Education Day

Pin Oak would like to thank McDonald's for once again proudly sponsoring our 2012 Education Day.

A Happy McDay The Pin Oak Way

Presented by
McDonalds
and
Houston Area Regional Partners

Since 2005 hundreds of Katy Independent School District first, second and third graders have the unique opportunity to go "behind the scenes" at The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show and learn all about this historical equestrian event.

Pin Oak Education Day gives these students an exciting hand-on experience, where they spend an entire morning getting to know the horses and the various jobs associated with a horse show. Texas Children's Hospital and Houston's Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms provide volunteers to escort the children from station to station.

Students arrive on busses and are greeted in the parking lot by volunteer Pin Oak hostesses for a quick lesson in horse show etiquette: when to clap, when to remain quiet, and the importance of staying with their assigned group as they tour the facility.

The children are divided into six equal groups to tour six different areas of learning for 15 minutes at a time. The lessons include:

• A talk with the Dr. Gustov, a veterinarian from Currie Equine Clinc and a "painted" horse provided by Mayde Creek High School Ram Riders club, for the children to see the skeletal structure and digestive track of a horse.

• Get to walk through a horse trailer, that includes living quarters for people, provided by Triple M Trailers of Texas.

• A barn tour provide by trainer Amanda Doughety wtih Memorial Park Hunters, where the children are allowed to touch a show saddle, bridle and other equestrian tack need to show a horse.

• The children get a first hand look at the jumps used by the hunter/jumper breeds.

• The opportunity to pet a real, live UK Shetland Pony that was originally bred to work in coal mines in the UK and later the United States of America. The "Ambassadors of Unconditional Love" are provided by Kay O'Conner, Personal Ponies from Louisiana.

• The children receive etiquette on how to approach a dog that is not theirs, as with a horse show there are always plenty of dogs around. Etiquette provided by Dogs on Cue.

Once every child has had an opportunity to visit all of the learning centers, they are excorted back to the Main Arena for lunch, catered by the Greater Houston McDonald's Owner/Operators and their partners. Many McDonald's employees work all year to bring good cheer and yummy food to these kids and Ronald McDonald Makes a special appearance to share his own special brand of humor. New in 2011, the students were encouraged to collect soda tabs to donate to Houston's Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms, and the school with the most collected tabs was treated by a visit to their school, by Ronald McDonlad himself! As you can imgaine, it was quite a competition. Thank you to Housoton's Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms for helping with this event each year.  While enjoying their Happy Meals, students watch horses that are competing in teh Main Arena at that time. It could be an American Saddlebred or a Jumper.

Education day began as a one-day event for approximately 199 children and has grown due to an overwhelmingly positive response from everyone involved. The Pin Oak Board of Directors is proud to provide Education Day students wtih complimentary General Admission tickets, along with a souvenir program for the parents of the students attending this day of fun. Students are also provided with a take home coloring book to remind them of their experience at Pin Oak.  Pin Oak  2012 is going to be another year of great fun for everyone involved and may inspire a new generation of horse enthusiasts!