The guidelines may be amended by the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee each year between October 1st and January 30th. No changes will be made from February 1st through September 30th. If any member or leader wishes to request an exception to any rule in the guidelines, they must request a hearing with the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee.  2018 Revision.

RAVALLI COUNTY 4-H HORSE COMMITTEE CONSTITUTION

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ARTICLE I - Name

The name of this organization shall be Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee, a sub-committee of the Ravalli County 4-H Advisory Council.

ARTICLE II - Purpose

The purpose of the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee shall be to promote 4-H club work and the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Program.

  1. The Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee may meet for educating leaders, members and parents about the 4-H program.
  2. The Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee shall cooperate with the Ravalli County Extension Agent and other agencies interested in the 4-H program.

ARTICLE III - Membership

  1. The membership of the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee shall be all leaders and junior leaders enrolled in the Ravalli County 4-H Horse program.
  2. Parents and any other interested parties are always welcome to attend the meetings of the committee.

ARTICLE IV - Meetings

  1. The Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee shall meet monthly. If there is sufficient business additional meetings may be called, with time and place published in advance in the 4-H newsletter or emailed.
  2. All leaders and junior leaders are encouraged to attend the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee meetings and participate in the discussion.
  3. The Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee year will run from October 1st through September 30th.

ARTICLE V - Voting

  1. A majority shall be defined as more than one-half the members present at a Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee meeting.
  2. All leaders and junior leaders are encouraged to attend at least three Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee meetings a year to remain eligible to vote on Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee polici (Referred to as a member in good standing.)
  3. Policy issues affecting all members for more than one year will be brought up and discussed and a tentative vote taken. The results will be printed in the newsletter with final vote taken at the next meeting.

ARTICLE VI - Officers

  1. The officers shall be elected by the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee members, with the exception of the Superintendent who will be interviewed and chosen by the Ravalli County Extension Agent.
  2. The officers shall be Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Superintendent and Secretary/Treasurer.
  3. The officers shall be elected from among its members at the October meetin They shall take office after installation at the November meeting.
  4. The Chairman shall preside at all meetings, appoint and oversee committees, and coordinate representation at all events.
  5. The Vice-Chairman shall substitute for the Chairman when needed and should help plan for the Ravalli County 4- H Horse Committee meetin Secretary/Treasurer should also make a monthly financial report to the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee based on information from the Ravalli County 4-H Treasurer. Chairman and Superintendent should also act as a Liaison to the Ravalli County 4-H Council.
  6. The Secretary/Treasurer shall keep minutes of the meetings and submit them to the Ravalli County Extension Office for keeping. The Secretary/Treasurer also will submit information from the meetings to the Ravalli County Extension Office for the newslett
  7. Vacancies in office will be filled by an election of the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committe

ARTICLE VII - Sub-Committees

The President or the Ravalli County Extension Agent may appoint sub-committees when needed to handle an event, activity or special job.

  1. Fair Superintendent - The 4-H Fair Superintendent shall establish a committee that makes decisions regarding Fair operations.
  2. The County Extension Agent and the Chairman or Vice-Chairman are ex-officio members of all Committe
  3. The following are the four sub-committees that will meet throughout the current 4-H year and report back to the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee:
    • Packing/Trail Riding Committee
    • Working Ranch Horse Committee
    • Fundraising/Marketing Committee
      1. Fundraising
      2. Fall awards
    • Fair Committee
      1. Sponsorship
      2. Fair Horse Show
      3. Fair Week
    • Clinics/Camp/Workshops Committee
      1. Riding Clinics
      2. County Wide Workshops
      3. Horse Camp
      4. Horse Management Clinics

ARTICLE VII - Constitution and Committee Policy

The Constitution shall be read at the first meeting of the 4-H year. The Constitution shall be made available for all Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee members. The Constitution and Policy may be amended or replaced provided the amendment or change has been presented to the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee, the Ravalli County Livestock Committee and 4-H Advisory Council at the beginning of the new 4-H year and approved. The new State and National policy will also direct this committee work.

ARTICLE IX - Finances

The Ravalli County 4-H Treasurer (from the Ravalli County 4-H Council) will keep a record of expenditures and income with reports provided at least every other meeting throughout the year. There are three types of funds in the Horse Committee: The Reserve Account (savings), Montana 4-H Foundation Account (listed under Ravalli County 4-H Horse Account) and 4-H Advisory Council Budget Account listed as a line item in the budget.

