Girl Scouts of all levels are invited to explore the wonderful world of horses at the Maryland Horse World EXPO inside the State Fair Grounds in Timonium, Maryland.

The EXPO features top quality seminars and clinics, mounted demonstrations, Stallion Avenue, world-class shopping, and new this year a GIRL SCOUT SCAVENGER HUNT! Girls will pick up their Scavenger Hunt instructions at the Girl Scout Booth and proceed to enjoy the EXPO as they gather their hunt items and learn all about riding, training, and caring for horses. They will return their Scavenger Hunt to the Girl Scout booth for an EXPO Patch.

 

Explore the Maryland Horse World EXPO and learn all about horses via a special informational Scavenger Hunt just for Girl Scouts on any one of the days the EXPO is open.
Purchase your EXPO ticket on line in advance or at the door of either buildings that day.
Come to the Girl Scout Booth number 2204 in the Exhibition Hall to get your Scavenger Hunt Sheet and detailed instructions.
Bring your own pens and pencils.

The Scavenger Hunt consists of questions all about horses and the horse world. The answers will be found in the booths of participating venders and clinicians. The booth number where the answer can be found is provided on the Scavenger Hunt sheet.

Visit the booths of the participating venders and clinics to collect the correct answers to the Scavenger Hunt questions.
At least 75% of the Scavenger Hunt Sheet must be completed to qualify for the EXPO Patch, so don’t worry if you miss a couple questions. And you can always come back a second day to complete it.

Return your completed Scavenger Hunt Sheet to the Girl Scout booth number 2204 in the Exhibition Hall to receive your free special EXPO Patch. Patches will not be distributed after the EXPO so be sure to allow time to get back to the booth.

Registered Girl Scouts may participate either with their troop or attend individually with a responsible accompanying adult.

Troop leaders and accompanying adults must take care to follow all Safety Wise and GSCM policies for activities outside the usual meeting place.

Girls who are not currently registered to Girl Scouts may join there at the Girl Scout booth in order to participate in the Scavenger Hunt. They will need a parent or guardian to accompany them and to sign the membership form and to pay the $12 Girl Scout Membership Fee. Girl Scout registration forms are available on the GSCM website and can be completed before arriving and brought to the Girl Scout booth.

 

The horses you will see at the Maryland Horse World EXPO are some of our area’s finest. Most of the time they will be confined in their stall either inside the EXPO buildings or in the outside barns, or in one of the performance arenas. You may come upon a horse being moved from one area to the next, so please be aware of your surroundings at all times and take precautions to not get in the way of the rider or handlers with the horses. If you see a horse approaching, stop and step to the side well out of the way, and never walk up to the rear of the horse.

Horse World Expo Attendees should be aware that horses and horse related activities are inherently dangerous.  All horses can kick or bite.  Never approach or try to pet or touch a horse without the permission and supervision of the owner/handler.  At no time should anyone other than the owner/handler enter a stall with a horse while at Horse World Expo.

Horses have big, strong teeth and cannot see your fingers when you put your hand below their nose and mouth. So when petting is allowed always touch the broad part of the face below the eyes and above the nose. How else can a horse tell the difference between a carrot and a finger than by tasting it? The side of the neck is another excellent petting place to stroke that is not as intimidating to either the horse or the person.

 

Did you know that in the wild, horses are attacked and eaten by other wild animals like mountain lions. The horse’s primary means of defense is to run, and when cornered or not able to run, they kick and bite. Domestic horses have retained their instinct to protect themselves. Horses’ perception of things in their environment can be quite different from ours … they may not be able to recognize that a person or bicycle approaching them quickly is not a threat to them. This is why horses may seem spooky and nervous, and we must take care not to frighten them.

There are many things to notice about a horse before approaching them to make sure you are safe. Always ask the rider or handler for permission to approach a horse. Here are some important things to know about horses and about safely approaching a horse You will see much of this in action in many of the EXPO clinician’s demonstrations.

Blind Zones
Horses have “blind zones” where they aren’t able to see anything. The two blind zones are directly in front of the horse and directly behind the horse. It is important to recognize these areas and approach the horse from the front, but never directly in front of the horse. It is preferred that you approach the horse at an angle from its shoulder

Flight Zone
The flight zone is important to consider when approaching horses. This is the horse’s “personal space.” When a person moves into the horse’s flight zone it causes the horse to move away from the person that is approaching it. The size of the flight zone depends on temperament of the horse and its experience with people. With frequent handling the flight zone will decrease in size and may even disappear. But if a horse hasn’t had much handling, has not hat positive handling experiences, or is constantly approached head on, it will have a much larger flight zone. The edge of the flight zone can be determined by slowly walking up to a horse. The point at which the horse begins to move away is the edge. This is the best place for a handler to work. The point-of-balance, which is located at the shoulder, is perpendicular to the point of the body. This is used to move horses back or forward. To make the horse move back, the handler should stand in front of the point-of balance, and to make the horse move forward they should stand behind the point-of-balance.

Body Language/Expression
Always take notice of a horse’s body language and expression before moving towards it. Try to make eye contact before moving towards a horse. If the horse is turned away from you, encourage the horse to turn and face you before you approach. Learn to recognize changes in head, ear, neck, and body position, and facial expressions of the horse. These all indicate the horse’s mood or temperament. Be careful when working around the horse’s head, legs, and tail. If it becomes startled or irritated, the horse may move suddenly and injure the handler.

 

Horse World Expo Attendees voluntarily assume all risks incidental to the event or related events, including the risk of lost, stolen or damaged property or personal injury. Attendees also waive all claims against the event organizer, the owner of the facility, event exhibitors or participants regardless of whether such claims arise from the negligence of any of the said parties. Solicitation of event exhibitors or participants, for any reason, is strictly prohibited. Admission may be refused or ticket holder ejected in the sole discretion of the event organizer, subject to refund.