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4-H Youth Development
Join 4-HProjectsMembersEventsVolunteersDonateEducatorsContact
Join 4-HProjectsMembersEventsVolunteersDonateEducatorsContact
OSU Extension Ferguson College of Ag Ag Research

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Upcoming Events


2026 Horse Volunteers Conference

4-H Horse Project volunteers, parents and teens, join us on Saturday, Jan. 10, for a day full of information sharing, learning and connecting with others who share your passion for 4-H and horses! Sessions will include:

  • Sportsmanship — for fellow exhibitors, show management, parents and horses.
  • Activities in the horse project beyond the show ring.
  • Disaster preparedness — to get you ready for spring!
  • Show ring etiquette — don’t be that person!

Date: Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026

When: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Location: Agricultural Hall, Stillwater, OK

Registration Cost: $20

Contact: khiney@okstate.edu | (405) 744-9291

Register for Horse Volunteers Conference

2026 State 4-H Horse & Dog Communications Contests & Quiz Bowl

Event Date: Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

When: Check-in at 8:30 a.m., start at 9 a.m.

Location: OSU Agricultural Hall, Stillwater

Register by: Jan. 20 at 5 p.m.

Register for Communications Contests and Quiz Bowl

2026 State 4-H Horse & Dog Digital Photography Contest

General Information

The 4-H Horse & Dog Digital Photography contest will consist of digital photos submitted electronically in ZSuite. This will allow for easier submission and more opportunities to display photos at various events throughout the year.

All photos should focus on one of the following categories:

  • Horses inaction – example: A horse rounding a barrel or jumping a fence.
  • Human/Horse Bond – example: A child smiling while petting a pony.
  • Horses in a natural state - example: A horse grazing in a pasture.
  • Dogs in action - example: Dog performing rally activities, dog playing fetch.
  • Human/Dog Bond – example: Humans and dogs enjoying each other’s company.
  • Dogs in a natural state – example: A dog resting in a backyard.

Register by: Jan. 20 at 5 p.m.

Entries must be received by Jan. 20, 2026, in order to be considered.

Register for Digital Photography Contest

Karen Richardson Horseman of the Year Scholarship Application

All applicants must submit their completed resume/scholarship application to the State Equine Extension Specialist by June 15 for consideration.

