2003-2004 Extension Horse Commodity Report

 

R. A. Mowrey

 

Introduction

The North Carolina Horse Industry is recognized among national breed associations and agribusinesses as a rapidly growing industry.  The most recent census conducted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture reported in 1997 that 132,000 horses provided an average annual value to the North Carolina economy of $704 million.  Conflicting reports have been released by the North Carolina Horse Council and agribusinesses indicate an equine population in excess of 230,000 with 75,000 owners.  The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service also reported an estimated 217,496 head of equine in the 2000 Farm Income Report.

The growing North Carolina horse industry continues to create a demand for educational information, producer training opportunities, and undergraduates competent in equine management.  The Extension Horse Husbandry (EHH) section conducts an ongoing 4-H youth and adult educational program through county extension agents; Regional Equine Information Network System (REINS), 4-H volunteers and horse commodity groups.  Active 4-H and adult educational programs utilize volunteers as para-professionals to educate horse owners in all 100 counties.

The Animal Science Department obtains horse owner input into the development of educational programs through the use of advisory groups.  A twenty-member Animal Science Department Equine Advisory Committee meets bi-annually to provide input into the development of new and review of existing undergraduate courses, and extension educational programs.  Specific recommendations on the development of extension short courses, clinics and distance learning programs is also provided by the twelve-member North Carolina Horse Council Education Committee.  The 54-member State 4-H Horse Advisory Board annually meets and provides direction, support and development of youth educational programs offered through the 4-H Horse Program.  The State 4-H Horse Advisory Board Education Committee serves as paraprofessionals assisting Extension Horse Husbandry Staff in the management and tabulation of eight educational events.  The dedicated assistance and support provided through the lay leadership system enables the Animal Science Department to offer educational programs that more effectively meet clientele needs while minimizing expenses.

 

Adult Extension Horse Programs

Adult educational programs for horse owners are delivered by a variety of different methods.  Introductory level programs are taught through county extension agents in a series of videotape presentations, and live presentations taught at county extension meetings.  The NCSU Horse Short Course and Clinic Series introduced in 1987, continues to provide the most recent technology and subject matter to producers, FFA instructors, and undergraduate students, who have previously received introductory level training.  A quarterly newsletter, developed by the REINS Extension Office, is mailed to extension agents, and REINS paraprofessionals.  The newsletter promotes educational events and provides seasonally appropriate management tips and equine research updates.  Additional management and technology information is provided in newsletters developed by REINS volunteers, and distributed to horse owners at the county level.  Fact sheet series and extension bulletins continue to be developed with advisory committee input to support extension, client and agent needs.  A newly expanded Web page promotes all EHH educational events, and includes registration forms for short courses, clinics and 4-H events.  The Web page can be accessed via the following:

 

http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/horse/hhmain.html

 

The web page also includes fact sheets, an emergency information message board, and directory information on how to contact extension REINS professionals.

 

Short Courses, Clinics and Conferences

The Extension Horse Husbandry section and Animal Science Department Equine teaching faculty cooperated with the College of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Departments of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and Crop Science, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS) to develop and teach statewide short courses and clinics.

From 1996 to 2004 an average of thirteen courses and clinics, 10-sponsored by the North Carolina Horse Council (NCHC), were offered annually at state level events.  The courses were taught annually over 24 days and reached an average of 2,610 producers from 19 states and foreign countries (Table 1).  Course and clinic topics included training, breeding, semen evaluation, feeding and pasture management, facility design, health management, conditioning, foaling management, fencing, waste management, water quality, evaluation, genetics, hoof care, shoeing, selection, legal aspects, insurance and general farm management.  Extension Horse Husbandry staff assisted the NCHC in the management of specialized educational conferences on business management for professional horse managers and trainer.  Fifteen thousand copies of a 24-page short course and clinic brochure are distributed annually and promoted on the EHH Web page and in the popular press.  Participants included horse owners, undergraduate students, county extension agents, REINS volunteers and equine professionals from 20 states and foreign countries.  Twelve short course manuals, totaling over 1,200 pages were developed as support materials.

Participants successfully completing select short courses and certification received continuing education units (CEU) through North Carolina State University.  From 2003-2004, 673 participants were awarded 1,044 CEU’s in the short course series.