PURPOSES OF THE 4-H HORSE PROGRAM

The purposes of the 4-H Horse Program are to help members to:

  1. Develop life skills:
    • Foster a positive self-concept
    • Cultivate decision making abilities and responsibility for choices
    • Develop an inquiring mind
    • Relate to self and others
    • Acquire a concern for local and global communities
  2. Develop leadership, initiative, self-reliance, sportsmanship and other desirable character trai
  3. Experience the pride and responsibility of having a horse and receive additional education in the care, feeding, management and expenses related to horse ownershi
  4. Promote horseback riding as a healthy and wholesome form of recreation.
  5. Teach excellence in horsemanship and handling of hors
  6. Establish safety precautions that prevent injury to the horse, rider and others.
  7. Nurture greater love for animals and a humane attitude toward them.
  8. Prepare participants for citizenship responsibilities by working together in groups and supporting community horse projects and activiti
  9. Promote 4-H and the State 4-H Horse Project and Program.

Learn what our colors, emblem, motto, slogan and pledge stand for:

4-H Colors:

 The white in the flag symbolizes purity. The green, nature’s most common color, represents life, growth and youth.

4-H Emblem:   

The green four leaf clover has a white “H” on each leaf to represent the four H’s - Head, Heart, Hands and Health.

4-H Motto:       

“To Make The Best Better” is the aim of 4-H members. Members work on improving project work and building better clubs, communities and schools.

4-H Slogan:     

“Learning By Doing” is the 4-H member’s way of acquiring new skills. Learning how to get along with others comes from working and playing with the group.

4-H Pledge:

I pledge my HEAD to clearer thinking, my HEART to greater loyalty, my HANDS to larger service, and my HEALTH to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.

4-H REGISTRATION AND PROJECT ENROLLMENT

December 31st is the deadline to:

  1. Re-enroll as a 4-H member in a Ravalli County 4-H Club  in order to participate in Ravalli County Fair and Ravalli County Fair 4-H Horse Show. Use the Member Enrollment Form.
  2. Complete and submit 4-H Horse Helmet Policy & Acknowledgement of Education Form.
  3. Complete and submit Montana 4-H Horse Project Permission and Assumption of Risk for Participation in all 4-H Projects Form.

March 1st is the deadline to:

  1. Enroll as a New Member in order to participate in Ravalli County Fair 4-H Classes and Ravalli County Fair 4-H Horse Show. New members will need to complete and submit 4-H Horse Helmet Policy & Acknowledgement of Education Form and Montana 4-H Horse Project Permission and Assumption of Risk for Participation in all 4-H Projects Form along with Member Enrollment Form.

May 1st is the deadline to:

  1. Complete and submit the 4-H Me and My Horse Form. Include a copy of the lease agreement in the event the project horse is not owned by the 4-H member or an immediate family member.
  2. Submit Drop/Add Form for all 4-H projects if you want to participate in the Ravalli County Fair as a 4-H member for your specific project.
  3. Complete and submit the 4-H Horse Project Guidelines Acknowledgement
  4. Assessment for riding level if challenging Levels 1-3.
  5. If there was a question of which horse will be used for the project at an earlier date, the project horse to be used must be declared by this date and Me and My Horse Form submitted.

The age of the 4-H member is determined as of October 1st of the current 4-H year. JR classes are ages 13 and under. SR classes are ages 14 and over.

The age of the horse is determined as of January 1st of the current 4-H year. (Example: A horse foaled anytime in 2011 will be termed one (1) year old on January 1, 2012, two (2) years old on January 1, 2013, etc.)

When enrolling in a Horse Project you must sign up on the Member Enrollment Form in any of the 13 separate horse project areas under the appropriate level. Please refer to the Clover and the Ravalli County Clover Supplement for a more detailed description of each project and the project codes.

FORMS AND RECORD BOOKS

All forms and project books are meant to be completed throughout the year. The member is required to have your 4-H Record Book up-to-date if you are submitting entries for the Ravalli County Fair. Records and project books will be checked at the time of your Mandatory Interview on Non Perishable Interview Judging Day. The record book and forms  are to be completed and signed by your Organizational Leaderby September 30th (end of the 4-H year). The horse project records and horse project book activities need to be completed and signed by your Horse Project Leader. If you do not have a horse project leader then contact the 4-H Horse Superintendent.

