Horsemanship Skills Program

• Virginia 4-H’s Horsemanship Skills Program, which began in 2013, emphasizes safety in all equine activities and aims to develop horsemanship skills and recognize individual achievement in a non-competitive, progressive program. Virginia 4-H members are required to complete Horsemanship Skill Levels 1 & 2 in order to be eligible for the 4-H Championship Horse & Pony Show. In 2018, 4-Hers were able to apply for testing at Level 3 and Level 4 at the state show. See the state show page for more information for the application process.  

Skills Calendar

• Horsemanship Skills Calendar

Program Information

• Horsemanship Skills Level 1 & 2  FAQ (PDF)
• Horsemanship Skills Level 3 & 4 FAQ (PDF)
  
• Skill Evaluation Reference Forms

Trained Evaluators  and Evaluator Certification

List of current 4-H trained Horsemanship Skills Evaluators and policies for certification as a horsemanship skills evaluator. 

• Trained Evaluator List - Updated 5/5/25

Evaluated Riders - by Unit

This list is compiled from information sent by evaluation managers. Please allow at least two weeks after a rider evaluation for information to be updated and posted.

• Evaluated Riders by Unit (2012-2018)
• Evaluated Riders by Unit (2019-2023)     
• Evaluated Riders (2024-2025)- Updated 5.28.2025         

Submission Forms

If you have recently hosted an evaluator training or a rider evaluation, please fill out the appropriate form below and submit within two weeks of the training or evaluation.

• Submission Form for Trained Evaluators (XLS | 28KB)
• Submission Form for Evaluated Riders (XLS | 62KB)

Hosting Application

If you are interested in hosting a rider evaluation, you will need to fill out the form posted below and submit it to Hunter Liles, Extension Youth Animal Science Associate. Once your evaluation has been approved, it will be added to the horsemanship skills calendars. 

• Hosting Application (PDF)

Evaluator Trainings

Evaluator Trainings serve the purpose of training new Evaluators who will be certified to test for Horsemanship Skills, and once certified, they will be added to the lilst of Trained Evaluators. Evaluator Trainings may only be hosted by individuals from the Trainer List.

Please contact Horsemanship Skills committee chair, Hannah Mcdonald, if you are interested in becoming a certified horsemanship skills evaluator.