CSU's Equine Sciences Program

The first land grant university to offer a four-year bachelor's degree in Equine Sciences, Colorado State University's Equine Sciences program has more than 400 undergraduates. A unique program within this major is the Legend of Ranching Program is in its 12th year. CSU Director of the Legend of Ranching Program Dr. Dave Denniston explains

Denniston: "So we have cosigners from some of the most prominent ranches around the United States that are consigning horses into the program. The way it works is our consigners consign a young horse in the fall of every year — typically a yearling coming two-year old. Those horses are putting into the fall CSU Colt Training Class and the students are learning how to handle the horses, break the horses, first rides, first saddles. Then the horses continue with the same students in the spring semester in the second half of the Colt Training Class. Then all of those young horses are sold in our April sale called the Legends of Ranching Program. Then those consigners who consign young horses are also eligible to consign an aged horse of their choice."

Now in addition to the sale of approximately 60 horses — there is a student competition of those students that have trained the colts for scholarships; there is a Futurity Horse Show, a hospitality event, preview and then the annual sale that happens each April.

Denniston: We have a really, really have a great group of consigners and they are really interested in young people. They are interested in what we are doing here at CSU's Equine Sciences program and they are interested in producing young people into the equine industries."