4-H Horse Speaking contests help youth gain self-confidence, courage and persuasiveness; share ideas with others; and develop the ability to speak in public to inform others about horse-related subjects and the 4-H Horse project. Divisions:
- Original individual formal speech
- Original individual presentation: either demonstration (step by step process) or illustrated talk on an idea or topic; both use visual aids.
- Original team presentation: either demonstration (step by step process) or illustrated talk on an idea or topic; both using visual aids.
- Extempore speaking: topic is selected at the event and participants have 25 minutes to prepare a 4 to 6 minute speech.
- Interpretive Reading is the art of reading aloud from a printed page. The reading must be published works that are horse-related. They may be prose, poetry, short stories, play cuttings, narratives, book or review, or theatrical. You should NOT memorize; they are intended to be read from a page.
All presentation subjects must pertain to the horse industry, or be horse related, and be original and factual. Presentations cannot involve the use of live animals; however, model animals may be used.
