirements: PRODUCTION: As of 2012, the production classes are not currently being offered at the State Fair. The classes will still be offered at the County Premium Day Show. In the past, if you were showing in production at the State Fair you did NOT have to qualify at a PAS show for this division. However, you must meet all the requirements of the production project including completion of the production contract which must have appropriate signatures and be filed with the county extension office as noted on the contract. You must be old enough to show in production according to the Uniform Rules for 4 H Horse Shows, your project must be at least a yearling (no weanlings at the State Fair but can show weanlings at the county fair), and you must complete the production horse show entry form and submit it to the appropriate contract by the deadline which is usually mid June. More details about the production horse show rules, entry form, and production contract can all be found via the website noted at the beginning of the frequently asked questions section. Again production classes are not currently part of the Ohio State Fair Horse Show. DRESSAGE: If you are showing in dressage at the state fair you do NOT have to qualify at a PAS show for this division. However, you must receive appropriate qualifying scores from the approved list of judges as noted in the rules for showing in this division. You must meet the dressage horse show entry form and submit it to the appropriate contact by the deadline which is usually early in July. More details about dressage horse show rules and the entry form for this division can be found via the website noted at the beginning of the frequently asked questions section. Look under the Calendar of Events, the State Fair Dressage Show. Members are responsible for submitting the required information to the appropriate place by the posted deadline. ALL OTHER CLASSES (except production or dressage): For classes other than production and dressage, 4 H members must receive qualifying scores for their classes by showing at a county PAS (Performance Against Standards) show. 4 H members may represent the county at the state fair every year if they qualify. You may attempt to qualify at a maximum of two PAS shows per year. There is a PAS state qualifying show held in Richland County (see PAS show bill listing dates and classes printed on the county website or the county calendar of events) or you can make the appropriate arrangements to show in another county (see your advisor for information). You must sign up to participate in the Richland County PAS show at the time of submitting your horse registration information. You also need to register at the beginning of the show on the day of the show. There are general participation and specific class rules that every entrant must follow. All participants should read and understand the Ohio Uniform Rules for 4 H Horse Shows (available at the Extension Office) for any of the classes they choose
to enter. You may enter any four classes that you wish. (Five if one is Ground Roping) If you choose to participate in a second PAS show, you must select the same four classes that you chose at the first PAS show. To qualify to represent Richland County at the Ohio State Fair, you must get a qualifying score in two different classes. You can qualify in the two classes at the first PAS show, one class at each of two PAS shows, or at a second PAS show. After you have received your two qualifying PAS scores and in order to meet the deadline specified by the Ohio State Fair 4 H Horse Show, your registration information must be provided to the appropriate county personnel by the Richland County deadline. If you qualify at the Richland County PAS Show, you will need to go to the entry booth to register for the State Fair classes, select the two or three classes you qualified to participate in and specify a fourth alternative if you had a fourth qualifying score. This class can be used if a youth has a time conflict and misses a class at the State Fair. Currently ground roping is treated as a fourth class youth can show in at the State Fair if they qualify. The youth can show in up to three classes they qualified for with their horses and the ground roping if they qualified in it at the PAS show. ANOTHER IMPORTANT NOTE regarding State Fair: If a member signs up for classes that could conflict at State Fair, it will be THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to try to make those classes. Classes at the State Fair, ARE NOT HELD for a person that is in a class in another arena. More details about the PAS rules and scores needed to qualify for this division can be found via the website noted at the beginning of the frequently asked questions section. WHAT does Performance Against Standards mean? Performance Against Standards means the participant is not competing with other participants in the class but instead is given a score based on their performance compared to a perfect score of 100. There are no placings in a PAS show. If all the participants earn two qualifying scores, then all could go to the state fair. Check the website noted at the beginning of this section for a chart of qualifying times for gymkhana (contest) classes and qualifying scores for performance classes as well as a listing of the expectations and requirements for each class (including required pattern elements for showmanship, horsemanship, and equitation). What is the Premium Day Show? On Monday of the Richland County Fair, members participate in the CONTEST, PRODUCTION, and PERFORMANCE SHOW CLASSES. Members must show their own horses. You may show in as many classes as you like but you must exhibit your horse in at least one premium class to receive your Richland County Fair premium. There is a separate premium day show for small equine. Please see the county website for details on this show. A member may not show in two Premium Day shows. Can other 4 H/FFA members or friends ride and/or show my horse at the fair? No one other than the member may ride/handle a member s project horse until the member has shown the horse in at least one Premium Show Class. The only way another person can handle your horse is as described by the Uniform Rules for 4 H Horse Shows which would generally exclude casual riding by friends and/or 4 H members other than you. Reference the rule book and the response to the question regarding a trainer that follows. Riding on a pony preparing for/or exhibiting in the pony show are exempted unless the pony has not been shown in a Premium Show Class. Does my horse need a veterinarian exam before coming to the county fair? No, a vet check is not required, however your horse my complete the body condition scoring process as defined by the Junior Fair Board and Barn Raiser Committee. Also refer to the Uniform Rules for 4 H Horse Shows under general rules 2 through 8 that refer to medications and horse condition. What is body condition scoring? Why does my horse need to complete BCS?
