For the fourth year in a row Virginia Polo provided local seventh grade students enrolled in the University of Virginia’s Starr Hill Pathways program the opportunity to spend time with horses.
Canela was the favorite pony of the week for many of the visiting students.
A portion of UVA’s Center for Community Partnerships, the program is designed to help steward enrolled Charlottesville youth through their young educational years.
“Starr Hill Pathways is a college and career pipeline program for students from 7th grade through high school graduation…During middle school years, Starr Hill Pathways scholars are given the opportunity to explore different career pathways through summer camps and school-year programming days with community partner organizations.”
Virginia Polo’s role in the program is a small but memorable one for the students who choose to explore the “Vet Tech” pathway. We provide the students an opportunity to learn about the care horses require, teach them basic veterinary evaluation skills, introduce them to an equine vet and farrier during interactive sessions, and discuss with them the process of becoming a Vet Tech or Vet. Throughout their time at Virginia Polo the children get the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, familiarize themselves with horses, and enjoy the healthful benefits of farm life.
Students ready and eager to load up the hay truck.
For many of the kids this is a rare opportunity to experience caring for horses and a window into a world they did not previously know about. This year we had a cohort of particularly interested scholars who absorbed the information with relish.
Dr. Ainsworth Helps a Camper Calculate Heartrate
Virginia Polo alumna Dr. Alyson Ainsworth, DVM generously offered to lead a session with the students. The kids were able to apply what they’d learned measuring heart rate, locating pulse points, and learning the signs of dehydration. In addition to basics Dr. Ainsworth enthralled the group by describing the steps involved in sedating a horse and performing gastric surgery in a clinic, and by describing and demonstrating how to judge a horse’s age by their teeth.
7th Grade Students Untack Nemo After the Polo Demo
In addition to learning veterinary skills, we included a day about polo with club players demonstrating the horses’ gaits, bumping, swinging, and other building blocks to the game of polo. The students helped to untack and then rinse off the horses, an activity they enjoyed.
With a group so receptive to learning and with the assistance of their wonderful counselors, the week was a great success for spreading the joy of horses and polo to a new cohort of young people.
Use the following link to learn more about UVA’s Starr Hill Pathways program, https://communitypartnerships.virginia.edu/starr-hill-pathways.
