Almost two decades ago, Pennsylvania Equine Council member Joanna Cameron had a vision. She wanted to share her love and knowledge of horses with the public. In 2006, Joanna attended the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg.
She was given a portable stall for her horse and gave children and adults the opportunity to meet a live horse. She also shared her knowledge of horse care and ownership with the public. In the coming years, children and adults looked forward to meeting horses at the Farm Show.
The equine council was invited back, and the Equine Learning Center was born. Skip Seifert with his Appaloosa, Gunner, was joined by Mike Kraft and his Appaloosa, Gizmo. We could not have operated the learning center without the dedicated volunteer members who continued to help every year. The Equine Learning Center would become a very popular attraction and still is today.
Over the years additional horses were introduced to the Learning Center. Volunteers also shared their expertise about horses with a vast number of visitors to the Farm Show. Bob Sneed attends regularly with his Quarter Horses. His donkey, Jethro, was a favorite among the children.
The Equine Council's learning center also receives visits from Farm Show celebrities.
Charlie VanAuken and his horse, Pete, have been a popular addition for many years. Pete and the other horses have provided photo ops for families every year. Parents have commented that they have photos every year with our horses and enjoy seeing their children growing up in those photos. The learning center welcomes thousands of children during the week.
The Equine Learning Center not only offers the opportunity to get up close to a horse, but it also offers a unique learning experience. There is a full-size horse skull and various leg bones and diagrams to pique the curiosity of the children.
The volunteers answer a lot of questions and are always happy to share their knowledge. There are also different types of horseshoes and other equipment used for horses. Educational material is also available for visitors to take with them.
The council’s learning center will be in the North Hall. This year there will be a North American spotted draft horse and Edward the donkey will be there to meet folks. Pete will be there again this year, along with Zachary the Friesian and a quarter horse for children and adults to pet.
The learning center looks forward to sharing our beloved equines with the many visitors of the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show.
For more information, go to pennsylvaniaequinecouncil.org.
Gail Eichelberger is the past president of the Pennsylvania Equine Council and current committee chair of the Equine Learning Center.
