Washington, D.C. – People across the country are invited to take part in National Meet-A-Horse Day on July 23rd, at any Time to Ride Challenge Host location. Families will be welcomed into stables, camps, clubs and organizations competing in the Time to Ride Challenge, in hope of creating new riders and lifelong equestrians. This is the third year National Meet-A-Horse Day will be celebrated and participating equine businesses are more excited than ever to share their unique, horse-centered events.

“National Meet-A-Horse Day is a great opportunity to focus on the importance of introducing brand-new enthusiasts to horses,” said Leigh-Anna Martinets, Time to Ride Program Manager. “Many of us were introduced to horses by either a family member, friend or neighbor. Horses inspire so much joy, wonder, and curiosity, and this day is all about making riding and connecting with horses more accessible in our communities. Our hosts have a great array of activities planned and are truly looking forward to sharing their horses with new people.”

National Meet-A-Horse Day coincides with National Day of the Cowboy and many hosts are using this opportunity to create events that incorporate both themes. For example, Horses4Heroes, located in Las Vegas, Nevada, will be celebrating the day with a Dress Like a Cowboy contest, panning for gold and trail rides. Though each event will be slightly different than the next, each will present a chance for a hands on experience with a horse or pony.

All horse owners and businesses who are not competing in the Challenge are welcomed to share equine experiences with friends who are new to horses. The hope is for anyone who wants to meet a horse to have the means to do so on July 23rd.  Newcomers are encouraged to post pictures on social media of themselves at events with the hashtag, #MeetaHorse, to be entered to win a Time to Ride prize pack. The 2016 Time to Ride Challenge has 205 hosts across the nation that are eager to share their horses with the public.

National Meet-A-Horse Day takes place Saturday, July 23rd. To find an event, visit the map on timetoride.com.  There is still time to get involved: to host an event, visit the website and create an account to get started. For more info, please call 512-591-7811 or contact [email protected].

The American Horse Council’s Marketing Alliance
Time to Ride is an initiative of the American Horse Council’s Marketing Alliance, formed to connect people with horses. It is designed to encourage horse-interested consumers to enjoy the benefits of horse activities. The AHC Marketing Alliance is made up of the following organizations: the American Association of Equine Practitioners, Active Interest Media, the American Quarter Horse Association, Dover Saddlery, Farnam, Merck, Merial, Morris Media Network Equine Group, Purina Animal Nutrition LLC, Platinum Performance, United States Equestrian Federation, and Zoetis. Program Partners are Absorbine, the American Paint Horse Association, Equibrand the National Cutting Horse Association, the National Reining Horse Association, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, and the Texas A&M University Equine Initiative; and new for 2016 I-5 Publishing, Pyranha, the America’s Mustang Campaign, and Colorado State University Equine Sciences Program.

About the American Horse Council
The American Horse Council is a non-profit organization that includes all segments of the horse industry. While its primary mission is to represent the industry before Congress and the federal regulatory agencies in Washington, DC, it also undertakes national initiatives for the horse industry. Time to Ride, the AHC’s Marketing Alliance to connect horses and people, is such an effort. The American Horse Council hopes that Time to Ride will encourage people and businesses to participate in the industry, enjoy our horses, and support our equine activities and events. The AHC believes a healthy horse industry contributes to the health of Americans and America in many ways.