MEETING THE NEEDS OF A GROWING EQUINE INDUSTRY
By Dr. M. E. Ensminger, Director Horse Science and Stud Managers ' Schools 3699 East Sierra Avenue Clovis, California
This subject packs three separate punch lines; namely,( 1) that horses are a growing industry;( 2) that certain needs exist; and( 3) that we should meet certain needs. I couldn ' t agree more.
The equine past has been good. The footprint of man has always been accompanied by the footprint of the horse. Down through the ages, in order of period of time, man used the horse( 1) as a source of food,( 2) for military purposes,( 3) in pastimes and sports,( 4) in agricultural and commercial pursuits. In this country, the golden age of the horse extended from the Gay Nineties to the mechanization of agriculture; to the advent of the automobile, truck and tractor. During this era, the oat-bag, carriage, wagon, buggy-whip, axle-grease, horseshoe, and horseshoe-nail industries were thriving and essential parts of the national economy.
The number of horses in the United States peaked in 1915, at which time there were 21,431,000 head. Mules reached their all-time high in 1925, at 5,918,000 head.
On January 1, 1960— the last year of the census— there were 3,089,000 head of horses and mules in the United States.
Despite the decline in numbers, the horse has not been, and will not be relegated to permanent oblivion. Certainly, the relentless wheels of progress have lifted his role in agriculture, commerce and war. But he is rising to a commanding position in the fields of recreation and sport. In my judgment, the horse has made this transition well, but man’ s footprints are still two paces to the rear. Before further pursuing the latter point, let us briefly summarize the status of the light horse industry.
MAGNITUDE OF THE HORSE INDUSTRY
At the risk of being challenged, I’ m going to repeat my“ educated guestimate” relative to horse numbers. First, let me repeat:( 1) that no horse census has been taken since 1960, and( 2) that at that time( 1960) there were 3,089,000 head of horses and mules, combined, in this country— of which 214 million were horses and % million were mules. In 1962, I arrived at the following additional breakdown: 1.8 million light horses( draft horses constituting the rest), 433,000 suburban-owned horses, and 400,000 cow ponies. Because reproduction is under biological control and cannot be speeded up( it takes four years to produce a new generation of horses), I question that these figures are much different today. True enough, more foals of the light horse breeds are being produced, but we must remember that draft horse members are still declining. I do believe that light horse members are increasing, and that they will continue to do so: that the horse population is and will continue to shift from farms and ranches to suburban areas; that registered horses will continue to increase in numbers; and that the use of horses for recreation and sport will continue to develop. I am informed that there are 3,000 more horses in New Jersey today than in 1961. So much for horse numbers per se.
Further yardsticks of the magnitude and importance of the light horse industry are: Racing outdraws professional baseball and automobile racing— the number two and three sports, respectively— by more than 30 million. The 1963 horse racingi spectator attendance figures were: Thoroughbred racing, 38,091,417; trotting, 18,076,508; Quarter Horse, 808,438. As further evidence of the magnitude of horse racing, the following figures for 1963 are noteworthy:( 1) $ 3,927,324,774 was wagered through the mutual windows,( 2) $ 113,122,209 in purses was collected by horsemen, and( 3) $ 316,570,791 in revenue was turned into the treasuries-of the 27 states conducting racing and used to build and operate schools, hospitals, fairs and other things of benefit to old and young alike. It is estimated that the state of New Jersey will receive 28V2 million dollars in revenue from tracks in 1964.
Additionally, in 1964, 100,000 4-H Club boys and girls had horses, and it is expected that this number will reach 120,000 this year. There are over 500 major( plus many small) horse shows throughout the land, the game of polo is expanding, riding to hounds is sharing its glamour with greater numbers, saddle clubs are springing up everywhere, and more people are riding than ever before.
( Continued on Page 8) f > VOICE of The Tennessee Walking Horse