I pledge my head to clearer thinking,
my heart to greater loyalty,
my hands to larger service,
and my health to better living,
for my club, my community, my country, and my world. - The 4H pledge

4-H has 6.5 million members in the United States, ages 5 to 21 and the goal is to develop citizenship, leadership, responsibility and life skills of youth through experiential learning programs and a positive youth development approach. It serves youth in rural, urban, and suburban communities in every state across the nation and has more than 25 million alumni.

Since 1901, the city of Lynden Washington, with a current population of little over 14,000 people, hosts the annual Northwest Washington fair and in recent years has drawn close to 200,000 attendees. The fair's biggest stars, according to the manager Jim Baron, during the week long event are the animals and the people who raise them. In 2019, the Whatcom County 4H organization had 82 members that are part of the horsemanship program and four are part of a new club called 'Strides'. Their riders ages range from 11 to 13 years old and some of their members are as young as eight. All involved with 'Strides' help with cleaning, feeding, grooming and taking care of the four horses named Topper, Arwen, Jewel and Coco. The group is led by Tessa Shelton, the owner of Kingdom View Equestrian, in Custer, Washington and helps teach the younger members about the many facets of 4H and being a part of the horsemanship program.