2026 Missouri 4-H Equine Tour

Dates: May 18-24, 2026
Registration: January 1 to March 31, 2026, in 4-H Online.
Open to all Missouri 4H members ages 14-18.

2018 Equine Tour Group in Estes Park

4-H teens, ages 14-18, dreaming of an equine-related career will want to participate in the Missouri Equine Tour. The 2026 tour will travel to Lexington, KY and surrounding areas to explore the equine industry present in that area and along the way. Cost is $950 per youth and registration is open January 1 through March 31, 2026. A minimum of 40 youth are needed to make the trip “a go” – limited to a maximum of 50 youth.

4-H staff and chaperones with equine backgrounds will head up the tour providing a safe and informative experience for participants. The itinerary will include collegiate visits to equine and veterinary schools at the universities of Missouri and Kentucky, rehabilitation and medical facilities, jockey and horse shoeing schools, horse shows and races, and additional stops along the way.

Previous tour participants arrive back with great memories, enhanced equine knowledge, strengthened career ideas, and many new lasting friendships. Be a part of the tradition!

Past tours include:

  • 2025 – Upper Midwest and Canada
  • 2024 – Wyoming and Colorado
  • 2023 – Oklahoma and Texas
  • 2022 – Kentucky

For questions, contact:

"As a Missouri 4-H alum who spent seven years in the program and is about to graduate college with a degree in equine science, I can't recommend the Equine Tour enough. My experience on the tour confirmed for me that if I followed my interests, there would be a place in the industry for me, because the horse world is as broad and varied as you can imagine. The classes I have taken in college would fit me well for jobs in equine publications or working at a therapeutic riding program - two fields I got to see up close and personal on the Equine Tour. This trip is a worthwhile way to get a glimpse of your future career!"

–Kate Wright, Senior, Judson College - Communications, Spanish, Equine Majors