Grand River Agricultural Society announced on Wednesday that it will donate $15,000 towards a youth program being developed by Equine Guelph and 4-H Ontario

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Equine Guelph is partnering with 4-H Ontario to develop an online learning community for youth. New interactive learning tools will stress safety, health, welfare and careers in the horse industry. Some of the topics youth will be able to discover online include caring for horses and functional anatomy.

“The Grand River Agricultural Society has supported Equine Guelph and local 4-H for several years," said Dr. Ted Clarke, General Manager of Grand River. "Both have unique strengths and this combined initiative should make each program stronger while providing a great opportunity for both rural and urban youth to learn more about horses.”

“This is the start of a long term program that we believe will have a major impact on youth who are interested in educational opportunities and a future working with horses,” said Gayle Ecker, Director of Equine Guelph, who extended her thanks to the Grand River Agricultural Society for enabling the program to get off the ground.

Additional funding will be required to complete this innovative online community program. The release date of the program has not yet been announced.

(With files from Equine Guelph)