You are required to complete:

  1. “My 4-H Year” Form each year.
  2. The Animal Project & Financial Journal Form for the horse pr This form is used to keep track of feed costs, veterinary costs, supplies, etc. The member will need to fill out an Animal Project & Financial Record for each horse the member will be using in any of the 13 horse project areas.
  3. A minimum of seven activities per year in the project book for each horse project in which the member is enrolled.
  4. 4-H Me and My Horse Form This should be a copy of the original certificate the member turned into the Fair Horse Superintendent to identify the member’s project horse(s). A color photo of the horse must be with the certificate. The member will need to fill out a 4-H Me and My Horse Form for each horse the member will be using in any of the 13 horse project areas.

All required forms and project books are available through the Ravalli County Extension Office or their website.

HORSE PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

The Montana 4-H Horse Program has 13 separate horse project areas. There are 2 additional project areas available to members of the Ravalli County 4-H Program.

  1. Horsemanship Levels 1-7

    • These projects are for anyone interested in learning or improving riding skills and learning advanced training of a mature hors A mature, gentle horse with good basic training is recommended. The horse should be safe for the member to handle and learn with. Horsemanship Levels 1-3 are designed to be the foundation for all other horse projects.

  2. Horse Showing

    • This project teaches skills necessary to compete in and organize various horse show even This project is required to enter the following classes at the Ravalli County Fair: Equitation, Pleasure, Hunter, Dressage, and Trail.

  3. Trail Riding Project

    • Allows members to learn trail riding skills, safety, and courtesy on the trail and at camp/trailhead.  Members will also gain confidence, learn what obstacles they can handle and how to take care of themselves, other riders and their horses while on the trail.

  4.  Packing

    • Learning how to pack a horse, how to organize a pack trip and how to survive a several day pack trip in the mountains.

  5. Working Ranch Horse

    • Learning basic horse skills for ranch work.

  6. Careers with Horses

    • Allows members to learn what opportunities await those desiring a career in the horse industry.

  7. Horseless Horsemanship

    • Allows members without horses to learn about the project.

  8. Horse Independent Study

    • Allows the 4-H member to develop a project, set goals and decide ways to learn something that there is no official project structure for, i.e. Rodeo, Cutting, Freestyle.

  9. Miniature Horse

    • Allows the 4-H member to learn about the care and showing of miniature equine.

The following projects are available to more experienced 4-H members (must be at least twelve (12) years old during the current 4-H year and have completed Horsemanship Levels 1, 2 and 3).

  1. Green Horse

    • This project is for the horse project member who wishes to train a green broke horse of any age.  Emphasis will be on the 4-H’er doing the training and teaching of the horse.
    • Safety of the 4-H’er doing the training should be considered at all times.
    • The Horse Committee will assess the horse to be used in the Green Horse Project to determine the level in which the horse should begi

  2. Colt to Maturity

    • This project is for the horse project member who wants to completely train their own horse from yearling to five year old.

  3. Horse Breeding

    • Two-year project which begins with picking the stallion to breed a mare to and ends with weaning the foal.

  4. Driving

    • Learning driving skills and training your horse to drive either single, as a team or large hitches.

POLICIES OF RAVALLI COUNTY 4-H HORSE PROJECTS

Definition of a Project Horse:

  1. Any horse registered with the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee with a completed 4-H Me and My Horse Certificate on file by the county deadline and enrolled in any established county horse proj Intent: To allow a system of easy access to identify horses, projects and other vital information for all concerned (i.e. agents, secretaries and leaders).
  2. For the purposes of a project horse at the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Show, project horses shall be defined as light, draft and miniature horses, ponies, mules and donkeys.

General Rules:

  1.   Project horses injured and unable to participate at the Ravalli County Fair 4-H Horse Show may be substituted if the member’s project leader, Horse Fair Superintendent, and County 4-H Horse Committee Chairman are notified prior to the Ravalli County Fair 4-H Show. Approval by the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee must be obtained. No substitutions are allowed for the Colt to Maturity and Green Horse projects.
  2. Once the horse becomes a project animal it may not receive professional training unless the member participates in that training.  Intent: To allow the members to gain every skill possible in all levels of “Horsemanship” and “Colt to Maturity Project” through “learning by doing.” To encourage the member to assume sole responsibility for training the Colt to Maturity and Green Horse animal. To encourage the member to go to trainers for advice when needed, and to encourage members to attend clinics to further training skills and horsemanship and to discourage the use of trainers actually riding the project horse, except in a case where the safety of the member is threatened. Colt to Maturity and Green Horse project members need to notify their horse project leader if they plan on getting assistance with training problems, if getting assistance from someone other than a 4-H leader or their parent. Approval of the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee must be obtained prior to getting assistance from a trainer. Colt to Maturity and Green Horse project animals are to be trained by the 4-H member.
  3. Horsemanship Levels 1-3 members, participating in a any riding event, must wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet.
  4. Helmets are required to be worn in all games by all exhibitors regardless of horsemanship level.
  5. FFA: Official FFA dress or Ravalli County 4-H Horse Dress require FFA members will be required to follow Ravalli County 4-H Horse Project Guidelines.

