Program instructor Lisa Street said the two-year program covers all elements of the horse industry, teaching students how to ride horses, exercise and train them and take care of their feeding and grooming needs. Students, beginning in their junior year, also saddle and ride the 11 horses that are housed in a barn constructed by the center's building maintenance class. Each is assigned to a particular horse and is responsible for grooming and cleaning its stall. During winter months, students ride indoors, while in warmer weather they exercise in fenced-in areas outside. Students are given written homework, research papers and live lab tests where they demonstrate their abilities through riding and other maneuvers.
Students receive a certificate of completion after finishing the program.
To showcase the students' talents and management skills, an Open 4-H Horse Show is scheduled for Sunday at Trumbull County Fairgrounds in Bazetta. Street said some TCTC students are planning to enter the judged show. Adams, who has been at national competitions, said he wants to pursue a career as a professor teaching others about horses. Having been around horses since age 11, Adams said the job shadowing offers a real-life situation, working with several colts. Wells wants to train horses for barrel racing in rodeos.