Horse owners throughout the Commonwealth are being invited to network and discuss horse community issues in a series of listening sessions being conducted by the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC). The four sessions, planned at locations across the state, begin on Tuesday and one of them is scheduled for Princeton.

Aptly named The Horsemen’s Dialogue: Conversations with Kentucky Horse Owners, the meetings will be facilitated by Dr. Lori Garkovich of the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Garkovich will lead attendees in a discussion of their needs as individual horse owners, equine business owners, association leaders, etc. In addition participants will share views and insight into local, regional, and statewide issues within the horse community that could be addressed by the Kentucky Horse Council or other equine associations.

This opportunity for horse owners to share their needs, ideas, and recommendations is born of the Kentucky Horse Council’s desire to better connect with horse owners around the state.

The Horsemen’s Dialogue is supported by several Kentucky equine associations in­clud­ing: Fort Harrod Back Coun­try Horsemen, Northern Kentucky Horse Network, Masterson Equestrian Trust, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Pinto Organization of Kentucky, Trail Riding Equestrians In Kentucky, Kentucky American Saddlebred Pleasure Horse Association, Central Kentucky Back Country Horsemen, Kentucky Trail Riders Association, Kentucky Morgan Horse Association, Society for Arabian Horses in the Bluegrass Area, and the Red River Back Country Horsemen.

“Information gleaned from the Horsemen’s Dialogue will help us better serve all horse owners by offering educational activities that meet their needs, supporting local horse club development, and connecting horse owners and associations statewide,” noted KHC President, Madelyn Millard.

The Horsemen’s Dialogue will kick off Tuesday, July 7, 6:30 p.m. at the Laurel County Extension Office.

The next stop is on Thursday, July 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Caldwell County Extension Office in Princeton.

“We would love to fill the room with horse owners from Caldwell, Hopkins, Christian, Trigg, Lyon, Crittenden, Webster counties and beyond,” said Essie Rogers, Kentucky Horse Council director for education and welfare.

Additional tour stops are scheduled at 6:30 p.m. July 14 at the Fayette County Extension Office and July 16 at the Kenton County Extension Office.

Additional sessions may be held in other areas beginning in August.

For more information, per­­­sons can visit www.kentuc­ky­horse.org or contact the Kentucky Horse Council at 859-367-0509 or email info@kentuckyhorse.org.