Horse Judging Clinic

When: March 14, 2009

Where: Millstone 4-H Camp - Ellerbe, NC

Cost: $20 per person (lunch included)

Registration Deadline: February 23rd

The South Central District invites any 4-Her interested in horse judging to participate in this clinic. Debbie Barham-Campbell, leader of The Young Riders 4-H Club will be conducting the clinic with help from our state 4-H office and some other former World-Judging team youth. Debbie has coached several NC State Judging teams that have gone on to compete and win at National and World Competitions. You won’t want to miss out on this great opportu-nity. Anyone interested in bringing a horse to show in the clinic should email Brandywine4h@yahoo.com or call 704-545-8043. To see a complete flyer on the event, click here or for a registration form click here.

2009 State WHEP Contest

The contest will be held on April 18, 2009, at Holmes Educational State Forest. Holmes ESF is located in Henderson County. The registration form is also now online, and the registration deadline is April 1st. Visit the national WHEP page and take a look at their manual, especially the Southeast Mixed and Outer Coastal Plain Forest region and the Eastern Decidious Forest region.

If you have any questions or are interested in putting a team together, please contact the 4-H Office at 336-372-5597.

Shooting Sport Workshop

The Spring 2009 North Carolina 4-H Shooting Sports Workshop will be held at Sertoma 4-H Center, April 17-19, 2009. Nationally certified 4-H Shooting Sports instructors from our state will direct the learning experiences. Participants must be at least 18 years old and be registered as a 4-H volunteer in their county. Jr. Leaders should be 15 -17 years old and supervised by an adult from the county. Participants will be selected through an application process. No more than 15 participants will be selected in the disciplines of rifle, shotgun, archery, muzzleloading and pistol. For an application, please click here.

REMINDER - PROJECT RECORD BOOK DEADLINE

All completed Project Record Books are due to the 4-H Office no later 5:00 pm on January 30. If you need help or have questions please contact me or your club leader. District winners will be sent on to the State level.

Youth Poultry Club

Interested in learning how to raise, care for, and show chickens, guineas or ducks? Want to know what an Andalusian, a Langshan and a Cochin are? Come out and be a part of the new youth poultry club.

The first meeting will be January 27th at 5:30 p.m and is open to all youth between the ages of 5 and 18. The meeting will be held at the Stoneman's house. For more information contact Steven Stoneman at (336) 572-9185 or the 4-H Office at (336) 372-5597.


Stoneman Address: 410 Brooks Rd., Glade Valley, NC



Directions: From Sparta, follow 21 south to Shawtown Rd. Take a left onto Shawtown Rd. and continue approximately 1/2 mile. Turn right onto Brooks Rd. Follow approximately .4 miles and look for 410 Brooks Rd. There will be balloons on the mailbox directly across from the house.

Managing Horses in Cold Weather

With the upcoming cold weather thought this may be of use to some of our horse lovers. If you have any additional questions, please contact the Alleghany Extension Office at 336-372-5597 or Tim Potter at the Forsyth Extension Office.

Lower critical temperature (LCT) is defined as the lowest temperature at which horses can maintain their body weight and condition without increasing their dietary energy (DE) intake. The LCT for mature horses in temperate climates is 41 degrees F. If/when cold weather persists at temperatures below LCT, an increase in DE may be necessary.

A mature horse will require 25% additional DE when the temperature is 31 degrees F (10 degrees below LCT). A mature horse weighing 1000 lbs will have an average DE requirement of 16.7 Mcal (16700 calories) per day. If this horse is eating 12 lbs of hay @ 800 cal/lb, he/she would consume 9600 kcal of DE from hay, and would require another 7100 kcal DE from grain, which using 1200 kcal/lb as an average for grain, would amount to being fed 5.9 lbs of feed.

At a temperature of 31 degrees F, the energy requirement for this mature horse would increase to 20,875 kcal of DE (16700 maintenance X 1.25). The common assumption is that we need to increase the amount of grain being fed, which in this scenario would increase grain intake from 5.9 to 7.4 lbs. From a management standpoint, this potentially could be dangerous to increase grain that much overnight.

It is therefore recommended by NRC to provide hay free choice and allow horses to eat to their DE requirement. This provides the safest environment in which to increase DE intake during cold weather. In the cases of growing, working, thin or aged horses, an increase in grain may also be necessary, provided that this increase is done gradually. As with most scenarios in feeding horses, the best indicator is to monitor body condition.

Vitamin and/or mineral supplementation is not necessary during cold weather, and water should be provided free-choice. Most digestive disorders that occur during cold weather can be traced back to decreased water intake during that time. We can ensure consistent water intake during cold weather most easily by using trace mineralized salt blocks, electrolytes, or in some cases, by heating water to no more than 50 degrees F.

Finally, a study was conducted that looked at heat loss of horses during cold weather and the relationship to shelters, rugs and/or blankets. Results of that study indicated that heat loss during cold weather was reduced by 9, 18 and 26% by providing shelter, rugs or blankets, or shelters plus rugs/blankets, respectively.

If you have questions or want this addressed in seminar format, let me know.
Thanks,
Tim

J.Tim Potter, Ph.D., PAS
Area Specialized Agent-Equine
North Carolina State University
1450 Fairchild Road
Winston Salem, NC 27105
Phone 336.703.2850

Safety when Hauling Horses

Lots of people forget the basics when hauling horses.