In 2001, participants completed evaluation forms and indicated that 46% would adopt specific management practices resulting in a projected $716,825 average annual income earned or saved resulting from the knowledge acquired at extension short courses, clinics and distance learning activities.  Since 1996, producers reported over $5.1 million in income saved or earned from a direct result of participating in extension educational events.  The 2002-2003 short course series will offer a total of 17 horse short courses, clinics, conferences and management field days.

The passage of North Carolina legislation that provides protection against liability incurred while operating a horse facility or event has resulted in the continued development of new commercial horse operations located near urban areas.  The location of operations in urban areas creates additional educational requirements in the areas of waste management, water quality, pasture and general farm management. The EHH program, working as a committee with the Departments of Crop Science and Engineering received a $80,000 grand from the Department of Energy and Natural Resources to address these and other needs through a series of on-farm demonstrations and producer field days offered in conjunction with the REINS program from 2003 through 2005.  In 2004 the horse farm environmental management committee developed a series of fact sheets on pasture waste and water quality management and conducted an environmental management field day in Morganton, NC.  One hundred participants toured 8 demonstration sites on one farm.  Eighty-six percent of the participants reporting adopting one or more of the management practices that could save and estimated $42,843.  Pasture rotation, fencing to limit spot grazing, waste management and round bale use were identified as key adopted practices.

The passage of the 1999 Horse Promotion Act provided an assessment on commercial horse feed.  The funds are paid from feed manufacturers through all NCDACS to the NCHC and used for the promotion and education of the horse industry.  All University equine educational programs are eligible for funding to support teaching, extension, and research.  Such funding will continue to be critical to support future horse extension needs.  From 2000 through 2004, Horse Promotion Act funds, through the NC Horse Council, provided over $273,699 in support of the following 4-H, REINS and adult educational Extension programs:

           

*  4-H Youth and Volunteer Leader Based Programs               

*  Equine Videotapes and Computer             

Based Educational Packages

*  Educational Study Kits, and Text Books                                      

*  Promotional Jackets                                                 

*  4-H Leader Training on Subject

Matter

*  Development of Regional 4-H Horse Clinics, Camps                     

*  Statewide Horsemanship Schools                                         

*  Support of Adult Equine

Educational Activities 

*  Undergraduate Student Internships                                               

*  REINS Extension Specialist Position Support

*  Development of REINS

Organizations

           

The referendum funds have enabled the NCHC to expand marketing and educational efforts through development of the Southern Horse Festival held annually the first week in December at the NC State Fairgrounds.  EHH assists in the development of educational events; held in conjunction with the festival.

 

4-H Programs

A nationally respected and highly diversified 4-H Horse Program provides horse owning and non-horse owning youth with training in basic horse science and horsemanship.  The 4-H Horse Program continues to enjoy a strong industry support while developing “today’s youth into the horse producer of the future”.  A variety of 22 different educational projects and events are offered to 4-H members throughout the year.  Activities include horse bowl, three creative writing events, judging, public speaking, demonstration and hippology contests, stable management events, county, district and state horse shows, horsemanship camps, retreats and clinics, trail rides, cumulative record competition and five artistic expression events.

The youth program operates under the guidance of one state and seven district 4-H Horse Advisory Boards.  Each advisory board consists of active volunteer leaders and county agents that provide guidance and support in all facets of program development and management.  Representatives from the State 4-H Horse Advisory board participate in the Animal Science Department Equine Advisory Committee.  District and state 4-H horse advisory boards annually provide input on program development including curriculum needs, development of new educational events, modification of existing events, changes to rules and regulations, leader training, and fund raising.

Specialized 4-H Horse Program Volunteer leader groups have formed organizations to support specific project areas.  The NC 4-H Horse Camp volunteer leader association formed in 1999 has secured funding through donations and provide man power to renovate and expand the equine facilities at Camp Millstone in Ellerbe, NC.  To date, the volunteers have completed the following camp projects valued at $40,250:

 

*  Sprinkler System                                          *  Concrete wash pits

*  Ring Drainage System                                   *  Corral Panels/Gaits

*  Bleachers                                                     *  Grading & Arena Footing

*  Barn Lights                                                   *  Built Jumps

 

Long range projects include construction of a covered show ring and expansion of the campgrounds to accommodate horse shows.

The primary mode of communication between EHH and 4-H member, volunteer leaders, and parents remains through 4-H agent referrals.  Four to six issues of the 4-H Horse Program Newsletter are provided at the EHH website.  One hundred forty-eight videotapes and 45 slide sets, specifically designed for 4-H horse volunteer leaders use in the delivery of subject matter, are available for check out from the agricultural communication film media library.  Hippology study kits, textbooks, and videotapes are available for 4-H member and leader use through teach of the seven extension 4-H Horse Advisory Boards.

