Equine educational opportunities are on the riseTwenty years ago, it was said you needed a college degree to succeed. Unfortunately, anyone interested in receiving an education 20 years ago in the "equine arts," would have had few places to go. These days, opportunities in equine education have swelled, and are still growing.
The reasons why equine studies are more prominent in educational institutions seem obvious to faculty members in equine programs. Craig Wood, extension horse specialist at the University of Kentucky, cites the influence of the employment market. "I think you see a lot of schools developing equine programs right now because many positions in the industry want trained professionals," Wood said.
Wood's observations are supported by Mike Nolan, an instructor for the Equine Industry Program at the University of Louisville.
"There is a lot of interest in students from our program and the University of Arizona (Race Track Industry Program)," said Nolan. "Everyone in this industry is becoming more sophisticated in their business planning. Even farms are interested in people who have training in financial planning."
The outlook is not as enthusiastic on the backside of the racetrack, where some trainers see the classroom as an insufficient medium to properly train future horsemen and women.
"It takes so much experience at the racetrack (to succeed)," says Jack Van Berg, who employs graduates from equine programs as assistant trainers, grooms, and exercise riders. "Some of the people that grow up around the racetrack are just as good as anybody else."

Job placement benefits
Breaking in to a position in the racing industry out of college used to be a difficult proposition, because it normally meant breaking down barriers. American trainers have traditionally lacked college educations; many breeding farms are generational hand-me-downs; and many racetracks are extensions of the "good-old-boy" network. But the growing presence of graduates within the industry may be evidence that the trend is reversing.
Most equine programs boast a high placement rate in horse industry jobs. The small equine program within the Agricultural and Technical Institute at Ohio State University (OSU) places 90% of its graduates, according to John Zisk, the school's manager of horse operations.
"The majority of our students come to learn to ride from 4-H programs," said Zisk, "but then they move on to offshoots of the program, like training or breeding. Some go on to be coaches or (horse show) judges."
There are a handful of these small programs across the country which offer similar packages, combining a student body that arrives with an acutely developed appreciation for the horse with a curriculum that focuses almost exclusively on developing the unique skills and techniques of equine management. In addition to extensive hands-on training, some programs, like OSU's, include internships to get students into the industry. Graduates from the OSU equine studies program receive an associate degree of applied science in horse management and production.
At the University of Kentucky, a marked increase in enrollment and the recommendations from graduates' employers have prompted the equine program to entertain notions of expansion. Currently, studies focus on science, with courses in equine nutrition, reproduction, anatomy, physiology, and health. However, farm managers have indicated they want graduates with more organizational skills, and the program is now considering a split curriculum with Equine Science and Equine Business options.
About 80 students are currently enrolled in the UK program, and graduates receive an animal sciences degree with an equine option. Instead of requiring an internship, UK, like many science programs, utilizes an extension farm: 800 acres of bluegrass just outside of Lexington where students can handle, study, and observe four stallions and 35 broodmares.

More than just horses
Two business and administration schools supply the industry with graduates that have strong business and financial training: the Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) at the University of Arizona (founded in 1974) and the Equine Industry Program (EIP) at the University of Louisville (founded in 1987). In both cases, the equine industry has made the financial commitment to establish curricula designed to educate tomorrow's leaders: The EIP is supported by a fixed percentage of the Kentucky pari-mutuel handle, and the RTIP is funded by contributions from the racing industry.
At these programs, it is not just the horse that makes the world go 'round.
"Students will take a class in equine management and an introduction to the horse industry," said U of L's Nolan, "but that's all the animal sciences they're going to get."
Instead, business-oriented students, who have to be admitted to the U of L's business school before acceptance into the program, spend four years acquiring the credits for a standard business degree and over a dozen specialized courses in equine law, finance, tax, and enterprise analysis, as well as computer courses. As a result, they receive a degree in business administration, which the faculty regards as a tremendous benefit.
"The business degree is a lot more transferable to other industries than an animal sciences degree," said Nolan. "Plus, parents like the idea of sending little Jimmy or Sally to college to get a business degree."
Located in the heart of horse country, the program also draws students on the basis of its geographic credentials.
"Being in Kentucky was a big reason why I chose to go to the Louisville school," said Michelle Fisher, a 22-year-old senior in the program. "Everything in Kentucky revolves around racing."
Fisher, a native of Ohio, has taken advantage of the "Kentucky factor" to the fullest. Now serving a summer internship at the Lexington office of the Daily Racing Form, Fisher has also spent the early morning hours before classes working as a hot walker for trainer Steve Penrod at Churchill Downs and has spent time as an assistant to ABC-TV and NBC-TV's camera crews during major racing coverage.
At the University of Arizona, students can choose between two paths: an animal management emphasis or a business emphasis. Both earn a degree in animal sciences.
"We're trying to prepare students for a decision-making role, not an animal management role," said Wendy Davis, an associate coordinator of the program. "Even with our animal emphasis path, there is a strong business component."
Despite a diverse student body with interests and backgrounds in all racing breeds, the RTIP at Arizona is probably best known for ushering its students into the pari-mutuel industry. A strong international internship program and the Annual Symposium on Racing (the largest pari-mutuel racing conference in the world) provide extra opportunities for students to acquire experience-and make contacts-in the Thoroughbred industry.
"The internship program allows students to gain hands-on experience by the time they're ready to enter the industry," said Davis, "and the symposium gives them a chance to meet people from all facets of the industry."
Nikki Burgess, a senior in the RTIP currently serving an extended internship as a publicity assistant at Churchill Downs, said the strength of the symposium was a major factor in her decision to attend the Arizona school. "I had heard so many good things about it, and all of them were true. It is a great opportunity to network."
About 75% of the students in the program choose the business emphasis, where the focus is on financial planning, management, and communication. The other 25% study breeding and animal management techniques. Both paths require a core of specialized equine classes.
Whether the education involves studies in equitation, nutrition imbalances, or theories of supply and demand, equine educational opportunities are on the rise. It beats standing on the rail and waiting for a long shot to come in, and, as RTIP associate coordinator Davis said, "The most important thing is getting a college degree."