Because of animal welfare concerns and the image that 4 H wants to present, horses with a body condition score of less than 4 (ribs easily discernible, tops of spinous process easily discernible, tailhead prominent with hook bones easily discernible, withers accentuated, and neck obviously thin), obviously sick horses, and horse with a Grade 3 or greater lameness (consistently observable at the trot; marked nodding, hitching or shortened stride; and minimal weight bearing in motion or rest) should not be allowed at 4 H shows. The show manager, show vet if available, of the judge can dismiss a horse from the show for these reasons. Uniform Rules for 4 H Horse Shows 2012 page 13 General Rule 36. Because of this rule, the Junior Fair Board has made Body Scoring a requirement for horses at the Richland County Fair. A Vet or other trained individual will score the equine based on a nine point scale at the time of registration and again at the beginning of the county fair. If a horse scores below 4 or above 9 at the time of the fair, the equine will not be eligible to be shown at the county level. Why do I have to feed my horse by 8:00 AM at the fair? I don t feed it that early at home! It is required that your horse be fed by 8:00 AM because it is safer for the horses if they are all fed about the same time. If the horses on each side of a horse are fed and the middle horse has no feed, there could be some pawing and kicking going on that may cause injury to horses and/or people and damage to the stalls! Who is responsible for making sure my horse s stall at the fair is safe? You and your parents are responsible for inspecting the stall before you place your horse in it. You know your horse and it s personally better than anyone else. Your club advisors, parents, and other members all help to provide each member with a stall, but please remember that they are all volunteers. It is not one person s job to build or revise your stall. We are all at the fair for one week to have fun, to learn, to build friendships, and to make good memories. We are fortunate in Richland County that we all have box stalls and they are in enclosed buildings. Some counties have tie stalls that are open to the weather for the horses and the tack boxes. The Jr. Fair Board requires that you remove the manure and bedding from your stall on the day you depart from the fair. Participate in the set up and tear down of the stalls because it is everyone s responsibility to do so. What happens if my horse becomes lame or dies? If your horse becomes lame or dies, one option is to complete your project as a poster project. Make a poster on some aspect of your project and bring it to judging and then display the poster at the fair. Be sure to check your poster in at the Junior Fair Board desk in the booth building by the required deadline to receive credit for your display. A second option is to use you BACK UP HORSE if you have complied with the requirements outlined under the Horse Registration Form Information printed elsewhere in this book. Please read and understand all the requirements PRIOR to the deadline for registration so you can take appropriate action to provide for a BACKUP HORSE if needed. Back up horse procedure: The horse brought onto the fairgrounds by the deadline (Sunday at noon) shall be the premium show horse(s). This could be a back up horse if proper enrollment and verification have been completed and a vet has attested in writing that the original horse cannot be shown. After Premium Day if a horse becomes injured or sick at the fair, the fair vet may release the horse and a registered back up horse may be brought on the grounds for participation in Jr. Fair shows/activities. Back up horse registrations will be housed in the Jr. Fair Office. May I send my horse to a trainer? Lesson, instruction, and advice for the member are encouraged. As long as the member is present in a learning situation, such assistance can include occasional riding or handling of the horse by another person (except for production projects where all the work and showing must be done by the member),
but cannot include training and care of the horse within 30 days of competition in any county state fair qualifying show or the state fair junior horse show or a county Premium Day Show. If a project animal is shown by someone other than the 4 H er/ffa in an open or breed show within the 30 days prior to the 4 H/FFA competition, the 4 H er/ffa must be present and have shown the project horse in that show. Only people showing an animal in a class at a show can ride that animal at the show. See the Uniform Rules for 4 H Horse Show under Ownership for further details. These rules apply to back up horses as well!!! Frequently asked questions (cont d) How do I lease a horse for my project? A 4 H member may choose to lease a horse for their project. Leasing guidelines can be found via the website noted at the beginning of the frequently asked questions section. On the website look under Guidelines and Resources, then choose 4 H Horse Leasing Guidelines for information about leasing including the topic What should be included in a lease. The lease must extend at least from June 1 st to the end of the county fair. A copy of the lease agreement must be turned in with the horse registration form by the registration deadline and must have the approval of the County 4 H Youth Development Extension Educator (Judy Overocker) who must also have a copy of the agreement on or before the registration deadline. Members wishing to designate a horse that they do not own as their BACKUP HORSE must comply with the requirements