The Kentucky Equine Education Project staged its second KEEP Day in Frankfort, with horsemen and horse enthusiasts of all breeds and disciplines interacting with state legislators to discuss the economic importance of equines in their home districts. A prevalent message was that horses of all types contribute significant assets to local economies and have a valuable impact on the quality of life all across the Commonwealth.
“The impact of our breeds on our local economy is underestimated,” said Sharon Ohler of the Kentucky Paint Horse Club. “There are thousands of horses in the state who will never run on a racetrack but whose owners pump thousands of dollars into the economy.”
Horses of all breeds form a $4 billion industry in the Commonwealth, supporting an estimated 100,000 in direct and indirect jobs and spanning all 120 counties. Kentucky is home to 35,000 operations with at least one horse, totaling 242,400 equines and $23.4 billion when including related assets, according to a University of Kentucky Department of Agriculture survey.
Elisabeth Jensen, KEEP's executive vice president, called KEEP Day “a great opportunity for us to connect the dots” for legislators, with 20 Kentucky representatives and senators coming by the casual two-hour event.
“I was very pleased that so many individuals from throughout the horse industry in Kentucky–the Quarter Horse industry, Arabian, Paint Horse, the Hackney ponies, different breeds and associations–had an opportunity to interact with legislators who might not have realized that they had horses and horse businesses in their district,” she said.
Those participating in other breeds also expressed appreciation for how Thoroughbred racing helps the larger horse industry. That includes the Kentucky Horse Breeders' Incentive Fund that provides award money for 11 non-racing breeds, made all the more important with some breeds' decreasing numbers. The KHBIF is funded by a percentage of the sales tax on the stud fee when a mare is bred to a Kentucky stallion, with Thoroughbreds overwhelmingly financing the program.
Rep. James Kay of Versailles said it was important for his colleagues to understand the extent of the equine industry and that it involves much more than racing.
“When you expose the entire world of the horse industry, all the different breeds and many different jobs it creates, it gives the people a new reason to be supportive,” he said.
Eric Hamelback, chief executive officer of the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association that represents Thoroughbred owners and trainers across the country and Canada, said Kentucky is the beacon for other states when it comes to the horse industry.
“Kentucky is the shining example of what can be accomplished when horsemen, racetracks and other equine organizations and the legislature work together,” he said. “KEEP and the various breeding funds we have that are assisted by Thoroughbred racing and breeding demonstrate that we're all better working together. Not every district has a racetrack. But every district in Kentucky has horses.”
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