The fifth annual Ranch Horse Program will kick off the Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course activities on July 31 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ’56 Equine Complex, 3240 F and B Road, College Station.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program is free to all Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course participants or $50 at the door for nonparticipants. To register for the Ranch Horse Program, go to https://tx.ag/RanchHorseReg.
“Horses are still very much a part of the livestock industry in Texas and serve a vital role in many cattle operations,” said Jennifer Zoller, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horse specialist in the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science.
“The growth and popularity of stock horse competitions are leading even more people to appreciate the ranch horse and consider their use on a working outfit. The BCSC Ranch Horse Program is designed to meet the needs of this growing population of working horse enthusiasts. Horse owners and riders of all experience levels and interests are welcome and encouraged to attend.”
Zoller said the event typically attracts between 100 to 120 participants, including everyone from those just thinking about purchasing a horse to producers who have been breeding, training and showing horses for years.
On the program
The program will feature an afternoon at the arena with professional horseman Mike Major, Bowie. Major is a multiple-time champion in the arena at American Quarter Horse Association and Stock Horse of Texas events. He is also the 2022 Road to the Horse World Champion and recipient of the Jack Brainard Horsemanship Award. Major and his family run cattle in New Mexico, where all his show horses are also used as ranch horses.
Other topics and speakers include:
– Emergency Preparedness – Wesley Bissett, DVM, Ph.D., interim department head, Large Animal Clinical Sciences in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team director, Bryan-College Station.
– Pasture Management – Larry Redmon, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension program leader and associate head, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
– Bit Mechanics and Use – Greg Darnall, master bit maker and horseman, McKinney.
For more information, contact Zoller at [email protected] or Hanna Galloway, with the Texas A&M Equine Initiative, at [email protected].