Karen Richardson Horseman of the Year Scholarship Application

Past Events and Workshop Topics

  • Topics from 2025
    • 2025 State 4-H Horse and Dog Communication Contest
      • Date and Location: The 2025 State 4-H Horse and Dog Communication Contest took place on February 8, 2024, at the New OSU Agricultural Hall.
      • Cost of attendance per contestant is a $10 fee, not my contest.
      • Members had the option to enter up to two different contests from the six categories: Speech (Dog or Horse), Illustrated Presentation (Dog or Horse) or Team Problem (Horse only).
    • 2025 4-H OK Horse Show
      • Date: The date of the 2025 4-H OK Horse Show was July 10-12, 2025.
      • This program encourages experienced 4-H members to develop and demonstrate their ability to train young horses. It promotes improved horsemanship by having participants take responsibility for the care, preparation and training of their horse project.
    • Horse Communication Contest
      • Date and Location: The 2025 Horse Communication Contest was on February 3, 2024, at the Agriculture Hall, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK.
  • Topics from 2024
    • Horse Owner's Workshop
      • Presented by OSU Animal and Food Science Department. The Horse Owner’s Workshops are intended to benefit horse owners and youth leaders by providing quality information on equine health, management and safety.
      • Date and location: The Horse Owner's Workshop took place on March 2, 2024, in Stillwater, OK.
    • OK Open and 4-H Judges Seminar
      • Date, time and location: The OK Open and 4-H Judges Seminar took place on January 13, 2024, between 8am - 5pm in Stillwater, OK.
    • Horse Science Academy
      • This workshop is designed for high school aged students to incorporate STEM disciplines with their interest in horses. It focuses on using math and science to make economical, ethical and sustainable decisions regarding equine health care and management.
      • Location: The 2024 Horse Science Academy took place in Cline Center, Stillwater, OK.
      • Cost of attendance per contestant is $40.
      • Contact: khiney@okstate.edu or (405) 744-9291
    • Oklahoma 4-H Horse Heritage Experience
  • Topics from 2023
    • Horse Science Academy
      • A STEM Workshop for high school aged youth interested in horses, where students learn about fecal egg count, deworming, genetics, breeding and more.
      • Date and location: The 2023 Horse Science Academy took place on November 11, 2023 at the Cline Center in Stillwater, OK.
      • Cost of attendance is $40. Fees include supplies, notebook, snacks and lunch.
  • Topics from 2021
    • Operant conditioning: Whose operating who? Students explored the scientific concepts behind behavior modification, as it applies to all species, but specifically to the horse. Students experimented with their use of positive and negative reinforcement to achieve a learning goal in an animal subject. Equine senses and ethology were emphasized.
    • First aid- Students learned the basics of first aid, with an emphasis on biological systems and wound healing. Laboratories included blood clotting, calculating dilutions of wound cleansing disinfectants and more. Cost of attendance is $40 until November 1: includes lunch, lab notebook, and supplies.
    • Equine Nutrition - Equine digestive anatomy – Following a brief lecture on the unique features of equine digestive anatomy, in teams, students built their own model of the equine digestive tract.
  • Topics from 2020: The Equine Athlete
    • Anatomy of the equine athlete– Students gained a greater understanding of equine biology and what contributes to horses' extreme athletic ability. We began with a short introduction to the equine cardiorespiratory system and then moved to a hands-on laboratory session of comparative anatomy utilizing bovine and equine specimens.
    • Fitness assessment– The in-class discussion covered assessment of equine fitness and exercise, followed by a hands-on lab, where we performed data collection on horses undergoing a standardized exercise test. Students assisted in data collection including respiration rates, heart rates, temperatures and hematocrits. Students used their results to determine relative fitness of the horses.
  • Topics from 2019
    • Internal parasites, strategic deworming, fecal egg counts, body weight and condition scoring, and physical exams.
  • Topics from 2018
    • Equine Anatomy - Students learned the scientific language to describe anatomical locations, bones and soft tissue structures of the appendicular skeleton using in class and cadaver limb dissections.
    • State 4-H Horse Show
      • Location: The State 4-H Horse show took place at the Grady County Fairgrounds
      • Are you ready for the show?
    • Summer Horsemanship Camp
      • Location: The Summer Horsemanship Camp took place at the Totusek Arena and Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center.
      • It is limited to 20 youth and cost of attendance is $100.
      • It is a camp conducted through the very well-established Texas A&M Summer Horsemanship camp, featuring instruction in basic horsemanship, rider position, horse body control, tack and equipment and much more.
    • Boxing and Ranch Roping Clinic
      • Location: The Boxing and Ranch Roping Clinic took place at the Totusek Arena and Charles and Linda Cline Equine Teaching Center
      • OSU Extension is pleased to bring a cooperative event with the National Reined Cowhorse Association to the youth of Oklahoma. Nationally renowned clinicians Todd Crawford and Russel Dilday will present a day long clinic on working cowhorse/boxing and ranch roping. Clinic participation will be limited to 40 riders, but unlimited auditing will be allowed. Riders will participate in dry work, boxing, ranch roping and working their horse on a flag. The clinic is open to enrolled 4-H members. There will be a $25 cattle fee per rider.
    • Horse Owner's Workshop
      • Presented by OSU Animal and Food Science Department.
      • The Horse Owner's Workshop (HOW) will be held virtually at a date March 5, 2022. Seminars will be held Thursday evenings from 7-9 on dates to be determined. Registered participants will have access to recorded presentations and supplementary materials via secure Dropbox links and passcode protected links to the webinars.
      • Presenters will be available to address questions from the participants.
      • The Horse Owner’s Workshops are intended to benefit horse owners and youth leaders by providing quality information on equine health, management and safety.
      • Registration is $10 and includes 60-day access to materials. All registration fees will be used to support Special Clovers Equestrian program.