Ollie Hill, Laramie,
Wyoming, man receives national 4-H award
for game bolstering horse
sense
An
educational game for kids has received for a
Laramie
man the National Communicator Award for Educational Package from the National
Association of Extension 4-H Agents.
4-H’ers
have their horse skills critiqued in the arena and their equine knowledge tested
with age-appropriate questions when playing the Kid’s Arena Horse Play game
created by Oliver “Ollie” Hill.
“I’ve
always been interested in helping kids and adults and that’s been the course
of my career,” said Hill, a retired extension educator who worked in
Colorado
and
Wyoming
and was a member of the
Wyoming
State
4-H Office. He retired in 1996.
“We
did a little of this kind of thing, not exactly the same, at 4-H horse camps
many years ago,” said Hill. “It makes a fun and different learning
experience for the kids. A lot of volunteer leaders do the same old same old
arena work while working with the kids. This just gives them a new, fresh
approach to help the kids learn both skills and knowledge.”
Hill
said involvement – by parents and older youth helping the younger 4-H’ers
– is a key to the game. It was test-driven in
Albany
County
with Cath Harris and 4-H educator Mary Louise Woods’ involvement with
4-H’ers during its development and critiqued by reviewers in
Wyoming
and
Colorado
. It is produced through Hill’s company, High Country Horse, LLC.
“I
think it is effective – mostly because the questions with answers are already
prepared – all you need to do is read the question,” said Cath Harris,
Albany
County
horse leader and county fair superintendent. Her club helped test ride the
game. “It is a win/win learning situation – the parents are used in the
different stations – they are also learning. A perfect fit for 4-H.”
A
laminate sheet is posted at the arena entrance that shows a circular route. A
skill to be judged is posted at up to six stations. A volunteer judge critiques
the riding skills at each station and asks a question. If the answer is correct,
the rider advances to the next station and skill. If wrong, the rider goes to
the jail station and is asked another question. The 4-H’er then returns to the
start of the circuit. 4-H’ers successfully completing the circuit receive
Sheriff stickers, those who get part way through receive a Deputy badge, and
those sent to jail receive a Jail Bird sticker. Use of the stickers is optional
but fun for the kids, said Hill.
There
are almost 400 questions for beginning 4-H’ers up to 10 years of age, for
intermediate riders ages 11-13, and advanced riders ages 14 and up. Questions
quiz riders on English and Western riding knowledge and on equine health and
nutrition. The questions are coded so clubs can concentrate on specific
subjects, such as health one session and nutrition the next, and other topics.
“The
game augments in-classroom instruction you would get in some of the equine
classes/horse judging competitions and upper level college classes – yes,
there are some tough questions,” said Harris. “The questions touch on the
horse parts and the general-to-specific knowledge around horses. The younger age
group questions are easy. When you get to senior questions, they can be rather
difficult.”
Harris
added the most difficult part is finding enough parents to man each station to
ask the questions.
The
game’s inception to production took about four years, Hill said.
“I
feel good with what we came out with, but it was a real challenge to finally get
it narrowed down and focused on the skills and knowledge learning about
horses,” said Hill. For more information, see www.highcountryhorse.net
or call 307-745-4553.
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