The Kentucky Horse Council announced the topic for the August Kentucky Equine Networking Association (KENA) dinner will be Equines and the Environment: Minimizing Impact on Water Quality. The dinner will be held on Tuesday, August 31, at Spy Coast Farm’s Equine Education Center in Lexington. KENA is a dinner and educational series geared toward equine professionals, horse owners and riders, and other equine enthusiasts. The evening will feature a tour of Spy Coast Farm from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and networking from 6:30 to 7:00, followed by dinner and the main speaker from 7:00 to 8:00.

Guest of honor is Tammy Barnes, Cooperative Extension Associate for University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and the Environment. Barnes will offer KENA attendees insight into the best equine management practices for the preservation of water quality on horse farms and equine facilities. Horse farms that enact water conservation practices not only add value to a property, they also promote horse health.

Horse and equine facility owners have become increasingly aware of manure management and how its mismanagement could negatively impact water quality and the environment in which they ride. Barnes’ presentation will provide affordable, implementable steps to minimize the environmental impact of manure; she will also offer possible funding sources for these measures. Additional topics discussed will include riparian areas, heavy-use areas, water capture and composting.

Stricter water quality regulations are forthcoming, and it behooves horse and farm owners to be informed and proactive about possible changes they may have to implement to operate in accordance with local and federal laws.

Included with each KENA ticket is a tour Spy Coast Farm , one of the premier sport-horse farms in the country. Located on 800 acres adjacent to the Kentucky Horse Park, KENA attendees will tour their state-of-the-art Rehabilitation and Fitness Center, Stallion Barn, CEM Quarantine, Young Horse Development Center and Reproduction Center before sitting down to a meal in the brand-new Equine Education Center.

“The KHC is looking forward to presenting this topic, which affects all horse owners, whether they keep their horses at home or at a boarding facility,” says Kentucky Horse Council Executive Director Sarah Coleman. “The issues of water quality, manure management and environmental impact will only become more prominent as farmland comes under increasing pressures from housing and business development expansion.”

KENA provides an educational and social venue for equine professionals and horse enthusiasts from all breeds and disciplines. Organized by the Kentucky Horse Council, KENA provides the opportunity for attendees to share ideas, business strategies and knowledge; and to obtain up-to-date information on horse and farm management, as well as on issues affecting the equine industry. KENA is made possible by the generous support of Dinsmore Equine Law Group, WesBanco, Neogen, University of Louisville College of Business Equine Industry Program, KESMARC Kentucky and Equine Land Conservation Resource.

For details and reservations, visit https://kentuckyhorse.org/KENA . Tickets are $40.