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LEXINGTON, Ky. (UK Public Relations) – The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC), in conjunction with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and other industry partners, will conduct a statewide equine survey in 2022.
The Aug. 20 announcement by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Council provided a key piece of the funding needed to help make the survey possible. The survey also received support from the UK Gluck Equine Research Center and the Kentucky Farm Bureau.
Further industry support is needed for the work, which will be coordinated by Jill Stowe, professor in the UK Department of Agricultural Economics and equine industry economist, and implemented by the US Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service.
It has been a decade since UK Ag Equine Programs and KHC teamed up successfully for a statewide equine survey, a vital study that has provided a more accurate estimate of the number of horses (242,400) in Kentucky and their economic impact ($ 3 billion), two basic pieces of information that were not available to those who needed it.
Prior to the 2012 study, the last time a comprehensive review was conducted of the Kentucky equine industry was in 1977, and an industry-wide economic impact study had never been conducted. .
Fast forward 10 years from the 2012 Kentucky Equine Survey, and a lot has changed in the state and within its signature industry. A follow-up study is needed to provide an accurate overview of the state’s equine industry and to identify changes that are occurring over time.
“The data obtained from this study is important to the sustained strength and continued growth of Kentucky’s equine industry,” said Stowe. “Decision makers such as entrepreneurs and business owners, equine health care providers and policy makers can use this data to make sound and informed decisions on important issues facing the industry.”
“We sincerely thank the KHC, KADB, KTA / KTOB, Kentucky Farm Bureau and others for their support,” said Nancy Cox, Vice President for Land Grant Engagement and Dean of the College of the agriculture, food and the environment. “Without this support, there can be no accurate tally of the animals that underpin much of Kentucky’s agricultural economy.”
In addition to providing information on the number of horses in each county in Kentucky, their uses, and the economic activity they generate, the study will also help provide essential data for disease surveillance, to inform efforts to workforce development and identify emerging markets in which companies can capitalize.
“As the KHC is a non-breed and discipline-specific organization focused on the protection and development of the Kentucky equine community, the information gleaned from this survey will be invaluable,” said Sarah Coleman, KHC Executive Director . “We are excited to learn more about horses residing in the Commonwealth and how we can better support them and their owners. “
“Accurate and current data is the essential basis for informed decisions and policies,” said James MacLeod, professor of veterinary science and director of the UK Ag Equine programs. “Accurate medical surveillance, agricultural policies, economic planning and government programs will all be strengthened by this very important study. “
Click on here to participate in the Kentucky Equine Survey 2022. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Information on the 2012 Kentucky Equine Survey can be found at https://equine.ca.uky.edu/kyequinesurvey.
The Kentucky Equine Survey 2022 is supported by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the Kentucky State Veterinarian’s Office, and Representative Matt Koch.
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