OREGON — In 4-H, learning about horses means much more than learning to ride. Young people passionate about horses participated in recent statewide educational contests related to the equine industry. 4-H’s educational programs enhance members’ knowledge of horse health, breed characteristics, management, and feeding. That knowledge and skills were tested during the State 4-H Hippology Contest held on April 13 on the University of Illinois campus.
In hippology, youths are asked a wide range of questions, ranging from breed identification, anatomy, tack identification, and feed samples to disease management, parasite identification, and quality assessment. They also are given a timed problem-solving challenge they must solve on the spot in front of a panel of judges. Horse ownership is not a prerequisite in either educational programs or contests.
Ogle County Hippology team members did a great job! Intermediate Hippology results, fourth place was Addison Yordy, and 11th place was Adalyn Bocker. Junior Hippology results: fifth place was Addison Diehl, sixth place was Lily Hongsermeier, and 18th place was Kenzie Hongsermeier.
