First and foremost, there is no cost to join!  Whether or not you own a horse, this 4-H project is great for horse lovers wanting to learn more about horses .  No experience is necessary.

Our goal is to educate horse lovers about horses and give them the opportunity to experience the joy of being with horses.   It has been proven that just having contact with horses builds self esteem, confidence and teaches responsibility.  Horses are being used more and more for therapy, both mental and physical.  Horse lovers have a special connection with horses that non-horse people will never experience and can never learn.

Requirements/Eligibility for Horseman Without Horses;

Only grades 3 - 12 are eligible for enrollment.

Must be a member of a 4-H Club, in Fulton County.   One option is the Horse & Pony Club (annual dues $3.00).  Meetings for this club are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month, beginning January of every year.  Sign-in starts at 6:45 p.m., with the meeting starting at 7:00 p.m.  There are other activities you can join by being a member of the Horse & Pony Club.  Find more information , click HERE.

A poster must be constructed and turned in on time for completion. 

A specific topic, for a poster, will be assigned according to the member's age.  Completed posters will be on display and judged during the Fulton County 4-H Fair.  Ribbons will be awarded according to placings.   More instructions will be provided during our meetings.  Members will be notified once meetings have been scheduled.

Members are not required to attend field trips, hands on learning or Horseman Without Horses meetings.

New and Improved

There's a whole new agenda for the Horseman Without Horses project.  Before, completing a poster was the project.  Beginning in  2006, along with completing a poster, members will get hands on learning, take field trips and experience horses upfront and in person.

Hands on learning will include, but not limited to, bathing, clipping, leading and grooming.  All hands on learning will be matched with the level experience of each member.  For the advanced members, hands on learning may include training techniques and riding.

Field trips will be made to such places that teach different ways horses are used and kept.  Some trips may include visiting a barn to watch horses get shod, see a specific breed of horse and watch a specific riding discipline.  Transportation will be the member's responsibility.

Each member will be asked to set a goal.   With the help of the project leader and volunteers, that goal will be met for the individual.  Goals can be something as simple as leading a horse by yourself to the more advanced goal of competing in a show.

Enrollment/Contact Info

Enrollment deadline is March 01, 2008.

Enrollment forms can be obtained at the Purdue Cooperative Extension Office, located at 1009 W. 3rd St., Rochester.   574-223-3397.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact the project leader, Tina Agnew, at 574-223-3767 or email jt@rtcol.com

* If you are a horse owner, barn manager, trainer, etc., and would like our group to visit, please contact Tina at the above contact information. *