The new equine program at the University of Maine has been successful to date. The University owns more than 15 horses that are used for research and teaching. Student involvement with the horses is high. Three new equine classes (Equine Management, Equine Reproduction and Equine Internship) were offered in the 1998-1999 academic year, and classes in draft horses and Training the Standardbred will be added in the 1999-2000 academic year. In addition, the University has a harness horse at the races, and a Master's Student has begun study in equine reproduction.
Continued success, however, is not certain. There is a danger that the program will not be able to consolidate its early gains and that current resources will quickly be exhausted. Competing institutions in New England have well funded equine programs against which prospective students and parents will weigh the program at UMaine. Despite all its merits, the UMaine program lags behind its competitors in facilities and funding. If this gap is not closed quickly, a weak regard for UMaine's horse program will spread through the horse community in Maine and the nation. Faced with competition for funds within the University, pressure for termination of the horse program would build.
To make the UMaine horse program a long-term success requires continued growth. Goals need to be defined; facilities need to be built; additional staff need to be hired; funding needs to be increased. The mission of this proposal is to define the goals for growth of the UMaine Equine program, explain how we propose to meet those goals, and to show how funds injected into the program would be spent. With this information, a sustained campaign to raise financial support for the program can proceed.
It is our belief that the University of Maine Equine Program has a character of its own that sets it apart from all other Equine Programs. The particular combination of cutting edge biomedical research, concern for animal welfare, active involvement of students and the equine industry will not be found at any other institution. The goals of the equine program at the University of Maine are as follows:
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To perform research beneficial to horses and the horse-owning public.
To benefit horses in the program.
To attract students with equine interest to the University of Maine.
To educate students to the highest possible standards in the science of horse management, including an appreciation for all sections of the horse industry, and a concern for horse welfare.
To offer graduate study in Equine Science
To provide outreach programs to the Maine equine industry consistent with the Land Grant mission of the University.
To offer equine activities to students from any University department, of any ability, under the safest possible conditions.
To instill in students awareness of the social and financial responsibilities of horse ownership.
To promote cooperation and collaboration between all aspects of the Equine and Animal Science programs, and the entire University of Maine community.
To undertake enterprises, consistent with the above goals, that will provide additional exposure and funding for the program.
To perform research beneficial to horses and the horse-owning public.
Consistent with the Land Grant mission of the University and the Maine Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station we will pursue scientific research to benefit horses and the horse industry. Current expertise in the faculty of Animal and Veterinary Science (Drs Weber and Causey) makes equine reproduction an obvious area of research focus although this could be expanded with addition of new faculty. One area will be the improvement of assisted reproductive technology in horses. Owners of genetically superior animals frequently wish to preserve or transmit their animal's genetic potential. Areas such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer, in-vitro fertilization, semen freezing and semen preservation are all methods to achieve this, but all require improvement. An additional focus will be the causes of infertility in horses, to understand why some mares become susceptible to uterine infections, and why others do not. A valuable mare that can no longer carry a foal is a great source of disappointment to the owner.
To offer graduate study in Equine Science
The research provides the basis for graduate study in Equine Reproduction, to which a Masters student has recently been admitted.
To benefit horses in the program.
Consistent with ethical responsibilities to animal welfare, the equine program is committed to the well being and improvement of our research animals. Donated animals, without exception, will receive further training as show, riding or driving horses, according to their ability. This will increase each horse's value, increase their likelihood of finding a good home, and promote the program to a general public concerned about horse welfare. In addition, this retraining will serve as a basis for student involvement with the horses as explained in the Teaching section.
To attract students with equine interest to the University of Maine.
To educate students to the highest possible standards in the science of horse management, including an appreciation for all sections of the horse industry, and a concern for horse welfare.
To offer equine activities to students from any University department, of any ability, under the safest possible conditions.
To instill in students awareness of the social and financial responsibilities of horse ownership.
The philosophy of the teaching program is to provide a unified scientific approach to equine management, while accomodating the various interests of each student. The focus of our teaching program will be the scientific approach to Equine Management, which applies to all aspects of the horse industry. The biology, nutrition, reproduction and health maintenance of the horse will be covered in lecture, and the welfare, care, feeding and safe handling of horses in a hands-on setting during an internship at the University farm. Since horse exposure (or any agricultural exposure) inevitably leads to personal growth, non-agriculture majors will be welcome. Contact and cooperation with students boarding horses at the Witter Center will be an important additional educational experience. Internship students will train horses under the supervision of a Certified Riding Instructor for showing in hand, under saddle, and in harness, according to the ability of each horse and student.
However, because the horse industry is so diverse, we also will try to make possible exposure to varied segments of the horse industry through internships with equine professionals in the community and elective classes specializing in certain areas of the equine industry.
To achieve the goal of a unified scientific approach, but adaptability to all segments of the horse industry we will offer a minor in Equine Studies. As described below, a core of three classes (Equine Management, Equine Reproduction and Equine Internship) will establish a unified basis for all students. Students may then select from a wide variety of lecture classes or internship experiences to complete the requirements for the minor. Many students in other academic departments wish to adapt their education to horses, and the Minor in Equine Studies will satisfy this need.
Minor in Equine Studies
Minor in Equine Studies: (18 Credits)The minor in Equine Studies is intended for students from various backgrounds who wish to adapt their education to horses. Prior to enrolling in the minor, students must consult with the chairperson of the department of Biosystems Science and Engineering to select courses most appropriate to their background and career goals, and to arrange any course substitutions, which may be appropriate. No more than 8 credits of AVS 397 may be counted towards the 18-credit total.
