So what is the 2016 AYHC Symposium and why am I so excited that it will be held in conjunction with IEA National Finals?
The AYHC Symposium:
- Is a three-day conference
- Is open to youth and adults across all breeds and disciplines
- Offers a variety of educational and leadership building activities
- Provides the opportunity for youth and professional equestrians to connect with each other nationwide
We all know that the equine industry is driven by the relationships we build with each other. The AYHC symposium will give the IEA riders, parents, and professionals who attend 2016 IEA National Finals an opportunity to create relationships with other equine industry participants across breeds, disciplines, and geographical barriers and increase their equine knowledge and leadership skills at the same time.
Excited yet? I had the great honor and pleasure to attend the 2015 AYHC symposium this weekend in Redmond, Oregon along with IEA executive director Roxane Lawrence. I got to see firsthand the work this group is doing to share knowledge and connect youth to the horse industry. Here is a quick rundown of what went on last weekend.
2015 AYHC Symposium--Redmond, Oregon
FRIDAY
Youth Barn Raising
The youth members were split into groups of three and given basic craft supplies (popsicle sticks, straws, marshmallows, tin foil, cardboard, etc.) and a scenario for an equine business (one was a thoroughbred racing facility, another was a working cow horse training barn). Each group had a half hour to build their facility from scratch using the supplies provided. When time was up they shared their design with the rest of the groups.
Horse Smarts Roundup
This was a horsemanship quiz set up like a lab practical. There were ten stations each with ten questions, for a total of 100 questions. Stations included equine diseases, harmful plants, anatomy, genetics, etc. The students were given two minutes per station. The top three scorers were recognized during the banquet Saturday night and presented with a certificate and cash prize!
Adult/Professional Round Table Discussions
While the youth were busy building barns and showing off their equine knowledge, the parents and professionals participated in a series of small group round table discussions including:
- Social media tools to promote, fund raise, and communicate
- Conflict management
- Curriculum and educational tools for youth
- Risk management and safety
- Developing leadership skills in your youth members
- Keys to growing your membership
- Youth/collegiate equestrian teams-how to get started (Roxane led this discussion)
Local Area Barn Tour
Buses were provided to take participants around to local barns to see these equine businesses up close. This part of the symposium will be amazing in Lexington!
SATURDAY
Saturday morning was filled with talks given by professionals from all areas of the equine industry. Three talks were given at the same time, one each targeting youth, adults, and professionals, though anyone could go to any of the talks. The hardest part was deciding which one to attend! Here were Saturday mornings offerings:
Session One:
- Youth: The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (Roxane again)
- Adult: Environmental Stewardship I
- Professional: Equine Risk Laws and Liability
Session Two:
- Youth: Youth Equine Olympics (held at local barn 4U Performance Horses)
- Adult: Equine Welfare, Fact versus Emotion
- Professional: Environmental Stewardship II
Session Three:
- Youth: Youth Equine Olympics (continued at 4U Performance Horses)
- Adult: What is the AYHC and Why Should I Join
- Professional: Building Partnerships with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) (these are the mustang folks, really cool to hear what they do on a day to day basis)
Arena Demonstration
Saturday afternoon everyone loaded up on buses to watch an arena demonstration on ranch sorting and team penning. As an east coast resident where it seems hunt seat riding has most of the spot light, I loved that the arena demonstrations focused on western events. Those kids out in Oregon are so comfortable working around cattle and other livestock on their horses. Very cool!
Awards Banquet
Saturday evening we all got together for some good food, entertainment, and awards. Afterwards, the youth had their own round table discussions.
Youth Round Table Discussions
Topics they discussed:
- The problem of unwanted horses
- How to combat cost of horse keeping
- How would you resolve the issue of overbreeding?
- Educating owners who don't understand horses
- Loss of trails and riding areas
- If you could ride any horse (alive today or not) who would you ride?
- Attracting youth to the horse industry
- Keeping youth involved in the horse industry
- New York City carriage horses, should they be banned or not?
SUNDAY
The symposium wrapped up on Sunday morning with three more rounds of talks.
Session Four:
- Youth: Leadership Strategies for your Organization
- Adult: Ten Fun and Educational Activities for the Busy Horse Leader
- Professional: Equine Supplements and Nutraceuticals
Session Five:
- Youth: Improving Equine Welfare in South America
- Adult: Managing Multiple Disciplines and Skill Levels in One Arena
- Professional: Marketing and Social Media
Session Six:
- Youth: Talking Terror (equine fear response)
- Adult: Communication--Videography and Beyond
- Professional: Animal Welfare Issues
Whew! I'm worn out just thinking about everything I did and everything I learned last weekend!
I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend this conference. I left Oregon with a greater understanding and appreciation for important topics in the equine industry as well as many new friendships and professional connections.
I can't wait for the IEA riders that attend the 2016 National Finals to have these same opportunities.
For more information on the American Youth Horse Council, visit their website:
http://www.ayhc.com/
Amanda Garner is an Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), and Georgia Hunter Jumper Association (GHJA) steward, schooling show judge, head coach of the University of North Georgia IHSA Equestrian Team, and owner of Epiphany Farm, LLC in Dahlonega, Georgia. She is also a member of the IEA Board of Directors and the author of "A Parent's Guide to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association."
If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to like and share on Facebook.
Thanks! --Amanda
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