Horse owners and industry professionals will have an opportunity to ask questions and exchange ideas at the first West Virginia University Extension Service Statewide Horse Industry Meeting Saturday, Sept. 6, in Weston.

The free session will be from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Extension State Fire Training Academy, 2600 Old Mill Road. The academy is a new facility on the 525-acre campus of WVU Jacksons Mill State 4-H Camp.

The horse industry meeting will provide a forum for open discussion about the industrys strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, according to Holly Spooner, the WVU Extension assistant professor and equine specialist who is organizing the gathering.

“The horse industry here contributes more than $509 million in total industry output and is responsible for nearly 13,000 jobs,”Spooner said.”The opportunity for the industry to grow and prosper is tremendous.”

Septembers session will provide all segments of the diverse industry a chance to highlight the needs of their discipline, group or geographical area. It also will serve as a foundation for planning new WVU Extension Service equine programs.

For example, participants will be asked to identify issues they would like included in industry dinner meetings and Super Saturday Workshops, said Spooner, who joined the WVU Extension faculty this summer.

Representatives from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and other organizations will share information about services they offer.

Southern States Cooperative, which is sponsoring the luncheon, will also present a short equine nutrition lecture.

Thursday, Aug. 28, is the deadline to register for the first WVU Extension Service Statewide Horse Industry Meeting.

For more information or to register for the free meeting, contact Spooner at 304-293-6131 ext. 4220 or ” holly.spooner@mail.wvu.edu rel=nofollow> holly.spooner@mail.wvu.edu .

Directions to WVU Jacksons Mill and information about the WVU Extension Service are available on the Web: www.ext.wvu.edu .