Cornell University will host Horses 2002, a two-day conference April 6 and 7, featuring demonstrations, clinics, educational seminars related to equine issues, and speakers, including horse-and-rider relationship expert GaWaNi Pony Boy.

Horses 2002 will feature educational presentations by speakers on nutrition and veterinary care of growing and older horses; on horses and parasites; on farrier care; and on horse anatomy for owners. There also will be analyses of barn safety; of manure management; of conflict management; and of preparing for change in the horse industry. The conference also will feature a vendor fair, draft horse wagon rides and equine-related demonstrations.

Riding clinics and demonstrations will be organized by the Empire State Quarter Horse Association. GaWaNi Pony Boy, a noted horsemanship expert, will hold several clinics for horses and riders over the weekend in a heated arena. Julie Goodnight, program director for the Association for Horsemanship, Safety and Education, will demonstrate how to use aids naturally and how to use exercises to develop riding skills.

The vendor fair and demonstrations in the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine demonstration arena are free and open to the public. Vendor fair participants last year included feed companies, equine publications, fencing and equipment suppliers, trailer sales, equine art, tack shops, equine colleges, equine clubs and breed organizations, riding stables, lesson and boarding barns and equine jewelry.

The conference will take place at Morrison Hall, the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine and the Livestock Pavilion. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. at Morrison Hall. The conference will start both days at 8 a.m. The lectures end at 3:45 p.m. on both days, while the vendor fair closes at 7 p.m. on Saturday and at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The fee for the two-day conference, which includes lunches and breaks, is $70 for adults and $40 for students. One-day fees are $45 for April 6 and $20 for April 7. Register by March 15 to avoid a $20 late registration fee. The fee does not include lodging.A conference brochure can be obtained from Judy Sherwood at jes10@cornell.edu or at (607) 255-4503. For other conference information, contact Jean T. Griffiths, Cornell Cooperative Extension horse specialist, at jtg4@cornell.edu or at (607) 255-2857.