Britches & Boots 4-H Horse Club begins new year with contests
Published 4:21 pm Thursday, November 12, 2020
- Maddie Tomlin with her horse, Ash. They won first place. Submitted | Maura Britt
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By Maura Britt
COURTLAND
Alana Holzer with her horse Liberty. They won second place. Submitted | Maura Britt
The new 4-H year began on Oct. 1, and runs through Sept. 30, 2021. The Britches & Boots 4-H Horse Club met in August and September to plan activities for the new 4-H year after many months of not being able to meet in person due to the pandemic. The club planned its first costume contest with riding (mounted) and non-riding (unmounted) activities for all members. They discussed different options for divisions and designed the ribbons.
The Horse & Rider Costume Theme division was for our Junior and Senior club members with a costume-coordinated theme for the horse and rider. The rider must mount, demonstrate the horse is comfortable and safe with the costume, follow the judge’s directions and line up for final judging. Blue Fox Stables hosted the mounted division.
Division 2 was our model horse and handler costume competition. This was open to all members — Cloverbuds (ages 5-8), Juniors (ages 9-13) and Seniors (ages 14-19). They could use any model horse (example: Breyer, Grand Champion, Schleich, etc.) and handler (club member), and must be coordinated with one theme. Each 4-Her would move their horse in a circle at the walk around the ring, demonstrating the costume is secure and safe, then line up and halt for final judging.
Our last division was a horse craft art competition, in which 4-Hers created their own craft with the Halloween/Fall theme. Competitors could use any horsey item as a base to decorate, such as old boots, old saddle pad, old horseshoes, etc.
The members had a lot of fun with our competition. The club has planned its November meeting/clinic to visit Dr. Kate at Dominion Equine Clinic. We will have a tour of the facility and learn about dental care for horses. Our December meeting will include our Christmas party and service project.
If you love horses, then join the Britches & Boots 4-H Horse Club. Meetings are once a month either in person with a face mask or via Zoom Virtual Meeting. All members must register because the 4-H insurance covers you while you are attending meetings and activities. Register online at https://v2.4honline.com or call the Southampton County Extension Office at 757-653-2572.
MAURA BRITT is leader of the Britches & Boots 4-H Horse Club. Contact her at ballyshannonec@aol.com.
