By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

A new virtual riding program is helping Texans experience and interact with horses.

The program was developed by the Texas 4-H Equine Ambassadors with the help of Dr. Jennifer Zoller and Dr. Chelsie Huseman, associate professors and Extension horse specialists at Texas A&M University.

The virtual horse riding experience was created to engage horse enthusiasts, as well as individuals who may not have access to horses.

“We developed the program to engage the public and allow people to experience what it’s like to ride horses in different environments without having to haul horses to all these different events,” Zoller said.

Texas 4-H Equine Ambassadors showcased the program’s virtual reality technology at major Texas livestock shows.

There are four different horse riding experiences offered: barrel racing, team roping, trail riding and a cross country jumping course. Each ride varies in length from three to six minutes.

Although most participants are youth, Zoller said individuals ages 30 to 40 and 65 and over have also participated.

The program was first displayed at the Texas 4-H horse show and a community event in Bryan. With the funding from Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Clover Cash Grant Program, they were able to take the program to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Houston Stock Show and Rodeo.

“We hope to encourage those that have an enthusiasm for horses, a love for horses, and encourage them on ways to get involved in the horse industry and use horses as a gateway to the agricultural lifestyle,” Zoller said.

By bringing the experience to the major stock shows, they were able to reach a more urban population.

She encourages others to seek out resources like TFB’s Clover Cash Grant Program.

“There’s lots of people out there who have fantastic ideas about how to encourage participation or to educate people about agriculture,” Zoller said. “One of the barriers to developing those programs is funding. Sometimes it’s startup funding or just a foot in the door to get things started. The Clover Cash Grant is a great resource to be able to facilitate those great ideas.”

The grant program was established to fund hands-on activities that grow students’ knowledge of food, fiber and fuel. Programs funded by the Clover Cash grants also strive to help students understand the importance of agricultural advocacy.

“Activities like this 4-H provide a fantastic chance for students and community members to connect with agriculture, offering projects that expand knowledge and advocacy in meaningful ways, fostering growth and learning within the Texas agricultural landscape,” McKenna Bush, TFB Youth Outreach coordinator, said.

Applications for the 2024 Clover Cash Grant Program will open later this summer.

For more information about the grant program, visit TFB’s Youth Opportunities webpage or contact youthactivities@txfb.org.