Participation in the North Carolina 4-H Program has mirrored industry growth (Table 2).  Since 1998, total project numbers, as reported by ES-237, have increased by 9.6% from 15,758 projects (1998) to 17,262 projects (2004).

During the same period, annual 4-H Horse Program projects, offered through a variety of 22 different events and activities, annually averaged 15,197 which ranked North Carolina second nationally.  Entries at the North Carolina 4-H Horse shows also increased with an average of 4,033 projects during the 7-year period from 2,545.  The four-day State 4-H horse show remained the largest individual event for 4-H members participating in an animal science project.

The ranking of 4-H member participating in regional and national educational contests is a key qualitative measure of program success.  Sine 1992, North Carolina 4-H members have won 87 national and regional team and overall championship titles in horse judging, horse bowl, hippology, public speaking, and presentation events.  The participating 300 4-H members account for 791 team and individual awards, the most of any state during this time period. In 2004, North Carolina 4-H’ers won 12 national/regional championships and one reserve national championships in team and individual competitions (Table 3). 

The majority of the outstanding 4-H members who participated in national events have successfully completed college and professional degrees and remain active in the 4-H Horse Program serving as adult volunteer leaders and agricultural advocates.

Leader training remains an important educational activity.  Since 1999, over 1,000 4-H horse volunteer leaders received organizational and subject matter training during the two-day leader's conference and an additional specialized training.

            In 2001-2004 youth had an additional opportunity to acquire hands-on training in basic horse management, riding, and showing at five regional horse clinics and two statewide Horsemanship schools.  The clinics and schools, sponsored by the North Carolina Horse Council, provided in-depth instruction to 4-H’ers on training and preparing their horse for the show arena.  A total of 470 4-H’ers participated in one of two horsemanship schools in Raleigh and Fletcher, NC.  Eighty-three percent of the participants reported significant improvement in riding ability.  Four to five regional 2-3 day clinics, conducted annually by district 4-H Horse Advisory Boards, through 2001-2004, attracted 2,462 4-H members and volunteer leaders.  Evaluation forms, completed by participants, indicated their riding ability improved by 20% as a result of the clinics.

 

Impact on Youth Development

Several 4-H Horse Projects were evaluated to determine the impact on participating youth.  In 2001, evaluation forms completed by 184 Four-4-Hers (68% return rate) indicated that youth increased their knowledge bas by 27% in 13 management and science related areas.  Fifty-nine percent of the participants reported that participation in the Horse Bowl and Hippology projects influenced their career choice in an agricultural related area.  Coordinated one conference, 10 statewide short courses and 3 clinics which attracted 1628 producers from 19 states and generated $24,498 in net profit for the NC Horse Council.  Participants reported $716,825 saved or earned as a result of the short courses and clinics.  Eleven manuals totaling over 900 pages were developed by Extension Horse Husbandry staff as support curricula.

In 2002, youth participants in the State 4-H horse judging contest completed a questionnaire (25% return rate) evaluating the impact of the horse judging project on their educational development.  Youth reported their knowledge bas increased by 33%, with 45% of the participants indicating horse judging had a positive influence on their career choice in an agricultural area.

Grand funding, made available by the North Carolina Horse Council, from 2002-2004 enable 10 district-wide educational clinics and camps and 6 statewide horsemanship schools.  The 16 events provided 289 hours of instruction in 38 days to 3,542 participants.  Evaluation forms indicated youth increased their equitation ability (30%), training skills (50%), showing knowledge (69%) and judging knowledge (37%) from a poor to good rating.

 

Summary

A large percentage of adult and youth horse owners have limited management skills and industry experience which contribute to nutritional, health, breeding, financial waste disposal and facility design problems.  Productivity, size and number of horse operations, marketing and profitability are affected by management problems.  The Animal Science Department has responded to these educational needs with innovative extension programs designed to meet producer and industry demands.  The development of an on-going advisory leadership committee, linked to the educational efforts of EHH, has enabled the identification of industry and prioritization of program goals.

 

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Table 1: Participation in EHH Adult Educational Events¹

¹ Does not include county and REINS meetings

² First held in 2003

³ Reported in evaluation forms by participants at state educational conferences, clinics and distance learning events.

 

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Table 2.  1998-2004 4-H Horse Program Event Participation