When: Tentative - June 2-5, 2025

Where: Tentative - Southern NM State Fair Grounds, Las Cruces, NM

A MINIMUM OF 30 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS MUST APPLY TO HOLD EVENT

The New Mexico 4-H Horse School provides New Mexico youth, parents, and adult leaders with useful information and skill development related to horses and horsemanship.

The program was developed to:

• Provide continuity and standardize educational information
• Support volunteer leader efforts
• Help train junior 4-H leaders
• Strengthen the educational value of county or club 4-H Horse project opportunities.

Since the beginning the schools have been based on the philosophy of education in a hands-on, learn by doing environment. Participants are able to utilize lengthy riding sessions supported by line demonstrations of pertinent subject matter.

The available facilities provide a unique opportunity for the youth, parents, leaders, and instructors to be close together and concentrate on horses and horsemanship for one week. There is one outdoor arena and one indoor arena in which they will divide in half providing four riding areas. Staying together and working close together builds a comradeship among the youth, leaders, and instructors. With the number of arenas available, the number of students per instructor is small. The school also offers adult only groups (if instructors and time allow).

When the students are not riding, they are required to attend workshops. These workshops not only cover equine related subjects, but fun topics as well, such as a western dance workshop. The school is self-supporting and there is a continuous effort to keep the cost low so the school will be available for any youth in New Mexico.

The core of the school is the instructors. Each year very competent horse people volunteer their time in order to spend a week at horse school sharing their knowledge and expertise with youth. There has continually been a waiting list to be an instructor at school.

Potential instructors are closely screened. A potential instructor not only must be a knowledgeable horse person, but also must relate to youth in a positive, enthusiastic manner.

While the focus of Horse School is horsemanship, the total program continues to target statewide issues of: (1) developing youth potential and (2) quality of life for New Mexico citizens, thereby addressing state initiatives such as leadership development, strengthening family relationships, and life skills for 4-H members. The school challenges youth, promotes enthusiasm, builds competence and confidence, and helps validate the ongoing efforts of volunteer leaders.

Attendees must be in compliance with current New Mexico Livestock Board Guidelines for 4-H / FFA members.

• 2025 Horse School Flyer - Save the Date 

• 2025 Horse School General Rules
  *Contact your county office to register.
• 2025 Horse School Junior Counselor Application 
• 2025 Horse School Information 

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