Vaccinations:

To help insure healthy horses attend the Ravalli County 4-H Horse activities and to reduce the chances of a horse being infected by contact with a sick horse, it is suggested members consult a veterinarian regarding their horse’s health needs. The following are recommended:

  1. West Nile, Rhino and Strangles vaccinations
  2. 4-way vaccination. This will include Tetanus, Western Encephalomyelitis (Sleeping Sickness), Eastern Encephalomyelitis (Sleeping Sickness) and Influenz
  3. Deworming program

4-H  Ownership Policy: 

  1. All 4-H project horses registered with the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committee and shown by 4-H members in 4- H classes must be owned by the member or in a partnership with his/her immediate family. The member must have access to the horse at all tim A 4-H member must be responsible for the care of their project horse from December 31st through the State 4-H Horse Show. Intent: To give all members a specific timeline in which to maximize their horsemanship skills with their horse(s) and to be in complete control of the project animal.
  2. All horses in the Colt to Maturity Project must be owned by the member or the member’s immediate family. The member must have access to the horse and the horse must be in continual care of the member from December 31st of the yearling year through the completion of the five-year Intent: To give all members a timeline in which to acquire their project horse; to maximize the training opportunities for the member throughout the entire five-year period; to encourage the member to do all the training of the horse.
  3. A horse registered as a 4-H horsemanship project horse may be shown by more than one member of the immediate family in any one year at the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Show, providing that neither the horse nor the member compete against himself/herself. If there is a conflict in schedules, for any reason, the exhibitor will have to determine in which class to participate and scratch the othe Intent: To recognize that the best experience is for each member to own and care for their own horse. To further recognize that there are families with more than one child that cannot afford more than one horse. To allow immediate family members the opportunity to be included in the county horse shows if the family cannot financially justify another horse.
  4. If the horse is not owned by the 4-H member or their immediate family a signed lease agreement between the 4-H member and the horse owner must be submitted with the 4-H Me and My Horse Certificate and photo of the horse to the Ravalli County 4-H Horse Committe.

Ravalli County 4-H Assessment Policy:

Assessment is the evaluation of the member’s knowledge and abilities in order to keep the member progressing and ensures the project continues to further the member’s education.

  1. Each member may progress at their own rate according to their ability and interest.
  2. To pass a level the member must complete the project book for that level, have the project leader evaluate and sign the project assessment for the level in the project book, and win a blue ribbon at the County Fair Horse Sho After doing this the member is them ready to continue to the next level for the following 4-H year.
  3. A member may remain in a level for more than one year but after winning two (2) blue ribbons at the Ravalli County Fair Horse Show they must advance to the next level.
  4. Champions and Reserve Champions at the Fair Horse Show are encouraged to move up to the next level, but are not required to move, unless it is their second blue ribbon at that level.
  5. One Level Assessment: A member may assess up one level for current year to meet riding ability. In order to do this the member must complete the project book to the level they want to compete at, be evaluated and passed by the project leader who will then sign the project assessment for the correct level in the project book. The member may enroll in the level of choosing by the May 1st drop/add deadline.
  6. Challenge Assessment: This is for a member who wishes to complete more than one level in a year in order to show at level 4 or higher. In order to do this the member must complete the project book through the level they would like to test out of. The member must meet with three horse leaders; one leader may be the member’s current project leader, one leader must be from outside the member’s club and one an active member of the Ravalli County Horse Committee. The Challenge Assessment will cover 3 areas:
    1. Checking the required project book for completion,
    2. The member demonstrating knowledge of the level requirements verbally,
    3. The member performing handling and mounted abilities required for the levels being tested out of.
  7. Challenge Assessments must be done prior to the May 1st add/drop deadline in order for the member to register in the new projects.

Appendix: A - Horse Project Guidelines Acknowledgement

Appendix: B – Me and My Horse (4-H Horse Certification) - contact the Extension office for this form to be emailed or printed for you.

 

Montana State Horse Project Bit Rule Examples can be found online:  http://www.montana4h.org/projects/animal_science/horse.html