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Colorado’s children and youth are naturally inclined to love horses as much as their dogs.  Enter 4-H 100 years ago to mentor and educate our youth.  Today, the worldwide organization is America’s largest educational program for boys and girls outside of school.  The organization develops life skills and leadership skills.

With the motto of “Make the Best Better,” the 4-H organization in Denver participates in equestrian competitions held locally and nationally.  In addition to teaching young horse lovers about grooming, training, and competitions, the organization arranges tours, workshops, achievement programs, camps, statewide conferences, exchanges, exhibits and fairs, and national events.

While the child is learning horsemanship skills, he or she learns communications skills, citizenship skills, decision-making, leadership, interpersonal relationships skills, participation in the community, and global awareness.

Connecting youth with parents, adults, and youth mentors, 4-H is able to teach skills such as cooking, selling, livestock, wildlife, archery, electricity, computers, and science as well as teaching community service.  Local land-grant universities such as Colorado State University provide curriculum for programs beginning with children ages five to seven years old called the 4-H Cloverbuds and continuing up through age 19 with regular 4-H groups and clubs.

There are various ways each student can choose to affiliate with 4-H.  There are community 4-H clubs, project clubs such as a horse club, special interest groups, television, school enrichment, and special activities.  If there are no local associates, a student can participate as an individual.

The organization benefits from generations of volunteer 4-H mentors.  Additionally, 4-H receives private funds from individuals, businesses, and organizations that enhance the 4-H programs. 

For more information about real estate in the greater metro area, including farms and horse properties, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.

These faithful friends help their handlers to go shopping or to restaurants and to do business.  However, when off duty, they prefer the big outdoors plenty of room to play and graze, a small barn and corral.  Let them mow the lawn, add in crimped oats, free choice salt and trace minerals and they will be healthy.  Throw them people food and they don’t fare so well and can become overweight easily, just like dogs.

In order to serve as guides, the smallest of the miniature horses are recruited.  They must be shorter than 26 inches tall, generally weigh 55 to 100 pounds and pass full physicals and intelligence tests to determine if they are suited for the position.  Legs must be structurally sound and they must demonstrate stamina.  Possessing extraordinary vision, the miniature guide horses are extremely sensitive to motion and often detect potential hazards before their trainers.  However, they are trained to remain calm even in noisy and chaotic situations.  Only mini horses capable of meeting the rigorous physical demands of the program are accepted. 

These loyal animals enjoy being groomed, brushed, rubbed, and scratched.  Easy to care for, they can be trained to stand still outside for bathing and grooming.  During summer their coat is thin, allowing them to be comfortable in hotter weather.  Likewise, they grow a wooly coat in the wintertime that will keep them warm in sub-zero temperatures.  Both coats are shed as the alternate fur grows in.

Playtime is oh so much fun for the younger horses when they are able to romp with other foals.  As mature mini horses, they still enjoy games but lose interest in play.  Have you ever seen a miniature horse bobbing for apples in a toddler’s swimming pool?  Just like dogs, off-duty guide horses are known to follow their owners around seeking affection.

The hearty miniature horse outlives his larger counterpart by a third of a lifespan with smaller varieties living even longer.  The lifespan can be 25-35 years.  Two miniatures born in 1971 are still alive today and one dwarf mini horse lived to over 50 years old. 

For more information about farms, horse properties, and real estate in the metro area, call Michael Paul of Realty Oasis at (303) 268-6052.