When hauling horses, regardless of type of trailer, you must be aware of several safety factors. We have seen many instances where trailers were used without safety chains attached; it is very important to be sure the hitch is fastened securely and the chains are fastened in place. In transporting horses, we see many people who fail to provide enough braking distance for vehicles in front of them. We must remember that we cannot stop this truck and trailer in the same distance we could stop a car. Sudden, quick stops such as these can and do throw a horse off balance, and in some cases, throw them down. Horses should be tied when hauled as well. Particularly in stock type trailers where multiple horses are together, it is important to keep them as stationary as possible.

We have talked with many horse owners over the years that have experienced problems in loading and trailering horses. Almost without exception, we identified the problem as the horse having had a bad experience in the trailer, and subsequently had no interest in being loaded. Every horse owner we talked to informed us that the horse had been subjected to a fast sudden stop or had been thrown down in the trailer. Minimize these types of experiences and you should be able to eliminate most of your loading and trailering problems.

Thanks,

Tim


J.Tim Potter, Ph.D., PAS
Area Specialized Agent-Equine
North Carolina State University
1450 Fairchild Road
Winston Salem, NC 27105
Phone 336.703.2850
Fax 336.767.3557

3rd Annual Perry & Doris Teeter Beef Leadership Institute

The Institute is designed to equip young people with the necessary tools needed to become an effective leader. Additionally, youth will be challenged to take the skills acquired at this event and put them into action in their home counties, districts, and at the state and national levels. This opportunity is offered to twenty youth from across the state who would like to learn new and innovative ways to become betterleaders.

This event will be held on February 20-22 in Hickory in conjunction with the NC Cattlemen's Association meeting. Youth that want to participate in this event must be 14-18 years of age and have some type of participation with the beef industry. Applications for this event are due to the State office by January 16.

For more information or to get a registration form, contact the 4-H office at 336-372-5597 .

Win Chance to Attend Presidential Inauguration

Make Personal Pledge for Change and Win Chance to Attend Presidential Inauguration

As we usher in this exciting new era of change we recognize that everyone can play a part. So, how will YOU commit to bringing about change in your neighborhood, your community or your nation? America's Promise and the Case Foundation invite people across the nation to join the "Change Begins with Me" campaign by sharing how you will contribute.


Share your commitment in 250 characters or less and enter for your chance to win two tickets to Washington, DC and be a part of the official inauguration and celebratory events, and participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on January 19. This day offers Americans the opportunity to unite as a country to build stronger communities and create a better nation. Find out how you can take action on this day by donating your time and efforts in honor of one of America's greatest leaders.



For more information and to submit your pledge, visit Case Foundation. Deadline for submission is January 12, 2009 AT 3PM EST.



Also, General Colin Powell and Alma Powell are featured in a public service announcement encouraging individuals and organizations to learn about service projects in their communities and lend time and energy to make the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a "day on" rather than a "day off." Visit, America's Promise and view the PSA, post it on your web site and social networking sites, and distribute to your network by email.

Correction

Correction to Area Food Show Deadline!!

The deadline for Registration is Friday, February 13th instead of February 15th.

Contact the Extension Office for more information or registration forms can be downloaded here.

THE UNWANTED HORSES OF NORTH CAROLINA

When: January 17, 2009

Where: Moore County Cooperative Extension Office
707 Pinehurst Ave.
Carthage, North Carolina

Who Should Attend?: Professional horsemen and hobby horse owners, veterinarians, Extension personnel, political leaders, and anyone interested in the welfare of the horse.

Registration: $35 for Adults $10 for 4-H’ers
(includes lunch and printed materials)

Registration Deadline: January 12, 2009

For more information and registration form, contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597.

Area Food Show

Come with us as we travel down to East Wilkes Middle School on February 28th for an area food show. Pick from your favorite category - Dessert, Main Dish, Vegetable/Salad/Soup or Snack/Appetizer. There are three age divisions: Cloverbuds 5-8, Juniors 9-13 and Seniors 14-18. All entries are welcome but if you can make your dish healthier you will get a higher judged score. Be sure you are able to answer questions about your dish and be ready to serve up a helping to the judges. Any questions, contact the 4-H office at (336) 372-5597 and ask for Amy or Michele. Registration forms are due to the Extension Office by February 13, 2008.

Click here for registration forms.

January Clover News

The January Clover News in now available. Click here to see what is going on.

WHEP WORKSHOP

Everything WHEP: Learning All About the 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program

Instructor: Renee Strnad

A six-hour training on the WHEP (Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program) will be offered during the 4-H Volunteer Leaders Conference. The session will be on February 6, 2009. Registration/Check-in will be at the conference headquarters at in RTP beginning at 9am. At 9:30, we will load vans to bring everyone to Schenck Forest in Raleigh. We will provide lunch, and part of the day will be outside, and part will be in a classroom... so dress appropriately!! Return transportation will be provided back to the Sheraton, with arrival between 4:30-5pm.

The NC WHEP program has continued to grow since 2000, and teams from North Carolina continue to rank high at the national contests. The program has changed slightly at the state and national levels since 2003, so this session will be the ideal time to get all the details. Lunch and transportation to and from the conference hotel will be included in this session.

Deadline for early registration is January 16 - $110 for three day conference. Regular registration is Jan 16 - Jan 29 - $120 - three day conference. Registration is also available for daily programs. Cost varies. For more information contact the Extension Office at 336-372-5597.