One of the horses up for auction, Fran, is a yearling filly who is double registered in both the … Expand ▸One of the horses up for auction, Fran, is a yearling filly who is double registered in both the AQHA and APHA. She is enrolled in the APHA Breeder’s Trust and is eligible for the AQHA Incentive Fund Program. Fran has show ability in both western and english disciplines, but is quiet and kind enough to be a great family horse.

To help students become better prepared for the business world outside of college, many degree programs at the University of Missouri have turned to hands-on learning. Not to be overlooked is the experience the MU Equine Program in MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) gives for its students.

Each fall the program hosts an annual horse auction in which students get to help lead marketing plans and gain experience in preparing sales portfolios. As part of the Equine Facility Management and Marketing class, students learn professional skills such as taking photographs, writing descriptions of individual sale animals, creating profiles of each horse, meeting with clients and video production pieces highlighting each animal’s individual training.

The online auction begun on Oct. 13 and will close on Nov. 13 and features seven quarter horses, one of which is also double registered with APHA. All proceeds from this auction and fundraiser are used to purchase classroom and barn supplies for the MU Equine Teaching Facility located at MU’s South Farm Research Center in Columbia.

Hands-on experience hasn’t stopped there. Students in the Equine Behavior and Training class have trained the horses.

Kelsey Kelly, animal science senior, feeds horses. The MU Equine Teaching Facility at South Farm … Expand ▸Kelsey Kelly, animal science senior, feeds horses. The MU Equine Teaching Facility at South Farm currently houses a quarter horse breeding program with care and management of these horses being the cornerstone of these courses. Students help out with care of the horses as a learning experience.

This year, seven horses of various ages and training levels available for sale. These horses range in age from six months to six years and include horses suitable for working cow horse events, western pleasure, hunt seat, and recreational activities.

One unique aspect of this sale is the sale portfolio, available in person or digitally, which helps ensure that the potential buyers are familiar with the horse’s health and training history. The portfolio is made available to assist potential buyers in making good decisions regarding their purchase. A primary goal of this sale is to teach students about responsible horse ownership, horse training, and equine business management.

The MU Equine Program as a whole provides students with opportunities to handle horses in a breeding and training environment through course work and the Horse Farm Volunteer Program.

The online auction may be accessed by visiting http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/horses/premier/.

A preview of the horses will be available for potential buyers to inspect the sale horses on November 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MU Equine Teaching Facility located at 4400 E. New Haven Rd. just east of Columbia. From Highway 63 take the Grindstone/AC exit and travel east for about a mile. Continue past the entrance to South Farm Research Center and the USGS offices and the entrance to the MU Equine Teaching Facility will be on the right.

For more information contact Marci Crosby, MU Equine Program coordinator, at 573-884-7836 or by email at crosbym@missouri.edu.

For more information about the MU Equine Program visit http://horses.missouri.edu  or connect through Facebook at www.facebook.com/MUEquine.

From left, Laura Hawkins and Val, Kenneth Roberts and Gilly, Tyler Stratman and Rosie, Kelsey Kelly … Expand ▸From left, Laura Hawkins and Val, Kenneth Roberts and Gilly, Tyler Stratman and Rosie, Kelsey Kelly and Gatsby, Rebecca Cooper and Wish and Cassie Schmidt and Georgia. The MU Equine Teaching Facility at South Farm currently houses a quarter horse breeding program with care and management of these horses being the cornerstone of these courses. Students help out with cae of the horses as a learning experience.