• Fair stall displays can be valuable educational tools.horses image by Penny Williams from Fotolia.com
  
  While fairs attract people who are already well-versed in the equine world, they attract many others have never owned, let alone shown, a horse. When constructing a stall display at the local fair, try to create a display that is compelling and interesting for both experienced horse people or average visitors.
  
  

Educational Displays

• Educating the public about the responsibilities of horse ownership is an excellent idea for a fair stall display. Many new horse owners do not realize how much care and cost is involved in owning a horse, and as a result those new owners are often ill-prepared, both financially and from a facilities standpoint. Creating a display showing the monthly costs of keeping a horse, from feed and hay to board and riding lessons, will educate the public in an interesting and non-threatening way. Other ideas for educational displays include common plants that are poisonous to horses, a diagram of the hoof and how it works, or a look at the various types of tack.
  
  

Year in Review

• Fairs often take place near the end of the show season, so a stall display provides the perfect opportunity for competitors to show off their past accomplishments and provide a look at the final competitions of the year. A photo collage with a timeline running from the first preparations for the show ring through the competitions at the fair can be very compelling. The year in review concept also gives successful horse show competitors a chance to show off the ribbons and trophies they have accumulated throughout the show season.
  
  

Equine Careers

• Many people outside the horse world do not realize how important the horse industry is to the overall economy. Fair participants can educate the public by creating a display showing the large number of jobs that relate back to the horse industry. These jobs include veterinarians, farriers, jockeys, horse trainers and boarding stable owners. Gathering specific facts and figures on the dollar value of the horse industry in a particular state can make the stall display even more interesting.