The Mountain Horse Oral History Project
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Animal Studies
Minor
Horses, Humans, and Health
2nd Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
2nd Student Major
Recreation
3rd Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Sophomore
3rd Student Major
Criminal Justice
Institution
Eastern Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Stephanie McSpirit
Department
Sociology
Abstract
Our faculty-student research team at Eastern Kentucky University has been collecting oral histories on Kentucky’s gaited mountain Horses, once referred to as the “Country Saddler” since 2016. We have collected over 50 oral histories with funding and support from the Kentucky Oral History Commission. These histories and stories of the Kentucky mountain horse, both past and present, have been indexed and digitally archived and are now readily available to the public through the William H. Berge Oral History Center. I have been involved in preparing and indexing these oral histories as a publicly accessible and searchable archive and would like to share my experiences in being trained in oral history methods with those legislators and the members of the public that might stop by my poster presentation. Part of my poster will outline and show what is involved in preparing an oral history for public access using OHMS indexing methods. My poster will also share some of my own analysis and review of this oral history collection. One the themes that I have already seen developing is how important the Mountain Horses have been to people in the past and present. They are used for numerous activities and without them some of the people wouldn’t be able to do the things they have done or currently do.
The Mountain Horse Oral History Project
Our faculty-student research team at Eastern Kentucky University has been collecting oral histories on Kentucky’s gaited mountain Horses, once referred to as the “Country Saddler” since 2016. We have collected over 50 oral histories with funding and support from the Kentucky Oral History Commission. These histories and stories of the Kentucky mountain horse, both past and present, have been indexed and digitally archived and are now readily available to the public through the William H. Berge Oral History Center. I have been involved in preparing and indexing these oral histories as a publicly accessible and searchable archive and would like to share my experiences in being trained in oral history methods with those legislators and the members of the public that might stop by my poster presentation. Part of my poster will outline and show what is involved in preparing an oral history for public access using OHMS indexing methods. My poster will also share some of my own analysis and review of this oral history collection. One the themes that I have already seen developing is how important the Mountain Horses have been to people in the past and present. They are used for numerous activities and without them some of the people wouldn’t be able to do the things they have done or currently do.