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Horse Power
 By Olivia Maddox
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In the State 4-H/FFA Horse & Pony Judging Contest, participants compete for individual and team honors. After judging the horses, contestants present their reasons to a panel of officials. (Photo © Rick Childress Photography) |
While many people picture horses grazing in rural pastures or galloping across remote ranches, just the opposite is true. Like people, most horses are urban dwellers. "Horses tend to be where the people are--in metropolitan areas," Brady says.
"One-half of the calls I get come from counties around Indianapolis," Russell concurs. And for this reason, last fall Brady and Russell selected suburban Hamilton County, the fastest-growing county in the state according to U.S. Census data, to pilot the Department of Animal Sciences' horse management class off campus.
The course, which includes a combination of lectures, video conferencing and barn visits, is being offered again this fall. Additionally, short courses in equine behavior, business management and breeding are being held in the Indianapolis area.
Also for the first time, Purdue's Forage Day, held in June, included a session for individuals with small acreage who keep a couple of horses but don't know how to produce pasture or hay. "Most people with small acreage don't have an agricultural background, but they want to manage forage the best they can," says Extension agronomist Keith Johnson.
As to the popularity of the topic, Johnson points to a Purdue agricultural seminar last spring in north central Indiana at which a session on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) ran concurrent with one on forage for horses. "The horse session had five times the number of people as the one on GMOs. I guess that means people are more concerned with what they feed their horses than what they feed themselves," he jokes.
At the heart of the Indiana horse industry are the 4-H horse and pony clubs found in every county in the state.
Horse and pony enrollment for 2000 was 6,880, ranking second only to swine in number for livestock projects. And giving credence to the old adage, "There's something about girls and horses," 73 percent of those enrolled were female.
All county horse and pony clubs sponsor a horse show, but in many cases, that's where the similarity ends. "Other than following general 4-H rules, clubs are free to set their own activities and requirements," Brady says. This may range from workshops and clinics to fund-raisers and open shows.
The project is so popular that some counties have added special interest clubs. Lagrange and LaPorte counties have draft horse clubs. "Draft horses are quite common in Lagrange County because of the significant Amish population and the role these animals play in farming," says 4-H youth educator John Emerson. "The draft horse and horse and pony clubs are separate entities in our program, but they both have shows during our 4-H Fair." In addition, many counties have horseless horse clubs for youths who are interested in horses but don't have access to them.
Combined with county-based activities, the state 4-H program runs a full slate of activities that can keep horse and pony members busy year-round, including Horse Bowl, Hippology, public speaking and demonstrations, workshops, judging contests, area and state horse shows, and horsemanship camp.
The popularity of the equine industry is also reflected in Purdue's animal science majors. A survey of entering freshmen for the 2000-01 school year revealed that interest in horses, companion, and zoo and exotic animals has surpassed that of traditional food animals. Leading the list are companion animals, 20 percent; horses, 18 percent; and zoo and exotic, 14 percent—all higher than swine, cattle and sheep.
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