Selected equine education programs:

University of Arizona
Race Track Industry Program
Contact: Wendy Davis, Associate
Coordinator
Education Building #69, Rm. 104
Tucson, AZ 85721
602/621-5660
Fax: 602/621-8239

California Extension Animal Science
Contact: Jan Roser, PhD
University of California
Davis, CA 95616
916/752-0526

Centenary College
Equine Studies Division
Contact: Joanne Narr, Chair
400 Jefferson St.
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
908/852-1400 or 832-7010
Fax: 908/852-3454

Colorado State University
Equine Sciences Program
Contact: Doug Butler, Teaching
Coordinator
Foothills Campus
Fort Collins, CO 80523
303/491-8373

University of Delaware Equine
Program
Contact: Dr. C. M. Reitnour
Room 046, Townsend Hall
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19717-1303
302/451-2523

University of Findlay
Equestrian Studies Program
Contact: Ron Gillette
11613 County Road 40
Findlay, OH 45840
419/424-4656 or 800/548-0932

Johnson and Wales University
Contact: Beth Beukema, Dept. Chairperson Equine Studies
8 Abbott Park Pl.
Providence, RI 02903
401/598-1000

Kentucky Equine Institute
Contact: Admissions
4089 Iron Works Road
Lexington, KY 40511
606/233-4303, Ext. 263

University of Kentucky
Contact: Dr. Craig Wood, Extension Horse Specialist
Department of Animal Sciences
Lexington, KY 40546-0064
606/257-7501
Fax: 606/258-1027
University of Louisville
Equine Industry Program
Contact: Dr. Robert Lawrence
College of Business and Public
Administration
Louisville, KY 40292-0001
502/588-7617
Fax: 502/588-7557


Midway College
Contact: Dr. Sally H. Jarrett,
Chairman Equine Studies
512 E. Stephens St.
Midway, KY 40347-1120
606/846-5372 or 800/755-0031
Fax: 606/846-5349


Northeast Missouri State
University
Contact: Michael E. Klem Jr., Horse Program Leader
158 Barnett Hall
Kirksville, MO 63501
816/785-4584 or 785-4114
Fax: 816/785-4045


OSU-Agricultural Technical
Institute
Contact: John Zisk, Manager of Horse Operations
1328 Dover Rd.
Wooster, OH 44691
216/264-3911, 216/263-4675, 800/647-8283
Fax: 216/262-7634


Otterbein College
Dept. of Equine Science
Contact: Maria S. Calderone, DVM
Dept. of Equine Science
Westerville, OH 43081-2006
614/898-1102
Fax: 614/898-5968


Texas A & M University
Equine Sciences Program
Dept. of Animal Sciences
Room 249, Kleberg Center
College Station, TX 77843
409/845-4320, 409/845-7731
Fax: 409/845-6433


William Woods College
Contact: Jean Kraus, Chairman
Equestrian Science Dept.
200 W. 12th St.
Fulton, MO 65251-1098
314/642-2251
Fax: 314/592-4574