Since the idea of the EHC came together ten years ago this July, there has been one common request: we should meet in Kentucky!

We are incredibly excited to be able to announce our two year collaboration with the Kentucky Historical Society. We will have a special session at this year’s virtual conference to learn more about the collections and programs at KHS, and next year we will, at last, meet in Kentucky.

Due to this exciting collaboration, we have also decided to extend the deadline for this year’s virtual conference to August 15. Please see the CFP below and let us know if you intend on submitting a paper or have any questions. 

About KHS

The Kentucky Historical Society is home to a host of invaluable equine archival collectionsand associated objects. The crown jewel of the KHS equine collections is the Alexander Family/Woodburn Farm Collection, 74 cubic feet of material chronicling five generations of family members (1509–1969) and the extensive involvement in livestock and horse breeding—the most famous horse from Woodburn farm being Lexington, purchased in 1856. Other collections pertaining to equine history include the Gist Family Papers, H. L. Martin Papers, Doram-Rowe Family Collection, and Hughes Family Papers. KHS is also conveniently located near other libraries, archives, universities, and museums in the state, including the Keeneland Library, the Kentucky Derby Museum, and more.

To learn more about KHS’s fellowship program, click here.

For an overview of KHS’s collections previously written by the EHC, click here.

Equine History Collective Virtual Annual Conference 2026

Ways of Being: Equid Experiences of the Five Domains

September 25-27, 2026

How can we understand historical equid experiences? That question is so often at the heart of our work as horsetorians. In veterinary and animal welfare studies, the Five Domains Model is a means of measuring the impact of survival- and situation-related factors on the subjective experiences of more-than-human animals to determine their welfare states. First developed in 1994 by D.J. Mellor and C.S.W. Reid, the framework examines the interrelated conditions of nutrition, physical environment, health, and behavior. In 2020, Mellor et. al. updated the model to emphasize the role human-animal interaction plays in creating animals’ welfare states. Models from other fields of study, like the Five Domains, can become powerful lenses of inquiry for our work in animal history.

For our 2026 virtual conference, the Equine History Collective invites a wide range of proposals exploring historical equid ways of being inspired by the Five Domains Model. How do we understand and investigate historical equid experiences? Can frameworks like the Five Domains Model guide our research? What do we learn when we center these species-specific factors in our study of the past? Is it even possible to understand historical equids’ affective states and how might equid  histories change if we pursue them? 

Proposals should fall into one of the following categories:

The conference will take place roughly between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. EDT. As a virtual conference, proposals for pre-recorded individual papers will also be accepted for anyone who would like to add special media or demonstrations that would be difficult to accomplish in real-time. We also accept proposals for alternative presentations. 

Panel Session (3 to 4 speakers)

Panel proposals should include: 

• Panelists’ names and one-page C.V.s 
• Name and contact for panel organizer
• Panel abstract (150 words or less) 
• Individual abstracts (250 words or less, ea.)

Individual Paper (presentation 15-20 minutes)

Proposal should include: 

• Name and one-page C.V. 
• Abstract (250 words or less)

Alternative Presentations: 

These presentations might not fit the conventional format of a paper presentation or panel but offer alternative ways to explore the conference theme. These could include but aren’t limited to performances, film presentations, gallery-style exhibits, etc. 

Proposal should include:

• Name and one-page C.V. 
• Abstract/description (250 words or less)
• Presentation format description (250 words or less)
• Estimated duration 

Please submit all materials by August 15, 2026 and direct any questions to EquineHistory@gmail.com.

Please notify us as soon as possible if you intend on submitting a paper. 

The EHC values collaborations regardless of institutional affiliation. The organization is committed to accessibility and inclusion. Please let us know of any accessibility concerns or requests. 

This Equine History Collective will meet in person for our annual conference at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island from September 26 – 28, 2025. The theme for this years conference is “Horse Sense and Sensibility”

We invite submissions for papers, panel sessions, and alternative presentations that connect to broad explorations of the notion of horse-sense in history from a variety of perspectives, eras, and geographies. How have our interactions created the thing we perceive as horse-sense? What are the historical moments that have produced the reliability of horse-sense and its applications? How have our sensibilities towards equids changed? How have equids’ sensibilities towards us changed? We invite scholars, practitioners, enthusiasts, and other students of equine history to submit work exploring the ways in which we understand, misunderstand, and make meaning together with equids. 

Proposals should fall into one of the following categories:

 Panel proposals (3 to 4 speakers) should include: 

• Panelists’ names and one-page C.V.s 
• Name and contact for panel organizer
• Panel abstract (150 words or less) 
• Individual abstracts (250 words or less, ea.)

