Understanding the responsibilities of horse ownership just became much easier thanks to a new DVD, HorseSmarts: Essential Advice for Today’s Horse Owner, from the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) and produced by Marvo Entertainment Group.

In an effort to meet the needs of new and potential horse owners, the Kentucky Horse Council collaborated with equine industry experts to produce a 60-minute film. The DVD contains 10 chapters, including horse selection considerations, nutrition, hoof care, safety, tack, veterinary care, preventative healthcare, facilities, trailer loading and transportation, and all about the Kentucky Horse Council. Supplemental information and articles are included in PDF format on the DVD and can be viewed and printed after purchase.

Some footage for the project was shot by Student Leadership Technology Program students from South Floyd High School and student interns.

“Community support in the making of this video was phenomenal,” said Madelyn Millard, KHC Board President. “We not only had buy in from the horse community but also from the local communities where the filming was conducted.”

“Our goal in creating this DVD is to help all horses receive better care and to provide resources so that new horse owners have a safe and enjoyable horse ownership experience,” Millard continued.

Debuting in Lexington on April 23, and in Princeton on April 29, the video is now available for purchase from the Kentucky Horse Council. Negotiations are currently under way with both local and national retailers so that the video will be available throughout Kentucky and the country.

“It's a really good program for people who are thinking about buying a horse, but you know, I [also] thought it was just good general information for anybody,” commented Kentucky Educational Television Director of Programming Craig Cornwell after the Lexington premiere.

HorseSmarts is slated to air multiple times throughout the spring and summer on all 15 affiliates of Kentucky Educational Television beginning May 1, 2009.

Filmed on location at horse farms and equine facilities throughout Kentucky, HorseSmarts features renowned jockey Chris McCarron as the host. Special presenters include: Bob Coleman, PhD, PAS; Charles Anderson, PhD; Roberta Dwyer, DVM; Jennifer Newman, DVM; Mitch Taylor, CJF, and many more.

The video received a 2009 Silver Communicator Award of Distinction by the International Academy of Visual Arts and the Communicator Awards. The Communicator Awards recognize creative excellence for communications professionals.

For more information regarding the DVD or to order a copy, visit www.kentuckyhorse.org or contact the Kentucky Horse Council at (859) 367-0509 or email [email protected].

The Kentucky Horse Council is a non-profit organization dedicated, through education, to the protection, growth and development of the equine industry in Kentucky. The Kentucky Horse Council provides educational programs, grants, scholarships, personal liability insurance, trail riding programs, and an annual statewide equine industry directory.