Featured Article (August 2003)

FAQ About the Virginia Horse Industry Board

What is the Virginia Horse Industry Board?

The horse board is a state board and operates through the offices of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Through the lobbying efforts of the Virginia Horse Council the Board was established in 1994 as the result of legislation and a statewide referendum. The board's first meeting was in February 1995. The Board's mission is the promotion and economic development of the Virginia horse industry.

Who are the Board members?

There are 12 Board members, which include the presidents of the Virginia Horse Council, Virginia Thoroughbred Association, Virginia Horse Shows Association, and Virginia Quarter Horse Association. In addition, the Governor appoints members who work in the horse industry. Also serving on the Board are the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the horse extension specialist from Virginia Tech.

The Board’s present members are:

Chair Darlene Jacobson,
Editor of the Virginia Horse Journal

Vice Chair J. Walter Lee,
President of Virginia Horse Shows Association

J. Carlton Courter, III
Commissioner, VA Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Deborah Easter, President
Virginia Thoroughbred Association

Joyce Payne Fendley, MFH
Casanova Hunt

Rhonda Hoffman, Ph.D.
Virginia Tech

Betsy Tuckey, President
Virginia Quarter Horse Association

Beryl Herzog, President
Virginia Horse Council

Glenn Petty, Executive Director
Virginia Thoroughbred Association

Donna Dennehy
Eagle Point Farm — Thoroughbred Racing

Sherry Hilton
Cedar Point Farm — Saddlebreds

Suzette Matthews
Breeder & Trainer — Saddlebreds

How is the Board funded?

The Board is funded by an assessment of $1.50 on every coggins test. Approximately 67,000 tests are done each year, generating $100,000 in revenue for the Board. Also, for the past several years the Board received approximately $80,000 a year from Colonial Downs. But due to Virginia's budget crisis these monies have reverted back to the state. At this point it not clear whether the track money will be returned to the Board.

How much grant money has been returned to Virginia's horse industry?

The board began approving grants in fiscal year 1995-96 and since then has awarded $590,000 through last fiscal year. This fiscal year another $87,500 in grant money was approved.

In keeping with the board's mission the grants are segregated into three categories: to date education projects have received over $174,000; marketing projects $281,000 and research $135,000.

Over the years the Board has had a significant impact on the promotion and economic development of the Virginia horse industry. The following grants are just an example of the board's excellent work:

Economic Impact Studies

The Board has supported two economic impact studies on the Virginia horse industry. The first in 1995 and the second just last year. Both of these studies were distributed both instate and out of state. The information in the study has reinforced the concept on a national level that "Virginia is horse country."

Equine Small Business Seminar

For five years the Board sponsored an Equine Small Business Seminar. Speakers were invited to educate small equine business owners on the legal, accounting, marketing, and IRS issues. Successful business owners' discussed what worked for them and what didn't. Business plans and financing options were explained. Over the five years that the seminars were held, 325 small equine business owners or potential business owners were reached.

Virginia Horse Industry Directory & Buyer's Guide

The Board has provided grants for the publication of the Virginia Horse Industry Directory & Buyer's Guide, which is distributed free of charge at over 500 locations in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. In addition, the directory is handed out at Equine trade shows. The Directory lists over 2,500 Virginia equine businesses and is the single, most comprehensive source of information on the Virginia Horse Industry. It is a valuable resource for Virginia equine owners to find the products and services they need. The directory is the "Yellow Pages" of the Virginia horse industry.

Outreach Program for Youth

The Board has reached out to children with activity pages, book covers, and coloring books. This project has served as an educational tool for schools, 4-H and also as an introduction to the horse for the general public.

Research

In the research area the board has awarded grant money to Virginia Tech, Marion duPont Scott Equine Hospital, and Virginia Intermont, among others, for research into

Improvement of Muscle Mass in Aged Horses
Oxidative Stress in Endurance Horses
Several Studies on Equine Protozoal Myelitis
Fat & Fiber Supplementation in Foals
Study on Equine Wound Healing
Vitamin E Study in Foals
Study of Racing Injuries
Study on Arthritis in Horses Education
State 4-H Annual Horse Show, which has 500 youths from around the state participating
Virginia Horse Council Annual Seminars
Ag in the Classroom Program, which helps nearly 1,000 teachers each year convey information on agriculture, in our case horse related information, to more than 16,000 students in grades K-5

Marketing

A video project for the Therapeutic Riding Assn. of VA
Assisted in a Virginia Eventing Promotion
A radio program called "Down the Stretch" which reported on horse racing at Colonial Downs.
Study on the economic impact of fox hunting in Virginia
A traveling "Horse in VA" Exhibition.

Virginia Horse Lovers Guide

The board also produced the "Virginia Horse Lovers Guide" which was the first joint effort between the Virginia Tourism Corporation & the VA Horse Industry Board.

The Board invested over $10,000 in this project & the Virginia Tourism Corporation, $2,300. To date approximately 20,000 copies have been distributed in state, out of state, and around the world. An additional 2,000 requests were filled through the Virginia Tourism Corporation's toll free number, 877-TROT2VA.

Equine Trade Shows

The Board also attends equine trade shows. Its first trade show was in 1996 at Equitana USA in Kentucky. The Board also attends Horse World Expo in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Participation at these events educates attendees about all that Virginia has to offer. Virginia's presence at these important equine trade shows reinforces its position as a leader in the national horse industry.

Horse Video

Last year the Horse Board made a grant for the production of "The Horse: A Silent Hero of Our History." This documentary examines the role of the horse in Virginia's history-as well as America's history. It also looks at the contributions of the horse to Virginia's economy and the evolution of the horse in today's society. The 1-hour film was aired in October 2002 on several public broadcasting stations in Virginia.

Now the Horse Board is working with the producer to edit the documentary to 35 minutes for student audiences. This summer the Board will invite over 100 school administrators throughout the state to respond by postcard and indicate their interest in receiving a free copy of the video for use in the classroom. The Board will also look at making copies of the documentary available to public libraries throughout the Commonwealth.

State Fair Teacher Education Packets

This year through the VA Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services the Horse Board is providing coloring books, activity pages, and book covers to some 800 teachers of kindergarten and middle schools throughout Virginia. Horse educational materials will be sent with other Virginia agricultural commodity information to teachers this month. Teachers can order additional copies of the equine educational materials from the Horse Board office for their students-prior to their visiting the State Fair in the fall.

Where can I find the Grant Proposal Guidelines and more information about the Virginia Horse Industry Board?

The guidelines are on line at the Board's website at www.vhib.org.
Or you may contact the program manager at the Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services at 804-786-5842.