About 300 leaders and kids from around the country gathered, and it was a wild, fun, and educational weekend. No matter your horse interest, there was something for you. I learned a lot. But mostly I was really impressed with the leaders who work with kids and their horses every week, and for free, often long after their own kids have graduated the program. Not only that, but they organize fundraisers, too. One group earned enough money to travel to Hawaii. Their leader said, “The kids work hard all year, and we look at this special trip as a reward.” Talk about using a carrot!

The kids learned about careers, and how it isn’t always a straight path to discover the career that’s best suited for you. But there are lots of educational opportunities.  I learned that there is a shortage of equine vets, and that vet schools are eagerly searching for the best candidates, and it isn’t all about high science scores.

The kids learned about land conservation (www.elcr.org) and it was amazing to hear them tell of the big changes in their communities. Fifteen-year-olds told of “how it used to be” before the subdivisions took over.

Then there was a talk about the “unwanted horse.” I’ll write more about this at another time, but it’s a growing problem, and the recommendation from the Unwanted Horse Coalition is to “own responsibly.”

If you’re feeling alone out there, trying to make sense of your horse program or wanting to do something worthwhile with your horses, consider checking out the American Youth Horse Council. It’s inspiring to see adults investing time and energy into the youth, our hope for a healthy horse industry tomorrow.