Penn State Extension Equine Team Programs
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These Web pages are for anyone interested in learning more about horses and the Pennsylvania Equine Industry. Whatever your horse level of experience or breed interest you can benefit from the educational opportunities offered by Penn State’s Equine Extension Program.
Penn State Horse Newsletter
The Horse Newsletter publishes articles on the many facets of horse health, management, Penn State equine events related to the horse industry in Pennsylvania, edited by Dr Swinker. More about the Penn State Horse Newsletter...
Extension Programs--offered throughout Pennsylvania
Equine Extension Flyer
Penn State Extension Equine Team Workshop/Short Course Offerings
If you are interested in hosting a program in your area, inquiries can be directed to Dr. Ann Swinker at aswinker@psu.edu or 814-865-7810 or Donna Foulk at dlf5@psu.edu or 610-746-1970.
Equine Environmental Stewardship Program
A series of Environmental Short Courses has been developed for delivery through county extension programs this year. The Equine Environmental Stewardship Short Course will provide information and “hands on” learning experiences designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop sustainable and environmentally sound farm management practices. The short course will include a minimum of 12 hours of instruction and activities and will be offered at several locations throughout the state.
The curriculum focuses on pasture management for the horse and includes the following topics: Pasture Grazing Basics, Pasture Plants & Pasture Renovation, Soil Fertility Management, Weed Management and Nutrient Management. The series has been developed by educators and specialists at the university. Contact your local Pennsylvania Extension Office to find a program in your area.
Resources:
Fact Sheet
Equine Extension Stewardship Program and the Nutrient and Sediment Project for the Chesapeake Bay Tributary
Regional educational programs and demonstrations include information to equine owners on environmental stewardship. The 2009 Equine Issues forum, "How Green is Your Farm," concentrated on educational information concerning a wide range of solutions and management ideas that can improve the quality of water supplies in the Chesapeake Watershed and across the state. The project taking place in 2008-2010. In 2009 Equine operations within the Chesapeake Tributary participated. More information about the Penn State Equine Nutrient and Sediment Management project for the Chesapeake Bay Tributary and...
More information about the Equine Issues Forum, and "How Green is Your Farm"Equine Identification Project
The Penn State Equine Identification Project collected information about the advantages and disadvantages of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS). This information obtained from the project was submitted to the committees involved with NAIS for consideration. On August 9, 2011, USDA issued a proposed rule to establish general regulations for improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate when animal disease events take place. The Animal Disease Traceability Program (ADTP) proposed had a comment period which ended Dec 9, 2011. ADTP proposes to establish minimum national official identification and documentation requirements for the traceability of livestock moving interstate. The purpose of this rule making is to improve our ability to trace livestock in the event that disease is found.
The project took place in 2007-2009. 4-H members, their families, and 4-H leaders in ten PA counties participated. More information about the Equine Identification Project...
Economic Impact and Population Study
The equine industry of Pennsylvania is the second largest animal agricultural industry in PA and directly accounts for over $10 billion of economic activity for Pennsylvania’s economy. There are currently 216,000 horses, mules, donkey and burros raised on 31,000 different locations across Pennsylvania. Equine owners devote 1.14 million acres of land in Pennsylvania for equine purposes with associated assets totaling nearly $8.27 billion. Overall, the equine industry provides 20,300 jobs annually to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. More information about the Economic Impact and Population Study...
