By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — Ohio has always been deemed the hotbed of horses in the Midwest and once was the top producer of Standardbreds in the nation.

But recent figures put Ohio at No. 6 on the horse population list and that ranking has those at the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) concerned. So much so that an equine task force has been created to design strategies for promoting and strengthening Ohio’s equine industry.

“We’re still very strong in this industry, but if we look at the broad economic picture we see that jobs are leaving the state and that has an impact on the horse industry,” said Adam Ward, ODA legislative liaison who is spearheading this effort.

“It doesn’t matter if the jobs are in factories or on the farm. With the loss of each horse in the state there will be veterinarians affected and a vast array of other jobs as well. With the loss of horses goes the feed mills and so on. The impact goes much larger than just one small farm, it’s much bigger than that.”

On a national scale, figures obtained from the American Horse Council point out that there are 6.9 million horses in the country and 1.4 million full-time jobs are associated with those horses. Racehorses total 725,000 but show and recreation horses are much greater, with 1,974,000 and 2,970,000 respectively.

More than 307,000 horses make up the Ohio horse industry that produces a total economic impact valued at approximately $2.2 billion in goods and services and employs more than 16,000 people. While Ohio’s numbers seem staggering they’ve fallen during the past six years.

“We see the conditions worsening and we need to act upon it quickly,” Ward said. “Whether it’s horses found at fairs, trail riding, pleasure horses, Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds. We need to proceed and get more voice to the equine industry.”

Ward is part of an 11-member equine industry advisory task force designed to discuss strategies for promoting and strengthening Ohio’s equine industry.

Chaired by the department, the task force includes seven representatives and four at-large members, each chosen on equine industry expertise and peer support following an initial stakeholder meeting in September. The group had its first meeting on Nov. 6.
Casinos in neighboring states have often been blamed on Ohio’s racehorse decline. Casinos in neighboring states have enticed many Ohio racehorse owners to flee the state in search of tracks with higher purses. The loss of jobs in the state is also a contributing factor to the decline.

“This task force’s creating an exciting event for the equine industry here in Ohio,” said ODA Director Robert Boggs.

“Our goal is to strengthen the industry and to renew Ohioans’ enthusiasm by bringing together representatives who can share diverse experiences and viewpoints.”

Task force members include Willie Koester (Ohio Racing Commission), Gary King (Ohio Agri-Business Assoc.), Fred Arnold (Ohio Fair Managers Assoc.), Denny Hales (Ohio Quarter Horse Assoc.), Tom Fries, Jr. (Ohio Standardbred Commission), Brock Schmaltz (Ohio Equine Industry Coalition), Keith Stimpert (Ohio Farm Bureau) and a few private owners, breeders and veterinarians.