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AVS 203 Equine Management 3
AVS 353 Equine Reproduction 4
AVS 397 Equine Internship 8
The student selects an additional 8 credits from this list:AVS 368 Independent Study Section 3 - Equine ManagementAVS 368 Independent Study Section 7 - HorsesAVS 393 Training the Standardbred HorseAVS 397 Equine InternshipAVS 437 Animal DiseasesAVS 455 Animal NutritionAVS 480 Physiology of ReproductionBIO 377 Animal PhysiologyBMB 322 BiochemistryBMB 420 Pathogenic Microbiology and SerologyBMB 440 Introductory ImmunologyBUA 201 Principles of Accounting IEDB 202 Schools, Students, and SocietyKPE 378 Physiology of ExerciseNRC 100 Introduction to Natural ResourcesPSE 101 Cropping SystemsPSE 105 Principles of Sustainable AgricultureREP 254 Introduction to Production Economics
To provide outreach programs to the Maine equine industry consistent with the Land Grant mission of the University.
To promote cooperation and collaboration between all aspects of the Equine and Animal Science programs, and the University of Maine community.
To undertake enterprises, consistent with the above goals, that will provide additional exposure and funding for the program.
The outreach program will involve education, service, and entrepreneurial initiative. The education will be in the form of tours, seminars, with lectures and labs, directed to children, horse owners, breeders, and veterinarians. For service we will offer expertise and facilities to the local horse and veterinary community. We plan to provide specialized reproductive veterinary services to horse owners, to accept referrals from veterinary practitioners, and to add services to the veterinary diagnostic laboratory.
Entrepreneurial initiative has begun with the establishment of the Horse Cooperative Barn, where students board horses at the Witter Center. Reselling of the trained research horses, their foals, and breeding fees are potential sources of income. Pending the construction of suitable riding areas (indoor and outdoor arenas), and the development of a pool of well trained horses, riding instruction can be offered to students and the general public. Cooperation with other departments such as Physical Education, Theatre and Dance, Social Work, and student groups such as the University of Maine Equestrian Team has led to opportunities to develop a variety of programs, including vaulting, rehabilitative and therapeutic riding, and intercollegiate horse competition. Cooperation with the Maine Harness Racing Promotions Board has led to a University owned horse racing at the Bass Park and the State Fairs, promoting the Equine Program to the general public. The Maine harness racing industry has already provided much support for the equine program.
The Witter Center is also a good site for horse shows and livestock auctions. The Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization will hold a show at the University in August 1999. An indoor livestock arena at the Witter Center would provide a venue for shows, auctions, and a practice area for students riding in the winter. The State University of New York (SUNY) at Morrisville holds a yearly sale of Standardbreds, one of the most prestigious sales of its kind in the nation. The 2 day sale in September sale grosses over one million dollars, of which SUNY receives a commission of approximately one hundred thousand dollars over the two day period. A similar program could be implemented at the University of Maine, provided we had an adequate livestock arena.
Each horse at the Witter Center costs approximately $2000 a year to maintain in good health. The yearly cost of maintaining 15 horses is approximately $30,000. To cover the cost of these horses we propose the following sources of income:
Income Goals
| Item | Quantity | Unit Income | Total |
| Animal Sales | 3 mares a year | 1000 | $3000 |
| Young Stock | 3 yearlings a year | 2000 | $6000 |
| Leases | 4 Horses | 1000 | $4000 |
| Breedings | 5 breedings | 1000 | $5000 |
| Arena Fees | 5 private lessons a week (40 wk) | 10 | $2000 |
| Yearling Sale | 10% of 30 yearlings sold at 2000 | 200 | $6000 |
| Continuing Education | 2 classes a year | 2000 | $4000 |
| Lab Fee | 30 students a year | 100 | $3000 |
| Total | $33,000 |
The Equine Program has needs in the area of personnel, facilities, and operational funding.
Concerning personnel, we are very fortunate to have an exceptional herdsperson, but the responsibilities to attend to the instruction, safety and well-being of students, horses, beef cattle, dairy cattle and sheep, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, is an unfair burden to place on one person. Thus an assistant herdsperson, with multispecies experience, is necessary.
A certified horse trainer and riding instructor is also essential for the program to succeed and grow. Our current trainer, an excellent independent contractor, visits the farm twice a week to supervise the retraining program of research horses. However, this limited supervision restricts the progress of horse, rider, and safety of the program. A full time trainer/instructor, whose salary might be paid in part by his/her own entrepreneurial initiative, would provide the best, and safest experience for students and horses.
The facilities at the Witter Center have undergone dramatic improvements in the last two years. However, the lack of adequate areas to ride horses safely is acute. Outdoor and indoor riding facilites must be available for the program to compete against other Universities. Initial plans for a livestock arena, in which indoor riding could take place, have been prepared. In addition, increased pasture is required.
The academic program would blossom with increased support. Scholarships could give students the opportunity for paid field experience for credit, especially in the harness racing industry. Sponsorship of UMaine's harness racehorses in the Maine Sire Stakes Program would enable our students to obtain experience working with UMaine race horses. We would like to pay top speakers from the industry to lecture in our classes. The myriad of equine disciplines which constitute the remainder of the equine industry is also fertile ground for learning opportunites for students, and potential gifts. Each discipline seeks to enlarge its membership and exposure, and can do so by a connection with UMaine.
Financially the equine program is overburdened. Funds from the University system are not sufficient to meet our goals. Financial suppport from the horse community is therefore essential for the program at the University of Maine to succeed. Successful horse programs at other Universities are frequently backed by private donations. The effective solicitation of funds from the private sector is our key to success. The merits of the University of Maine Equine Program, outlined in this proposal, should make supporting it a rewarding experience for any donor.