Minnesota is home to nearly 7,000 farms with one to 24 horses each. Each of those horses has an owner who needs reliable information about its care.
When Jill Burcum was in high school, her family had to move from their home in northeast Iowa to the Twin Cities for her father's job. There was one big problem.
“My grandparents bought me a pony when I was little, and then another bigger horse,” she says. “I could run barrels and poles, and I had a whole social life revolving around horses. I had to leave it all behind.”
Burcum always thought she would get another horse, but with a career as a Minnesota Star Tribune journalist, and life with children and their expenses, it didn’t happen. She stayed involved, volunteering with her daughter at Bunker Park Stable.
“It brought back a lot of memories to see my daughter so happy with the horses,” she says.
Learning online instead of hoofing it to class
In 2022, Burcum and her husband sold their Andover home and bought a “quiet and peaceful” farm in southeastern Minnesota, converting a crop field to grazing pasture. “As a journalist writing about health care and other issues, I think it’s helpful to live here and get some rural perspective,” she says, adding that she and her husband are both thrilled to be there.
As plans gelled for buying a horse, she signed up for the University of Minnesota Extension equine newsletter. One article mentioned an online course in basic horse nutrition.
“The instructor, Marcia Hathaway, was really good at making horse nutrition understandable and broke down the feed labels into all of the components of the diet,” she says. Hathaway is a retired University of Minnesota faculty member and Extension Horse Team member. “I didn’t want to get a Ph.D. in it; I just wanted to get the confidence and knowledge to buy a horse. ”
At first, Burcum was worried about taking an online class. “But it’s been perfect for my needs as a working adult who needed information to make good choices,” she says.
She printed the handouts to keep in a three-ring binder in the barn and bought an Extension poster identifying plants that are toxic to horses. “I haven’t found any in the pasture, but I have already pulled hoary alyssum from my woods.”
A dream come true
This spring, Burcum got Beau, a 12-year-old quarter horse, a “ham” who likes having his picture taken, and loves treats and nuzzling. She also bought a shy rescue pony named Dunkin.
“Beau is in pasture with grasses and supplemented with hay,” says Burcum. “I learned about a ration balancer, which provides nutrients that may be lacking without a lot of calories. I don’t want him to get out of shape. He might have been fine without it, but I weighed the options and made a decision.”
Krishona Martinson, Extension equine specialist and livestock program leader, says about 1,600 people have taken the online courses. Those who complete all assignments can receive a certificate of course completion. Courses take six weeks and registration opens in the fall.
Many horse owners, including rescue operations, use other Extension equine resources such as the Hay Price Calculator and Healthy Horse apps to take the guesswork out of hay transactions, and to estimate and manage weight.
Burcum’s father passed away in May, 2025, and she recently splurged on a new saddle on his birthday. “This is totally a dream,” she says. “I know he would be so happy to see me back on a horse.”
4-H Horseless Horse project puts youth on a path to exploration
The Minnesota 4-H youth development program reaches 16,500 young people annually in animal science, including 2,745 in the horse project. Many compete at county fairs and in the Minnesota 4-H Horse Show. But what about the young horse enthusiast who doesn’t yet have a horse, or who may be interested in equine science out of curiosity or for career exploration?
Each year, more than 400 youth in grades 3 and up who do not have a horse benefit from hands-on 4-H horse learning and leadership opportunities.
“The 4-H Horseless Horse project can help young people understand what they need to commit to if they are thinking about ownership,” says Renee Kostick, University of Minnesota Extension 4-H youth development educator. “They learn about horse characteristics and breeds, biology and needs, care and feeding, and financial responsibilities. It’s a lot to learn, but we make it a fun and friendly project.”
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