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Recommendations for Strengthening the Maryland Horse Industry

Initial Report – May 2004

 

 

Compiled By the Maryland Horse Industry Board Strategic Planning Committee.  This report will be further developed at the Maryland Horse Forum and then a longer report will be submitted to the Governor.

 

 

Background

 

            The Maryland horse industry may be compared to an iceberg.  The tip of the iceberg is what is visible to the general public: Maryland’s racetrack operations.  Beneath the surface, however, is a mammoth industry that until recently has lacked visibility and consequently has remained largely unappreciated.  Sixty percent of Maryland’s horses are used for sport, recreation and work purposes.  In addition, participants involved in the Maryland horse industry represent all demographic categories. 

 

The Maryland horse industry has assets totaling more than 5.2 billion dollars, holds approximately 10% of Maryland’s land, has twice as many horses per square mile as Virginia, Texas, California, or Kentucky, and employs approximately 20,000 people.  This industry has ties to almost all sectors of the Maryland economy, including agriculture, environment, transportation, business, economic development, and education.  According to state agencies, the Maryland horse industry has an annual economic impact estimated to be three times that of all college and professional sports franchises combined.  The horse industry is a part of Maryland’s cultural and economic heritage and is an enduring resource. 

 

 

Challenges

 

            As the Maryland horse industry enters the 21st century, it represents a source of pride and immense value to the State.  Maryland has long been considered the place to showcase the best that the horse industry has to offer.  As the famous horse trainer Max Hirsch put it “at twelve, I hopped a freight train headed for the big time…in Baltimore.”  As we continue in our tradition as a leader in the national horse industry, we are faced with several challenges. 

 

            The main challenges currently facing our industry are:

 

¨      Lack of resources for developing business opportunities within the Maryland horse industry;

¨      Lack of explicit recognition of the horse industry as an integral part of Maryland agriculture in state statute, regulation, and policy;

¨      Loss of space and access to land for equestrian use;

¨      Lack of resources for teaching, research, and extension at all ages and levels of education;

¨      Internal conflict between environmental and land preservation programs and the economic viability of the working farm;

¨      Economic challenges of maintaining racing and breeding operations in Maryland.

 

 

Recommendations

 

In order to ensure that the Maryland horse industry continues to thrive, it needs the support and commitment of the State Government to:

 

¨      Increase economic development opportunities for the Maryland horse industry at the state, national, and international level; 

¨      Promote the equine industry as a significant contributor to agritourism in the state;

¨      Invest in the development and maintenance of facilities dedicated to equestrian pursuits including:

o       Establishment of a Maryland Horse Park for equestrian activities;

o       Improvements to all Maryland racing facilities;

¨      Protect and enhance access to land for recreational equestrian activities such as trail riding; 

¨      Maintain a tax structure that is attractive to private investment in equine businesses;

¨      Encourage methods of enhancing the value and marketability of Maryland’s horses:

o       Increase purses and incentives for races for Maryland bred horses;

o       Increase incentives to breeders of Maryland racing stock;

o       Increase purses to be competitive with those in surrounding states;

¨      Increase funding for equine teaching, research, and extension programs at the University of Maryland and regional public colleges;

¨      Explicitly include horses in the definition of livestock, and include equestrian facilities of all types in the definitions of agriculture in statute and regulation; 

¨      Preserve the contributory negligence standard in Maryland law;

¨      Ensure that agricultural land preservation programs include land used for equestrian activities.

 

            By addressing the above recommendations, we believe the Maryland horse industry will flourish and maintain its status as a national and international leader.  We recognize that agriculture is the primary engine for Maryland’s economy and we are proud to note that it is an 87,000 horsepower engine.

 

Respectfully submitted by members of the Horse Industry Strategic Planning Committee:

                                                          

John R. Brooks, DVM, Deputy Secretary - Maryland Department of Agriculture

Tom Bowman, DVM, President - Maryland Horse Breeders Association

Rob Burk, Executive Director - Maryland Horse Industry Board

Tim Capps, Executive Vice President - Maryland Jockey Club

Charles C. Fenwick, Jr., Founder / Director - Shawan Downs 

Bill Gerweck, Director - Maryland Standardbred Breeders Association, Manager - Winbak Farm

Crystal B. Kimball, Secretary - Maryland Horse Council, Owner / Publisher – The Equiery

Amy Ordakowski-Burk, PhD, Assistant Professor - University of Maryland

Jane Seigler, President - Reddemeade Farm, Inc.       

Eli Solomon, Treasurer - Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association, Member – Maryland Horse Industry Board

James Steele, Chairman - Maryland Horse Industry Board, Manager – Shamrock Farms