AMES, Iowa – A conference on horse-human relationships coordinated by University Conference Services, Iowa State University Extension will be Webcast with an Internet forum to make it accessible to more people.
Professional horse trainers, clinicians, artists, filmmakers, musicians and authors will present stories about their experiences of horse-human relationships. Conference attendees can contribute stories to a public forum which will be a springboard for the final panel discussion by the presenters. A key focus will be the impact of such experiences on training, showing and riding in venues ranging from backyards and wilderness trails to therapeutic sessions and the show ring.
Conference presenters include dressage trainer and Olympic Squad member Jane Savoie, North American Riding for the Handicapped founder Marj Kittredge, Northern Cheyenne horse trainer Philip Whiteman, Jr., and Emmy-winning "Cloud" filmmaker Ginger Kathrens. Youth will be interested in a presentation by Oglala student Kyla Two Bulls, 15, who parlayed school work and her love of horses into a top national science fair award last year. (http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413098)
The conference will consider the impact of the horse-human relationship on human health and well-being by exploring interactions in which horses have helped heal, taught and befriended humans, and the ways these interactions have been expressed through art, music and literature.
Artists who will join the panel of trainers and clinicians include Pulitzer-nominated Chickasaw author Linda Hogan, award-winning equine artist Kim McElroy and singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphey ("Wildfire"). Murphey will perform in concert Saturday night and -- in another special conference feature -- internationally-acclaimed horse photographer Robert Vavra will share an exclusive special showing of his new film about the Camargue horses of France.
A multi-disciplinary approach to a single theme is the hallmark of conference producer Tapestry Institute, a non-profit organization that applies Native American ways of learning to public education venues.
Tapestry conducts research on different ways of knowing, learning about and responding to the natural world, and applies these ways of knowing to innovative education programs. Tapestry's Horse-Human Relationship Program, headed by Jo Belasco, recently completed a major research survey on the types of relationships people have with horses and the cultural and educational factors that influence those relationships. The organization, founded and headed by Dawn Adams (Choctaw), Ph.D., has been awarded four grants by the National Science Foundation for education research and development. Originally incorporated in the state of Texas in 1998, Tapestry has been located in the Pine Ridge area of northwestern Nebraska since 2004.
The Peter Stone Company will fund 10 registration fee scholarships for 4-H youth to attend the interactive Web cast conference "The Voice of the Horse" on June 30 and July 1.
Information about the conference, events and registration is at http://www.thevoiceofthehorse.com/. Youth interested in the scholarships may contact Jo Belasco at Tapestry, jo@tapestryinstitute.org.
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