August 2023 Issue

Page 24 August 2023 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian! The Equine Experience at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days, to be held August 8-10, will fea- ture demonstrations, interaction with Penn State equine science faculty and staff, and the chance Equines Featured at Ag Progress Days on August 8-10 to learn about horse health and care. Located at the top of Main Street at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center in Pennsylvania Furnace, the Equine Arena and Equine Exhibits Build- ing will showcase the versatility of the horses and horse breeds, as well as highlight information about forage, pasture manage- ment and stable facilities. “Last year, we had great crowds for our equine demon- strations,” said Danielle Smarsh, equine extension specialist and assistant professor of equine science in the College of Agricul- tural Sciences. “We are bring- ing back many of our favorite exhibitors, so I hope people will return to Ag Progress Days to see all the wonderful horses and learn something new.” Equine science faculty, staff and members of the Pennsylvania Equine Council will be available to answer questions and provide information on equine-related top- ics in the Equine Exhibits Building throughout the three-day show. This year’s arena demon- strations cover topics for every interest and horsemanship level. Highlights include: Tuesday, Aug. 8 • The Pennsylvania State Police Mounted Patrol will conduct two demonstrations to highlight the work of the police horses. • Penn State Extension’s 4-H Team Horse Power — compris- ing teens interested in the equine industry who have passed the first two levels of the Pennsylvania 4-H Horsemanship Skills Pro- gram — will host demonstrations on basic safety and horseman- ship. Team Horse Power repre- sentatives teach horsemanship and safety skills at clinics, camps and workshops throughout Penn- sylvania while promoting the 4-H program. • Visitors can learn the basics of handling and training young horses in demonstrations with the University’s Quarter Horses. Wednesday, Aug. 9 • The Keystone Dressage and Combined Drill Team will return to Ag Process Days to put its horses through their paces. • Rick Shaffer of R&S Paso Fino Stables of Somerset will return for two breed clinics and riding demonstrations. • The Capital Area Thera- peutic Riding Association Youth Ambassadors will show off their miniature horses in two demos. • The Wednesday evening extravaganza will include an- other demo from Spring Mount Percherons and a salute to Amer- ica, followed by a mini jumping derby. Thursday, Aug. 10 • Penn State Extension’s 4-H Team Horse Power will re- turn to host more demonstrations on basic safety and horseman- ship. • Visitors will have another opportunity to learn the basics of handling and training young horses in demonstrations with the University’s Quarter Horses. • To wrap up Ag Progress Days, 4-H teams will challenge their peers in an equine knowl- edge competition during the annual Penn State Equine Science Horse Quiz Bowl Thursday. Over all three days, Spring Mount Percherons, owned and shown by David and Linda Hershey of Warriors Mark, PA will be on site with a six-horse hitch demonstration. This year, Ag Progress Days will welcome Gail Eichelberger, current presi- dent of the Pennsylvania Equine Council, and her husband, Richard Eichelberger, to speak each day about gaited horses. Attendees can also attend a Bear Hill Horse Logging demonstra- tion to learn more about horse logging and restorative forestry daily. Bear Hill specializes in low-impact timber management, selective harvests and wetlands logging. Sponsored by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State Col- lege on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 8; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 9; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 10. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit agsci.psu.edu/apd or facebook. com/AgProgressDays.