for using a leased horse outlined under the Horse Registration Form Information available on the county website. There is also information on leasing on the State website horse.osu.edu. What do I bring to the county fair for my Production Project? You may bring the foal and mare to the fair if you wish OR you may opt to only bring the foal. If you bring the mare, its sole purpose and use will be to provide a milk source for the foal. The mare can only be shown at the fair if you sign up for an additional saddle horse project (in March) and have designated the mare as your horse for that project (by completing a horse registration for it by the current year deadline). What is the Showman of Showmen Contest? Do members taking horse projects participate? What is the horse show off? The Showman of Showmen competition determines the overall best showman of all species at the fair that year. The contest will have all participants showing all seven species of animals. Participants must qualify for the Showman of Showmen Contest in one of the species. The Equine Department will send one Showman to the competition. This person is determined by participating in the Showman of Showmen class in one of the Premium Day Shows (Saddle/Small Equine/Draft) and winning the class. The winners from each of the three Premium Day classes will then have a show off on Thursday to determine who the equine representative at the Showman of Showmen Contest on Friday. The class will be placed first, second and third in case the winner is unable to participate and a replacement is needed. Who gets fair admission passes? Only 4 H/FFA members who have a project displayed at the county fair and club advisors with an active status receive a fair entry pass. Family members who may be coming frequently to the fairgrounds to assist with animal care may want to purchase a membership ticket or family pass that includes multiple admissions. Contact the Richland County Fairgrounds office (419 747 3717) for more information. Family passes may be sold in the Junior Fair Office. How do you get a camping spot at the county fair?
For those campers who have not pre reserved a lot by paying the prior year s fair, lots may be reserved and fees paid at the Richland County Fairgrounds Administration office starting in early July. Contact the administration office for details and note the camping rules printed in the Senior Fair Book for specific guidelines. HORSE BARN RULES Reminder: Unsportsmanlike conduct toward judges, show management, or exhibitors or physical abuse of the project horse will not be tolerated. Violators will be dismissed from the show by the show manager. 1. Sandals or bare feet are not permitted while handling horses or ponies. Hard soled shoes with heels or riding boots are required while riding. 2. Each club must have at least one responsible person in the stall area at all times. 3. Each club is responsible for their animals having proper food, hay, water, and bedding. 4. Horse play and rough housing are not allowed in the barn at any time. Water balloons and shaving cream fights are specifically prohibited. 5. Horses and ponies entering or exiting the barn must be wearing an appropriate bridle or halter and will be led by a person positioned to control the animal s head. Sitting on, riding, and lunging horses or ponies inside the barn are not allowed. 6. No more than ONE rider on a horse at a time. 7. Riders will avoid pedestrian traffic areas to the greatest extent possible and will take every precaution for the safety of pedestrians, themselves, and their mount at all times. No gait faster than a walk is permitted outside the arenas or practice area. 8. Animals may be turned out in the practice arenas only if the owner is present at all times and no one else wants to us the arena. 9. While in the barn, horses and ponies must be in their stall except when being groomed or tacked. Animals not in fully enclosed stalls must be tied appropriately. 10. Every stall must be cleaned daily prior to 8:00 am. All stalls, aisles, and other areas of the barn must be kept clean at all times. Areas will be inspected by a Jr. Fair Board representative to determine the club to be awarded the daily and weekly Clean Barn Award. All stalls and barns must be clean when the club leaves at the end of the fair. 11. Manure will be properly disposed of in designated areas. 12. One adult, age 21 or over, from each club must stay in the barn each night a youth from their club stays overnight. A list of these individuals, wanting to stay in the barn, will be provided to the Extension Office August 1 st. 13. Each club member must have submitted, to the Jr. Fair Board Office, a release form signed by a parent before being allowed to stay in the barn overnight. 14. Club members will personally notify the adult in charge prior to 9:00 pm each night they intend to stay in the barn. This notice will include information necessary to contact a parent or guardian in the event of an emergency. The adult in charge may refuse permission for the member to stay if that member previously misbehaved. These individuals will be reported to the Jr. Fair Superintendent. 15. Barns will close their doors at 11:00 pm (11:30 pm Friday and Saturday). Only members of that club, their parents and family, their advisors, and the Fair Board Officials will be allowed in the barn after the doors are closed. 16. Barn lights will be turned out and the barn quiet from ½ hour after closing until 6:00 am.
17. All advisors and parents are responsible for enforcing these rules at all times. Jr. Fair Board rules and penalties apply to the horse barns.