Organizers: Speaker lineup includes the best in the business
Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contact: Marvin Ensor, 325-653-4576, m-ensor@tamu.edu
MIDLAND – Horse enthusiasts of all genres should make tracks to the Permian Basin Horse Short Course set for May 16 in Midland, according to organizers who promise to feature some of the top equine experts in the state as speakers and demonstrators.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the event beginning with registration at 8:30 a.m. at the Midland Horseshoe Arena, 2514 Arena Trail.
“We’re very excited about this short course,” said Marvin Ensor, AgriLife Extension regional planning leader at San Angelo. “This is the first such horse program of this magnitude that we’ve had regionally in years.
“The speaker lineup and the topics they’ll address are second to none and there should be something to appeal to horse enthusiasts of all disciplines and experience levels.”
Ensor said the educational event offers a slate of speakers who are well known in equine circles, not only in the region, but across the state as well.
They include Dr. Bo Brock, veterinarian, author, Texas Tech instructor in the department of animal and food sciences and owner of Brock Veterinary Clinic in Lamesa. Brock’s topics are “Why did my Horse Colic?” and “Vaccinations and Management of the Traveling Horse.”
Dr. Robert Cobb, veterinarian and owner of Cobb Veterinary Clinic at Lubbock, and Dr. Tita Burnham, a veterinarian at the clinic, will also speak.
Burnham will discuss what a pre-purchase examination should reveal, and Cobb will conduct a trailer-loading demonstration.
Other topics and speakers will include:
– How to Feed the Working Horse for Optimum Performance —What the Researchers Tell Us!, Dr. Dennis Sigler, AgriLife Extension horse specialist, College Station.
– Exercise and Conditioning for the Weekend Warrior’s Mount, Jennifer Zoller, graduate assistant in Texas A&M University’s animal science department.
– Pasture Management for Horses, and How Body Condition Scores Apply to All Horses-Not Just Broodmares, Dr. Bruce Carpenter, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist at Fort Stockton.
– Proper Hoof Care — Trimming and Shoeing, Mike Lemons, Odessa College agricultural science department chair, Odessa.
– Selection and Fitting of Western Tack, Gary Dunshee, Big Bend Saddlery, Alpine.
Ensor said the day’s program will offer live demonstrations to support the presentations with plenty of hands-on and speaker interaction time scheduled.
Individual preregistration is $20 by May 12 and $30 thereafter and at the door. Participants may also register online at http://agrilife.org/westresults/registration/ .
To RSVP, call Nanette Johnson at 325-653-4576, ext. 216.
For more information, contact Ensor at 325-653-4576 or m-ensor@tamu.edu
Ensor said plans are to have the short course become an annual event that will rotate throughout the 45 counties comprising AgriLife Extension’s West Region.
“Along with our own agency experts, we’ll be recruiting well known professionals from a number of equine-related fields,” he said. “This year’s inaugural effort and the future short courses will be scheduled on Saturdays, so people who work during the week can attend.”
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