Horse | 4-H Youth Development Program | Washington State University

Welcome to the Horse page! Here you’ll find activities, curriculum, and resources specific to the Horse project.

Horse projects are available to our Junior, Intermediate, and Senior 4-Hers, with the exception of Horseless Horse, which is for all ages.

Projects available are:

Horse
Horseless Horse

Curriculum & Resources

WSU Curriculum & Resources

The following resources are FREE DOWNLOADS unless otherwise indicated.

PNW587 – The 4-H Horse Project
EM4715E – Horses Are Fun: 4-H Horseless Horse Project
EM4842E – Beginning Horsemanship
PNW575 – 4-H Horse Judging Manual
EM2790E – 4-H Horse Advancement Member Guide
EM4869E – 4-H Horse Advancement Program Leader Guide
PNW608 – The 4-H Dressage Manual
PNW229 – The 4-H Driving Manual
PNW488 – Hunt Seat and Jumper Manual
C0015 – Light Horse Chart

The following safety resources are available from WSU Extension Publications unless otherwise indicated. Where applicable, prices are current as of October 1, 2023

EM4849E – Equestrian Safety: A Guide to Promotion of Helmet Use

DVD131 – Every Time…Every Ride…
$16.50

DVD132 – Ground Handling Horses Safely
$22.00

MISC581 – Ground Handling Horses Safely Facilitator Guide and Lesson Plan
$4.40

MISC582 – Equine Awareness Youth Education Program
NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

Resource for Volunteers:
FS240F – A Developmental Framework of 4-H Competition for Volunteers
– Michael Wallace, Extension Specialist

WA State 4-H Equine Policies & Rules

PNW574 – The PNW Horse Contest Guide (2015)

Addendum I: PNW 4-H Horse Contest Guide Changes in Rules for Washington 4-H Horse Program – Effective October 1, 2023
Addendum II: Clarification of Selected Rules in the PNW 4-H Horse Contest Guide for the Washington State 4-H Horse program – Effective October 1, 2023

Disciplined Rail Rules

Small Equine Information & Rules

Western Dressage Tests (Western Dressage Association)

Dressage Scoring Rubric

4-H State Fair Reining Pattern 2023 (Seniors)

State Knowledge Contest Rules – updated for 2023-24

WA State 4-H Horse Bowl Contest Rules
WA State 4-H Hippology Contest Rules
WA State 4-H Equine Presentation Rules
WA State 4-H Groom Squad Contest Rules – Coming Soon!
WA State 4-H Equine Contest Approved Source List

State & National Contest Resources, Dates, & Entry Forms

State Contest Rules – updated for 2023-24

WA State 4-H Horse Bowl Contest Rules
WA State 4-H Hippology Contest Rules
WA State 4-H Equine Presentation Rules
- WA State 4-H Equine Presentations Contest Registration
WA State 4-H Groom Squad Contest Rules – Coming Soon!
WA State 4-H Equine Contest Approved Source List

State Contest Dates & Locations

State 4-H Equine Presentation Contest – February 3, 2024 – Zoom
State 4-H Hippology Contest – May 4, 2024 – Grant County Fairground, Moses Lake
State 4-H Horse Bowl Contest – May 5, 2024 – Grant County Fairground, Moses Lake
State 4-H Horse Judging Contest – State Fair: date published with state fair schedule – Puyallup, WA
State Groom Squad Contest – State Fair: date published with state fair schedule – Puyallup, WA
State 4-H Contest Save-the-Date Flyer

National Contest Resources

Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup Contest Information

National 4-H Curriculum

The following curricula are published by National 4-H and are available for purchase at shop4-h.org/pages/curriculum. Prices are current as of October 1, 2023.