Welcome! If you've come here to study for a Horse Bowl, Know Down, or Hippology contest you are in the right place. These notes are the result of several trips to Louisville for the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup. They have been used for both Hippology and Horse Bowl, and have also been passed on to several Pony Club members. If a question comes up in competition, and we have failed to provide the information here, let us know. It will be added promptly!

We have attempted to provide updated information, but several of the 4-H reference books are several decades old. Those writing questions for 4-H Horse Bowl are required to use these often out-of-date sources. Therefore, in order to cover all possible questions, we have quoted the approved sources. We have tried to indicate where discrepancies are likely to occur. Thank you for understanding these problems.

Anyone wishing to learn about horses is welcome, but please be aware that much of the information is presented in "test study" form. For example, in knowledge competition, it is wisest to answer with a specific number, rather than a range of numbers. Therefore, we have taken the liberty of listing the horses average pulse rate as 36 beats per minute, rather than 32 - 40 beats per minute, for example.

Also, there is very little riding and training information in this section. Knowledge competitions tend to focus on veterinary and historical information. Please make use of our bookstore to shop for training books.

If you are new to the horse world, then welcome! Please start with Introduction to Horses. And, of course, feel free to email if you have any specific questions.