Introduction to Equine Industry

1. Introduction to Equine Industry Crandal Mergelman cmergelman@rangelyk12.org

2. Benefits of horses • Contribute to economic growth • Provide people with physical exercise • Provide a release of tensions • Responsibility • Family activities (shows, pleasure) • Competition (rodeos, racing, etc.) • Work (ranch, farm, hunting, etc.) • Fun/pleasure

3. General horse use in U.S. • 75% are owned for personal pleasure • 25% are for ranching, racing, breeding, and commercial riding

4. Three main types of horse enterprises • Breeding- breed mares and sell offspring • Training- Train horses for show, competition, or racing • Boarding stables- Facilities for keeping horses (feed and care)

5. U.S. Economics • There are over ten million horses in the United states • Over 16 billion dollars spent in the horse industry annually • Horse racing is the biggest spectator sport in the United States

6. General uses of a horse • pleasure • breeding • working stock • show • sport

7. Purchasing a horse • Breeders • most reliable • more expensive • certified quality • Private owners • good or bad, depending on the reason they are selling the horse • chance to get to know horse and owner • their guarentee may only be as good as their word

8. Auctions • Less reliable • Hard to know soundness • Who knows why it’s there • Private horse sales a little more reliable

9. What to do when buying • Find out horses history, pedigree if possible • Find out how well it is broke and who broke it, if possible • Age • Does it have any problems or a history of problems (lameness, bucking, disease, etc.) • Is it desirable in appearance

10. Watch it walk and check for soundness in legs • Ride horse (you may want to have the owner ride it first) • Check for bridle control, stops, athletic ability, other qualities that you desire

11. Age • Younger horses usually need more training and a more experienced rider • Older horses are usually calmer, well broke, and less experienced riders are needed • Prime of life is 5-12 years old • Many NFR roping horses are near or in their twenties

12. Sex of horse • Mares • Tend to be moody or flighty, especially when in heat and in presence of other mares • Geldings • More dependable and steady • Stallions • Hard to manage, especially in presence of a mare in heat

13. Breed • Pick a breed that will satisfy your needs • Quarterhorses- rodeo, stock, racing • Thoroughbred- racing • Arabians- endurance • Paints- color, show

14. Classification by height • A hand is 4 inches • Measured from ground to top of withers • 14-2 hands = 58 inches • Ponies are anything under 14-2 hands • Horses are anything at or over 14-2 hands

15. Breed Associations • Every breed has it’s own association. • Largest ones are • AQHA • Jockey Club (Thoroughbred Registration) • APHA • Tennessee Walking Horse Association

16. Horse slaughter • Until recently the U.S. had a slaughter industry. • Horse meat popular in many European countries • Last year horse slaughter was outlawed in U.S. • Now must have a vet euthanize horses with a shot. • Now many unwanted horses are being shipped to Mexico to be overworked or slaughtered in often cruel conditions. • Several groups working to now outlaw exporting horses.

17. Discussion • What will we do with our old and unwanted horses?