December 3, 2008 — My Horse University and eXtension HorseQuest will offer a free webcast series in 2009 to help horse owners manage their farms in an environmentally-friendly way. The webcasts feature Dr. Jenifer Nadeau from University of Connecticut on Janurary 13, Dr. Dave Freeman from Oklahoma State University on February 10, and Dr. Ann Swinker from Penn State University on March 10. All webcasts will be held at 7 p.m. ET.

Register now for the free webcasts at www.myhorseuniversity.com. All webcasts will be archived for future viewing.

The first webcast is an “Introduction to Environmentally Friendly Horse Management.” “The majority of horse owners enjoy spending time outside and are concerned about the environment. This webcast will provide a variety of ideas about ways in which horse owners can help protect the environment in regards to pasture management, manure management, runoff management, stream and riverbank management, and facility management”, says Nadeau.

Freeman, presenter of the second webcast, “Pasture Management for Horse Acreages,” says, “Small acreages with large number of horses, along with little knowledge about agronomic practices for farms are typical scenarios of horse ownership across the U.S. Horse owners have to reposition themselves to becoming ‘grass managers’ if pastures are going to work out.”

The last presentation in the series is “Horse Manure: A Renewable Resource.” “Manure, if used properly, can be a valuable addition to any operation’s resource system. Many small scale horse operators feel overwhelmed by the huge mound of manure and soiled bedding. Good manure management program comes into play; benefiting you, your livestock, your land, the neighborhood, and the surrounding environment,” says presenter Swinker.

This free webcast series is an ongoing effort between My Horse University and eXtension HorseQuest to bring unbiased, science-based information to the equine community. My Horse University, a partner of EquiSearch.com and the Equine Network, launched its first online course in 2006. It has served nearly 1,000 learners from high school and college students to adult horse enthusiasts. My Horse University was created through a partnership between Michigan State University (MSU) Extension, the Department of Animal Science and MSU Global.