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Horse Power
 By Olivia Maddox
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Participants in THE CHAPS range in age from 3 years to the program's oldest student who was 74 years old. "You don't have to be a kid, just a kid at heart," says director Melinda Wiggins. (Photo coutesy THE CHAPS)
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Purdue doesn't have a horse major—or a major in any other animal for that matter—opting instead for a broad-based education in animal sciences. "We want our students to be more broadly educated and marketable to the animal industries," Russell says. The department does, however, offer equine-related courses and extra-curricular activities to help students hone their interests and career goals. "We start out with a strong academic program and seek places for them to pursue their specific interests," he says.
These occur in a variety of non-credit experiences, such as a racehorse industry study course, which is an intensive week-long trip to Lexington, Ky., to learn about career opportunities and needs of the racehorse industry while visiting farms, racetracks, training centers and other facilities.
"I can't imagine trying to teach Purdue students about the racehorse breeding and training industry without taking them to Lexington," Russell says. "Every year, more and more of our graduates are employed on thoroughbred breeding farms as a result of this course."
Among those on this summer's Lexington trip was animal sciences major Scott Owens. "One of the most informative experiences was just seeing the vast diversity of the thoroughbred industry," he says. "It was also a great opportunity to spend time at Keeneland Racetrack to see the nuts and bolts of racing." Owens, who started veterinary studies at Purdue this fall, hopes to be an equine veterinarian in Lexington.
Students also compete on intercollegiate teams like polo, rodeo and the horse show team, which has won numerous regional championships and qualified for the National Intercollegiate Horse Show 13 times since the mid-1980s, making it one of the most successful intercollegiate teams at Purdue.
Walk on
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." It turned out to be a prophetic remark, as riding is becoming widely recognized as an effective therapy for people with physical or emotional disabilities, particularly children.
One of the fastest-growing fields in the horse industry today is therapeutic riding and driving. Indiana currently has more than 20 such programs, one of which is Purdue's THE CHAPS (Therapy, Health and Education through Children and Horses As PartnerS), a nationally accredited horseback riding program for special needs children.
"Therapeutic riding can help improve muscle tone and head, neck and body control, as well as fine and gross motor skills," says THE CHAPS director Melinda Wiggins. "The bond that the kids have with the horses is amazing. Those who don't connect with people really come alive once they're on the horse."
Started in 1993, THE CHAPS serves a nine-county area in northeast Indiana with group lessons, a school-affiliated program, driving program, 4-H program in White County and a sibling program. More than 100 volunteers, about 70 percent of whom are Purdue students, help run the program, which is sponsored by Purdue Agriculture's Breaking New Ground Resource Center, the veterinary school's Center for the Human-Animal Bond and the Camp Tecumseh Community Project.
Wiggins says that although some children are frightened of the horses at first, nine times out of 10, as soon as the horse starts to move, they love it. And soon they're giving the command, "Walk on," which is the signal for the horse to begin walking.
Growing Pains
Increased student interest in equine-related courses and activities and the number of horses treated at the Equine Sports Medicine Center and at the veterinary school's hospital make it necessary to supplement Purdue's limited large animal facilities with several off-campus locations through the good will of local stables.
Horse show team horses are stabled at Foxton Farm, south of Lafayette, while the Purdue polo team ponies reside at Kingwood, west of campus. THE CHAPS program is housed at the Camp Tecumseh Equestrian Center, near Brookston. And veterinary school horses used for teaching are at yet another location.
And without a large animal facility in which to conduct programs, Purdue must look to other public and private facilities around the state. Due to the growing 4-H enrollment and increased industry needs, Russell says, we could use a large animal education center for both horses and food animals that will hold 300-500 people for an Extension or veterinary medicine program.
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