For 35 consecutive years, the Texas Cooperative Extension, as part of the Texas A&M University System, has trained instructors to teach basic horsemanship skills to youth in various counties across Texas. The program has played a vital role in the improvement of riding abilities and general knowledge of the participants, advancing leadership and communication skills of the instructors, and developing a network of positive relationships throughout the 254 counties in the state. The success of the summer horsemanship schools is largely due to the genuine interest and commitment to help people improve and succeed, regardless of their level of experience. A total of 1,208 schools have been conducted over 35 years, reaching 43,341 youth, parents, and adult volunteers. The schools were evaluated in 2007, and 404 participants responded as follows:

- 70% "Definitely" learned more about how to protect their horse and equipment from theft
- 73% "Definitely" could do one or more advanced maneuvers that they were previously unable to do
- 68% "Definitely" could make more informed decisions on when/how to ask their horse to perform a task
- 66% "Definitely" could ride with more confidence
- 69% "Definitely" could solve a problem they were having before the clinic
- 61% "Definitely" could recognize the relationship between basic and advanced maneuvers
- 73% "Definitely" felt more competent in working their horse
- 73% "Definitely" enjoyed their horse more

To schedule a horsemanship school in your county for summer 2008, see the Two-Day or Three-Day Summer Horsemanship School Request Forms by clicking on Hosting A School and following the links at the bottom of that page. The schools are quite affordable and are designed to potentially cost each participant less than $30, depending on the size of the school. For two or three days of riding and instruction, the schools are a real value, and the participants gain useful skills to advance their horse and horsemanship abilities, while having fun.