Upcoming Programs
Hands on Horses
This is a 1-day hands-on approach to gaining knowledge associated with equine management.
This course will be taught on March 24th in Starkville at the MAFES Horse Unit.
For more information, please contact Dr. Clay Cavinder at clay.cavinder@msstate.edu.
Management 101: Ranch Horse Series
This is a 6-week course (Tuesday evenings from 6-9 pm) that will be taught outside of Batesville starting March 27.
Horse Management 101 is a program aimed to provide horse interested persons with the management and training skills necessary to promote successful practices. Topics will be discussed in a lecture setting and complimented with hands-on riding and training techniques. Lecture topics will address numerous aspects of equine businesses, while training topics will cover the basics needed to promote effective communication between horse and rider.
Youth Horse Judging Camp
We will be having a 3-day youth camp for kids age 12-18 who are interested in developing the skills needed to be successful competitors in horse judging contests. This camp will address all aspects of judging (Western, English, Halter, and Reasons) and be done so in a fun and inviting atmosphere. No matter if the child is brand new to judging or a seasoned veteran, all will gain knowledge and experience. Live judging contest with awards will wrap up the 3-day event. Date for this camp is June 1-3! Itinerary and more information to come.
Publications
News
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Each February marks the occasion for producers to share their research and programming needs with Mississippi State University agricultural specialists in person.
To comply with COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, the opportunity will be extended virtually this year.
The romantic idea of owning and riding horses often does not match the costly and time-consuming reality of maintaining them, a discrepancy being addressed in workshops aimed at making horse ownership more rewarding.
Clay Cavinder, horse specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, offers a one-day workshop and a six-week program to address the tremendous amount of information that a horse owner must absorb.
Horsemanship clinics, camps and competitions are uniting young horse enthusiasts with mature, experienced riders across the state as interest booms in the sometimes athletic and always fun equine activities.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Just summarizing the drastic increase in activities held at the Mississippi Horse Park over its 19-year history does not do justice to the uniqueness of this facility and the challenges it has faced.
The Mississippi Horse Park, which grew from 23 events in 1999 to 100 in 2017, is a Mississippi State University facility operated in partnership with the city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County. It generates all the funds needed to support its operations.
Bricklee Miller, horse park director, said the facility recently received its first grant from the Mississippi Development Authority to advance its activities.
ELLISVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University representatives met with agricultural clients in Ellisville recently to discuss research and education needs for 2018. More than 115 individuals attended this year's event.
Success Stories
Vardaman producer named Farmer of the Year
When Joe Edmondson surveys his farming operation at Topashaw Farms, he thinks about his more than 40 full-time employees and the hundreds of seasonal workers who work the acres.
He joined the US Marine Corps to serve and protect the country, and, as a Marine in Iraq, Lance McElhenney felt 10 feet tall and bulletproof.
In this "What's New in Extension," Extension agents implement better safety standards, train to deliver Mental Health First Aid, and receive national recognition. Also, new irrigation and specialists join the Extension family.
Mississippi 4-H youth horse instructor Tom McBeath takes great pride in having taught two generations of students, and he is now recognized as one of the best in the country at what he does.
