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My Horse University and eXtension HorseQuest Recieve National Award

My Horse University and HorseQuest received the eXtension Partnership Award at the eXtension national conference in October 2009 for their collaborative work on:

  • Free monthly webcasts
  • An online monthly newsletter
  • Joint abstracts/papers
  • Federal Grant submissions
  • Maintaining sponsorships
eXtension’s Partnership Award recognizes truly exceptional service or support to  one or more of the eXtension components and/or Communities of Practice. Service can be recognized through various forms to include support for educational programs, volunteer service committees, responding to questions from the public, cooperative and collaborative educational programs, educational forums and/or innovative advancement of eXtension’s mission, among numerous others. Contributions must be in addition to expectations of nominee’s employment or service with his or her organization.

Online Course Helps Equestrians Hit the Trail

Regardless of their breed preference, riding style or location, equine enthusiasts can find happy trails with help from a new course by My Horse University and Source Interlink Equine Network. From selecting a trail horse to preserving the trail, “Trail Riding 101” offers expert advice on every aspect of this international past time.

Click HERE to learn more!!

National Online Equine Business Support Center | Keeping Your Equine Business a Vibrant Part of the Rural Community | USDA Rural

My Horse University and MSUglobal have submitted a grant for the creation of a National Online Equine Business Support Center. This grant is funded through USDA Rural Business Opportunities.

Today more than ever, equine businesses need advice and consulting from the best minds in our land-grant universities. Most horse operations are located in rural America, with 70% of horse owners living in communities of 50,000 or less (American Horse Council Economic Survey, 2005). It is estimated that 4.6 million Americans are involved in the horse industry as horse owners, service providers, employees and volunteers. Very few organized learning resources exist for this population of business owners and employees. Therefore, a need exists within the equine community for a variety of learning opportunities relating specifically to equine business practices. The intent is that these learning experiences will have a positive impact on economic growth within the equine industry, and particularly rural America where the majority of equine businesses are located.
My Horse University (MHU) and its partner eXtension HorseQuest would collaborate to provide an online equine business support center including the instruction of a 10 hour online course, ongoing web seminars led by national subject matter experts, and free online resources including a monitored discussion board to support equine business owners and employees. An online experience that can be accessed anytime and anyplace is a clear advantage to many business owners tied to their property and horses. For example, horse farm managers or trainers must provide continuous care to their livestock and it is not always feasible to hire someone to watch over the operation while they leave for face to face training.

My Horse University Receives Award for Excellence in Synchronous Distance Learning

My Horse University and eXtension Horse Quest’s “Free Equine Webcast Series” has been selected by the National University Telecommunications Network to receive the 2009 Shirley Davis Award for Excellence in Synchronous Distance Learning. This award recognizes individuals and institutions that provide distance learning opportunities via web or video-conferencing of a superior nature in the areas of innovation, interactivity, production quality and administrative issues.

The award will be presented on June 23, 2009 at this year’s NUTN Annual Event in Saratoga Springs, NY. The conference, “Quality in Motion,” will focus on the challenges to distance learning and technology in a troubled economy. Participants at the NUTN conference represent over 60 higher education institutions across the country that focus on distance education and the technologies that support education. For more information, visit NUTN 2009.

Update on MSUglobal Travel Procedures

MSUglobal is in the process of learning how to maximize our travel experience while minimizing the travel expenses. As dedicated travel arrangers, we are discovering the advantages that Passageways Travel and Tower provide to us with their services. We will be scheduling a webcast with Tower to help train our employees on the new MSU Travel Portal that will be available in the near future. This portal will eliminate the need to use online searching tools such as Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, etc. It will automatically check these sites on our behalf, always searching for the lowest cost per transaction. Our goal as travel arrangers here at MSUglobal is to create more efficient travel procedures for tomorrow than we have today.

  • For reservation requests with MSUglobal: Call Julie Orler at 517.432.8265 | e-mail: global@msu.edu CC: orlerj@msu.edu
  • For reservations with Tower: Call: 866.658.4228 or 630.954.3010 | Fax: 630.954.3040
  • For reservations with Passageways Travel: http://www.resx.com  | Call: 517.353.9898 

Using Webcasts to Create a Learning Community

My Horse University (MHU) along with experts from eXtension HorseQuest offer free monthly webcasts from September through May in order to reach out to the equine industry and create a learning community. The live webcast topics include areas such as farm management, horse health, nutrition and environmental issues. All of the webcasts are recorded and made freely available on the MHU web site for viewing after the live event. In addition, the archived webcasts are used within non-credit and credit online courses to add depth to the learning experiences. Since January of 2007, MHU and eXtension have offered 17 free webcasts with approximately 600 people in attendance.

The objectives of the free monthly webcast series are to:

  • Educate horse enthusiasts through offering science-based information.
  • Provide an avenue of communication allowing for better agricultural practices.
  • Offer educational opportunities for youth programs.
  • Provide educational resources that promote better horse care, environmental stewardship and recreation.
  • Repurpose content for online courses.

For more information click here.

MSUglobal/My Horse University Offers Free Webcast on Pasture Management for Horse Acreages!

Tuesday | February 10, 2009 | 7:00 p.m. EST

Speaker: Dr. Dave Freeman | Oklahoma State University
Cost: FREE

Summary: Most horse owners house their horses on acreage with the objective for the area to supply part or all of the nutritional needs. This webcast will cover some of the principles behind the decisions that must be made to maximize nutritional benefits of pasture forages. Topics will include grazing management, forage selection and production, and pasture forage management.

Presenter Information: Dr. Dave Freeman has been involved with the Oklahoma State Extension as an Equine Specialist and has been a Professor at Oklahoma State University since 1984. Dr. Freeman serves as a reviewer for the Professional Animal Scientist, Journal of Animal Science and Equine Veterinary Science. He has authored multiple publications on horse ownership and use via Cooperative Extension and popular press.

To Register: https://noncredit.msu.edu/offeringDetail.action?sectionId=173
For more information on My Horse University visit our web site: http://www.myhorseuniversity.com/

My Horse University is Going Green!

One of our MSUglobal ventures is called My Horse University (MHU). This venture was established in 2005 at Michigan State University and offers research and knowledge from world-renowned experts to online courses and products.

This spring MHU is going green! Each month we offer a free webcast, in conjunction with eXtension.org, from equine experts across the country. These webcasts are attended by horse enthusiasts, 4-H groups, and anyone who has interest in the topic. Our January through March free webcasts will focus on managing pastures and manure in an environmentally friendly way. Focusing on the environment is a very important aspect of horse management, especially as we face issues of urban sprawl and land management. If you want to learn more about this free webcast series click here.