2012 Penn State Extension Equine Program Highlights

Penn State Extension Equine Team

Promoting Care of the Horse, the Environment, and the Industry, through Research and Education

Because of the continual growth of the equine industry in Pennsylvania and the increasingly important role that the industry plays in supporting agriculture, the Penn State Extension Equine Team has been established to provide science based education that is both timely and relevant. The mission of the Penn State Extension Equine Team is to provide horse owners and farm managers, equine professionals, agricultural service providers, and agency representatives with the latest information on environmental stewardship and water quality, sustainable farm management practices, and horse health and well-being.

READ MORE about the Penn State Extension Equine Team

2012 Equine Programming Highlights

Horse Owners Listen Up-Things are Changing:
Piecing Together the Parasite Puzzle
February 4, 2012
9:00AM - 3:30PM
Eden Resort and Conference Center, 222 Eden Road, Lancaster, PA 17601
Cost: $55   

• Did you know that parasites are becoming resistant to the deworming products that are on the market today?
• Have you been faithfully deworming your horses every 6 weeks only to learn that this is no longer the recommended practice?
• Are you confused about when to worm your horse and how often?
• Do you know which horses on your farm have natural resistance to parasites and which may need to be dewormed more frequently?

Until recently, the common method of reducing parasite infections in horses was to rigorously deworm horses every 6 to 8 weeks.  Since there are only three major classes of deworming agents available, resistance to these drug classes is increasing and cases of resistant parasites are now being reported worldwide. De-worming agents do not create resistance, but as more and more of the parasites with resistance genes survive, treatment of the horses with that deworming agent will fail. Horses move frequently from state to state and often internationally as well and may move resistant parasites to new farms. 

Many horse owners, who have been faithfully deworming their horses every six weeks and rotating products, now realize that this is no longer the recommended protocol.   This one day short course will feature top specialists and researchers in the field who will review the life cycles of the parasites that infect horses and will explain how resistance occurs. The speakers will also discuss the effects of rainfall, temperature, pasture rotation and manure composting on parasite infection. 

Participants will learn how to prepare a slide and perform fecal egg counts and will be able to work with their veterinarian to develop a program targeted for their specific farm situation. Everyone that owns a horse or manages horses for others should attend this short course.

Horse Owners Listen Up-Things are Changing:
Equine Environmental Stewardship
March 7, 14, 21, and 28 - Lehigh County Ag Center, Allentown, PA
April 3, 10, 17, and 24 – Columbia County Extension Office
April 5, 12, 19, and 26 – Wayne County Extension Office

All sessions are evenings, 7:00PM - 9:30PM
Cost: $45 for all four sessions at each location

• Are you aware that all farms with animals in PA are required to have either a certified nutrient management or a manure management plan?
• Do you know how pastures can benefit your horses and how and when grazing may put some horses at risk?
• Do you know how to manage your pastures to increase forage quality and reduce weeds and toxic plants?
• Do you know how to compost manure so that it is a resource that you can use in your pastures?
• Do you know how to feed your horses to supply the proper levels of nutrients in their diet?

The Equine Environmental Stewardship short course is an exciting, four-part educational series that provides practical hands-on experiences that will help farm owners develop the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt environmentally sound farm management practices. Equine research is providing new information that is generating many changes in recommendations in the management practices that have been in place for many years.

Participants in this short course will be made aware of new and emerging information that will benefit their horses, their farms, and the environment. Participants will learn about forage biology, how to reduce grazing health risks, how to rotate and rest pastures to increase plant growth, how to identify grasses, weeds, and toxic plants, how to properly fertilize soil, how manure and nutrient management regulations will impact their farm, how to properly store, compost, and apply manure, and how to develop a feeding program for horses that meet but do not exceed nutritional requirements.

Horse Owners Listen Up-Things are Changing:
Caring for the Geriatric and Aging Horse
March 10, 2012
9:00AM - 3:30PM
Best Western Conference Center, 300 Gateway Drive, Bethlehem, PA 18017-9076
Cost: $45

This short course provides the latest information on managing the health and well-being of geriatric and older performance horses. Owners of older horses usually have cared for them for a long time and have developed a special bond with their animals. Research in the field of geriatric medicine has increased due to the interest of equine caretakers in enhancing the comfort, mobility and health of older horses. 

This short course will present the latest information on how to meet the nutritional needs of geriatric, underweight, and metabolically challenged horses. Other topics include: dealing with equine metabolic diseases, adopting practices to increase comfort and manage pain in older horses, understanding diseases associated with the aging process, developing appropriate vaccination, dentistry and deworming programs, and addressing the mental and physical needs of  geriatric and/or rescued horses.

This short course has been developed for barn managers, non-profit groups that care for older and/or neglected horses, and anyone that rides or cares for older horses.

Registration Form

For any of the course content information, or to arrange for a course to be offered in your locale, contact Donna Foulk.

To be added to the Equine Team email listserv regarding the Equine Program Team offerings, contact Norma Young.