LISTENING SESSIONS

July 6, 2005

Imagine the equine industry in Kentucky as you would like it to be in 5 to 10 years. Describe how it would be different from what it is today.

It will be recognized and acknowledged that the horse industry is central to the state of Kentucky

The state will be taking advantage of the economic opportunities associated with the equine industry

Kentucky will be investing in the development of the equine industry at a level commensurate with its importance to the state' economy (right now nearly 25% of all agricultural income comes directly or indirectly from horses)

We will have developed a non-racing breed economy because the state has recognized and invested in non-racing breeds

For example, we will have economic development models for non-racing breeds and we will have found ways for small farms - of all breeds - to take advantage of state breeder incentives in order to build their businesses

We will have completed a baseline study or census of horses in Kentucky so we know for sure how many are here, how many breeders of different breeds there are, and we can determine whether Kentucky's breeder incentives have worked

The jobs in the equine industry that we can't fill today without going out-of-state and out-of-country are filled by persons from Kentucky who recognize the range of employment opportunities in the industry

Right now the big thoroughbred farms hire one new employee for every 3 new mares on their farms and Kentucky has 12.6 persons per horse! In 5 years we will be the state with the highest proportion of horses in the nation and we will have created many new jobs in the industry

In 5 years we will have established clear routes to jobs in the industry for anyone looking for one - there will be internship or vocational training opportunities for high school graduates interested in the industry

UK will be working as a partner with the industry to develop all the opportunities possible

There will be regional multipurpose arenas that are horse-safe (see the Casey County model) that are being used for horse shows, sales and other livestock events and are a springboard for other economic development in these communities

Imagine that you could wave a wand and change UK so that it provides the ideal level of support to the equine industry. Describe how UK would be different from what it is today.

UK will be investing in ways to support the equine industry at a level commensurate with the importance of the industry in Kentucky's economy

There will be a UK ambassador to the equine industry letting those in the industry know about the supporting resources at UK and listening to the needs of the industry

UK could help develop K-12 curriculum that meets state curriculum requirements and standards but do this using horses and the equine industry as the application. This would help schools address the requirement for authentic assessment

UK is moving in the right direction by beginning to build a real partnership

UK needs to realize that building strong relationships with those in the horse industry is good for the university and the industry. Horse people will give strong support to UK when it is supporting them. This will open opportunities for internships for students and fund-raising

UK needs to network with other universities in KY so that we have one comprehensive and integrated undergraduate education that addresses all aspects of the equine industry - each university needs to work in its area of expertise and excellence

Instruction
UK will have one or more equine majors with scholarships for students interested in pursuing a career in the industry. There will be an active internship program so equine majors learn basic skills and practical applications. The equine majors will be based on what horse farm operators and others in the industry identify as needed skills and knowledge

UK will have equine undergraduate programs including a light horse husbandry curriculum

UK will be sponsoring official NCAA competitive equestrian teams

Students who come to UK will be able to participate in riding programs - UK needs a horse-friendly arena so that training and educational programs can be conducted on UK facilities in all conditions

Extension/Outreach
There will be an investment by Extension in supporting the equine industry with outreach programs, research, and information equal to the investment given to cattle and other commodities - the investment will be at a level needed to achieve the horse industry's potential

There is a vast unfulfilled need for Extension support for the equine industry

There will be 5 Bob Coleman's working as state Extension horse specialists - so that Extension can offer more horse-related short courses or offer a Master Horsemen's Program comparable to the Master Cattlemen's Program

There will be a more equine customer friendly Extension Service. For example, the Extension Services will be offering services to the industry such as help with soil samples and pasture management

There will be a stronger feeder system from UK to the industry with UK providing well-trained graduates who will move into key positions in the industry

More equine-related Extension training programs

Establish a speaker's bureau of persons who are willing to speak to community groups on equine-related issues

There is greater emphasis on and support of 4-H equine programs - more training for volunteer leaders, more support from county agents because in many places, there is no one in the county office to support the equine programs. Extension and UK needs to focus on nurturing the horse interests of 4-H kids and helping them realize the great opportunities in the industry

Instead of KEEP providing equine education kits to county 4-H programs through a grant program, why can't UK help develop the resources needed for these kits

Extension needs to help county offices link together to share the resources they have in support of equine 4-H and adult programs

Offer intensive one to two week courses that introduce people to different segments of the equine industry (think about the Elderhostel model) - this could be income generating

Help support the development of better equine facilities for 4-H and others in counties around the state - multipurpose horse-friendly arenas. The College of Architecture could help create designs for horse-friendly" facilities of different sizes/costs and work with some of the historic show grounds (e.g., Shelby County) to enhance renovation efforts

Research
UK's research will be building on its strengths and the opportunities in having one of the largest populations of horses of all breeds in the nation - infectious disease research already a major area - what else can we be doing?

UK will offer a centralized information/knowledge system to the industry - one that addresses critical issues and allows people to link to the information resources of other land grant universities

UK brings in visiting equine specialists who are also willing to offer clinics or real-time down-linked presentations across KY (and the nation)

Provide research-based information on the industry - like a census of horses

Develop models that estimate the economic costs of disease outbreaks in the industry - this is important as the USDA moves to treat horses like other livestock and to make available disaster assistance

Develop models that give better estimates of the economic value to KY of different segments of the equine industry