UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — During Ag Progress Days, Aug. 14-16, there will be several clinics on horsemanship skills and handling and training of young horses at the Equine Arena, at the top of Main Street at the Ag Progress Days site.
In addition, Penn State Equine Science faculty and staff and members of the Pennsylvania Equine Council will be available in the Equine Exhibits Building throughout the three days to answer questions and provide information on equine-related topics.
New this year, horse owners can join Penn State Extension’s equine team at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily to learn about fecal egg counts.
These tests are important to monitor a horse’s parasite load and can help owners plan a deworming schedule.
Visitors can bring a sample of their horse’s manure to be tested at no charge. Samples must be fresh (less than 12 hours old) and kept cold (refrigerate at home; bring in a cooler to test).
Draft horse hitch demonstrations by Spring Mount Percherons of Tyrone will take place daily, as will miniature horse performances.
Visitors can also meet members of the State Police Mounted Patrol and watch the Centre County 4-H Drill Team perform. There will be breed demonstrations of Arabian horses as well as working equitation clinics with Andalusian horses.
Racing
Carriage racing demonstrations by Grey Horse Stable, of Gettysburg, will return to Ag Progress Days this year, along with Rick Shafer and R & S Paso Finos, of Somerset.
The Percheron hitch and miniature horses will take center stage during the “Salute to America Evening Extravaganza,” slated for Wednesday beginning at 6 p.m. Joining them in the arena that night will be the Keystone Dressage and Combined Training Drill Team.
Also included in the extravaganza is the inaugural Miniature Horse Jumping Derby.
Quiz bowl
The annual Penn State Equine Science Horse Quiz Bowl, in which 4-H teams can test their equine knowledge against peers, will take place Thursday.
