| South Dakota State University built its present horse barn in 1925, the beginning of a facility that would provide years of educational experience. The barn's purpose was to house draft teams which were used to farm the ground at the college experiment station. The experiment station was established to help the people of South Dakota develop new agricultural and livestock husbandry practices. The station was diversified in many fields of agriculture including purebred livestock. The barn was constructed of brick and was designed to accommodate nine teams and eight single drafts. The original structure also consisted of two feed rooms, two tack rooms, and an office. |
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| Morgans and Saddlebreds were raised at the unit into the 1970's. Quarter Horses were added to the University's herd in the 1950's and are still the main focus of activities. | |
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Today the horse barn
still houses horses and receives heavy usage. Approximately 50 head
of Quarter Horses and a team of Belgians are now housed at the unit. Every year, the light horses from the unit are presented at Little I, the South Dakota Horse Fair, and at various activities in the Brookings area. Trail rides at Oak Lake are offered in the spring and fall to members of the Horse Club and the light horse class. The Belgian drafters represent SDSU at many functions. In 1989, one team took part in the SD Centennial Wagon Train. That particular team, now retired, pulled the SDSU trolley over 1800 miles visiting every county seat in eastern South Dakota. The train provided rides to over 2,000 individuals that may not have been able to experience the |
| event on horseback or with their own animals. The drafters have had a presence in 4th of July parades, Festival of Lights Christmas parade, the SDSU homecoming Hobo Day parade, and Little International Livestock Exposition. Little "I" gives students the opportunity to show the University's livestock in fitting, showmanship, and judging competitions. Students manage and operate the unit to acquire hands-on learning and to gain valuable experience for the job market. While learning the proper methods for working with the animals, safety is the main concern for the employees, students, and equine residents. |  |
| Numerous in-class opportunities are available for students of all abilities, interests and background. A Light (Saddle) Horsemanship class is offered, in which students learn basic care of the horse, haltering, leading, saddling, bridling, and riding in Western gear/style. Heavy (Draft) Horsemanship is also available for those with a special interest in learning similar basics as well as harnessing, hitching and driving a team. Yearling Halter Training teaches techniques and strategies for handling and training a yearling horse. Students will learn the behavior of young horses and the appropriate steps necessary to teach a young horse to accept a halter and grooming, to lead properly, stand to be tied, load into a trailer and begin ground training for the future saddle-breaking process. Two-Year-Old Saddle Training teaches students the proper progression and safety of teaching a horse to accept a saddle, rider, bridle restraint and reining principles. Health and Diseases is the study of equine vital signs, first aid, and wound care as well as the function of the integument and immune systems. Communicable and common diseases and their prevention is studied, with emphasis on colic and laminitis. Equine Nutrition involves studying the basic principles in equine nutrition focusing on how to best feed the horse to meet its nutritional needs. Topics include the gastrointestinal tract, nutrient requirements, common feedstuffs, diet selection and evaluation, assessment of nutritional status, nutritional imbalances and toxicities. Horse Production is offered to those interested in furthering their knowledge in equine science. This class allows students to learn all aspects of management of the horse--anatomy, physiological systems, how to identify illness, lameness, overall health and to implement appropriate care, proper nutrition, vaccinations and disease control, reproduction, genetics and more. Stable Management addresses skills needed to manage an equine facility for training, boarding, or reproductive purposes. Topics include basic business concepts, such as advertising, contracts, and liability, facility design and maintenance, and practical equine skills pertaining to this type of enterprise. Reproductive Management is the study of the reproductive systems of the mare and stallion, including detailed anatomy and physiology, and behavior of each gender. Practicums at the SDSU Horse Unit include foaling procedures, stallion handling and semen evaluation, mare handling, breeding preparation, cycle monitoring and other advanced reproductive techniques. In addition, the Animal Science faculty is offering Equine Management as a minor in Animal Science. Several new classes have been or will be added to realize this goal. | |
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Activities available to students and community members include: horsemanship lessons, camps, evaluation experiences and contests, unit tours, and special event participation. The Horse Unit supports opportunities for students to participate in many clubs and organizations. Clubs that are currently active in the Animal and Range Sciences Department include the Block and Bridle Club, the Horse Club, Range Club, and Little International. Visit their club homepages to learn more about them! |
| The SDSU Horse Unit facilities have provided many years of educational experiences and will continue in the future. The SDSU Horse Unit welcomes visitors. If you would like to learn more about the Unit: | |
