The Penn State Extension Equine Team is a group of equine educators providing research-based information on all aspects of horse health and horse farm management. The team offers educational material to horse owners through publications, workshops, online courses, webinars, and consults. Team members include Dr. Danielle Smarsh, Equine Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor in Equine Science located at Penn State University Park, Laura Kenny, Equine Extension Educator located at the Penn State Extension office of Montgomery County, Brittani Kirkland, Equine Extension Educator located at the Penn State Extension office of Washington County and Bethany Bickel, Equine Extension Associate located at Penn State University Park.
Listed below are some of the programs currently being offered by the team. Stay tuned for information on new programs they are working on!
- Horse Health Symposium: A full-day seminar with speakers on various aspects of horse health and management.
- Equine Environmental Stewardship Short Course: A 4-session program covering pasture management, manure management, and other farm topics with an emphasis on environmental water quality.
- Equine Parasite Workshops: Half-day workshops covering dewormer resistance, current deworming protocol recommendations, and how to conduct your own fecal egg counts.
- Horse Hay Workshops: Half-day workshops for horse owners and horse hay producers to come together and learn about each other's needs.
- Equine Pasture Walks: Evening field days discussing various pasture management practices and hands-on activities you can use at home.
- Online programs: Penn State Extension has a full library of educational articles, an online course about Parasite Control, and free bimonthly webinars on a variety of topics. During COVID, many of our programs have been transitioned to virtual versions.
For more information about the team and to get email program notifications, visit https://extension.psu.edu/animals-and-livestock/equine to join the email list. Follow the team on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PennStateExtensionEquineTeam for more content and announcements!