Individual paper proposals (presentation 15-20 minutes) should include

• Name and one-page C.V. 
• Abstract (250 words or less)

Alternative presentations: 

These presentations might not fit the conventional format of a paper presentation or panel but offer alternative ways to explore the conference theme. These could include but aren’t limited to performances, film presentations, gallery-style exhibits, etc. 

Proposal should include:

• Name and one-page C.V. 
• Abstract/description (250 words or less)
• Presentation format description (250 words or less)
• Estimated duration 

Please submit all materials by April 1, 2025 and direct any questions to admin@equinehistory.org.

The 2024 Equine History Collective conference ‘Tech-quids across Time’ is fast approaching. This online conference, hosted by Johnson & Wales University, will take place from September 19-21.  Registration is required to attend the conference, and you can do so via our online registration form.

This year we are thrilled to have  two fantastic keynote speakers: Jacquelynn Holly and Lynne Ferguson!

Jacquelynn Holly: Keynote presentation Friday September 20th, 3:00-4:00pm EDT

Jacquelynn Holly, a dedicated equestrienne with a penchant for the past, found her passion in the elegant world of sidesaddles. Her journey began in 2013 when she stepped into the enchanting realm of Victorian reenactment. Little did she know that this initial curiosity would blossom into a lifelong devotion to preserving and reviving the art of sidesaddle riding.

As Jacquelynn delved deeper into the world of sidesaddles, her fascination evolved into a mission. She realized these beautiful relics needed more than admiration—they needed restored, but restored to be used, as there is a finite number of functionally, safe sidesaddles in the world, and no one is building new Western sidesaddle trees.  Guided by her passion, she embarked on a journey to learn the art of rebuilding and restoring sidesaddles by disassembling and studying those in her own ever growing and ever changing private collection. Jacquelynn’s workshop became a sanctuary for these forgotten treasures. The collection is an eclectic assortment of Western, English, Icelandic, Mexican and Peruvian, from all eras of their evolution. Some had great potential, while others had no value and might otherwise be dubbed “wreckers”. Others, in decent condition, should still only be used for conversation pieces and decor. Today, Jacquelynn continues to meticulously disassemble sidesaddles, study their construction, and breathe new life into them. Each stitch, each pattern, carries the secrets of lost history. Jacquelynn revels in the challenge of preserving authenticity while ensuring functionality, and giving these pieces of art the opportunity to serve another 150 years. She takes great pride in uncovering the history behind each sidesaddle – who owned it, who made it, where it came from and where it is going. Her restorations go beyond leather and delve deep into history itself. She is also the founder of the Idaho Sidesaddle Association in 2018. The vision of the ISA is to promote historical education by riding in various styles of sidesaddles. Sidesaddles, having evolved across different cultures and eras, hold stories of elegance, resilience, and femininity. The association aims to weave these narratives into the practice of riding aside and it hosts an annual clinic in May in addition to participating in different events and educating the younger generation about sidesaddle to foster intergenerational learning and preserve the rich history of this discipline.

Lynne Ferguson: Keynote presentation Saturday September 21, 2:00-3:00pm EDT

Lynne Ferguson is the founder of the Native Horsemanship Youth Program, a non-profit free program serving low income youth and youth with disabilities that Lynne founded in 1998. She is also a singer/songwriter and musician with a long and successful career in many music genres, and live performances and music sales help support the program, as well as grants and private donations. All proceeds from her music benefit the Native Horsemanship Youth Program. You can find her music on YouTube and Spotify.

The Native Horsemanship Youth Program operates on the Port Madison Indian Reservation in Suquamish, Washington. Lynne’s great grandfather had Eastern Band Cherokee descendancy but grew up in Comanche country and learned his horsemanship skills there, which he taught to her grandma, and great-grandma, and they taught Lynne what they had learned. These methods rely on developing a close bond with your horse and this bonding experience is exceptionally healing to children who have experienced trauma. The methods respect the horse’s nature, and the participants learn to communicate with their horses using breath, body language, and intention. They use horses they have bred, raised, and trained to work with youth and adults with disabilities and/or on the autism spectrum. They are now serving their second generation of students.  Lynne lives in a cabin – off the grid and on the Port Madison Reservation – surrounded by the horses and the natural beauty of the northwest.  Her life and passions are music and working with these horses to help children grow and thrive.

Hurrah!!! The annual Equine History Collective conference is fast approaching. This year’s virtual conference runs from September 19-21, and is being hosted by Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. The theme of the conference is ‘Tech-equids across Time’ and we are super excited for our line-up of presenters, including two fantastic keynote speakers.  Make sure you register for this fantastic equid event! A reminder that EHC members get discounted registration rates.

The complete conference program can be found below and on the 2024 Conference Page.

Christian Krueger, our fabulous EHC treasurer and artist extraordinaire has once again designed our conference logo.  We all think it is pretty awesome, and it can also be found on our 2024 conference merchandise, which can be purchased through Bonfire.