December 2019/January 2020 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN December 2019/January 2020 Page 19 American Horse Council (AHC) Annual meeting attend- ees heard a proposal to building a national network of “hosts” to offer an apprenticeship and/ or certificate program to train domestic workers to meet the horse industry’s workforce needs. The rising shortage of document- ed workers for jobs in the equine industries has created a demand by equine industry employers to seek a new and better approach to finding, assessing, training and certifying a domestic workforce. Many equine industry employers have relied on access to a pool of foreign labor under the Federal When you need 100% of your horse’s beauty to shine through, look for a finishing spray that adds showstopping shine to every inch. Farnam is pleased to introduce Laser Sheen® Finishing Spray, an innovative new way to give your horse a consis- tent showring shine, even in hard-to reach places. It combines the trusted formula of Laser Sheen® Dazzling Shine & Detangler with a 360-degree continuous spray bottle for an even, gentle mist of unbeatable shine from mane to tail and everywhere in between. The non-aerosol, 360-degree spray bottle lightly mists up, down, under and around to ensure every inch of your horse gleams. By using no propellants, Laser Sheen® Finishing Spray dispenses almost silently and at room tempera- ture, to prevent startling your horse with uncomfortable sounds or cold temperature. Laser Sheen® Finishing Spray’s comfortable press-and-hold continuous sprayer head delivers a consistent, light mist no matter what angle it is spraying. With gentle detanglers that minimize hair breakage and a dirt-repelling shine that lasts up to seven days, Laser Sheen® Finishing Spray even cuts grooming time in half. The new can empties com- pletely and has a self-locking sprayer head to prevent wasted product. To learn more about Laser Sheen® Dazzling Shine & Detangler Finishing Spray and the complete line of Farnam® grooming products, visit www.farnam.com . Showstopping Shine is Easier Than Ever with Farnam’s New Laser Sheen ® Finishing Spray AHC Seeks Input on Equine Industry Workforce Needs Government’s H-2B Guest Work- er Visa program. In recent years, attempts at reforming the U.S. Immigration System and passing laws to address its shortcomings have failed. While the equine industries – like other industries - must continue to advocate for a better long-term approach to federal guest worker visas, the time has come for stakeholders in the equine industry to create a new domestic national workforce pipeline. The idea of building such a program has been met with much enthusiasm from all equine sectors including recreation, com- petition, racing, EAAT, rescues, carriage operators, etc. The AHC has formed a task force to assess the demand for such a program, identify competencies and cre- dentialing requirements, organize employer collaboratives and identify and evaluate educator/ training providers as well as other components to build a compelling business model. Members of the task force include: Remi Bellocq, Execu- tive Director, North American Racing Academy at Bluegrass Community and Technical College; Dr. Reid McLellan, PhD, Director of the Groom Elite Program; Dr. Jeff Berk, Board Chair of American Association Equine Practitioners; Christy Landwehr, Executive Director of Certified Horsemanship Associ- ation, Eric Hamelback, CEO of National Horseman’s Benevolent & Protective Association; Dr. Glenn Blodgett- Past President of American Quarter Horse Asso- ciation and chief veterinarian at the legendary Four Sixes Ranch; Bill Scebbi, Chair of Coalition of State Horse Councils; Michael Matz, American race horse trainer and former Olympic equestrian team member; and Laurie Mays, Equine Talent Pipeline Project Manager at Kentucky Chamber Foundation. AHC is actively seeking grants and collaborating with other organizations to solicit ideas and funding including sources like the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Commu- nity Colleges & State Land Grant Universities; and US Department of Labor Apprenticeships. Some subcommittees may be formed as research and data needs are identified. If you have any interest in being part of this initiative, please contact AHC President Julie Broadway at jbroadway@horsecouncil.org . It’s Probably NEW to You! Featuring new equine products and services FREE listing for your events! Submit event name, location, city, state and contact info to steph@ eastcoastequestrian.net by the 10th of the month preceding publication. The news PA, NJ, DE & MD horse owners need to know