The term “Hippology” comes from the Greek “hippo”, meaning horse, and “ology”, meaning “the study of”. The Hippology contest is designed to test not only a youth’s knowledge of equine science, but also application of this knowledge in a competitive setting. There are four phases to this contest: Examination Phase, Station Phase, the judging phase, and the team problem phase.

The Examination phase includes a written exam, slides projected to identify horse features, and anatomy classification. During the Station phase youth walk to a series of stations where they are asked to provide identification of objects related to horses, such as tools and equipment, saddles, use of pulse rate, i.e. The Judging Phase comes next, where youth will be required ro place at least four classes as if they were a judge themselves. Finally, the Team Problems component allows teams to apply their knowledge of equine to real-world situations. One example of this would be providing a farm management recommendation for a proposed horse operation.

Scoring is based off a combination of the scores from the Examination Phase, Station Phase, and Judging Phase. Youth are required to give judging reasons.  Participation in this event is perfect for youth looking to expand their involvement in the NYS Equine Program, while also providing valuable experience to youth with futures in the animal industry.