On March 5, Congressmen Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), co-chairs of the Congressional Horse Caucus, hosted the first caucus meeting of 2014.

The Congressional Horse Caucus is a bipartisan group of House of Representatives members formed to educate Congress and their staffs about the importance of the horse industry in the economic, agricultural, sporting, gaming, and recreational life of the nation.

"I was honored to host the first meeting of the Congressional Horse Caucus of the 113th Congress with my co-chair, Congressman Paul Tonko of New York,” said Barr. "It was a great opportunity to raise awareness about the enormous impact the American equine industry has on our economy and provide more information about the industry directly to members of Congress and their staff. I look forward to future horse caucus activities promoting the American horse industry and the hundreds of thousands of jobs directly associated with it, as well as the $102 billion it contributes to the U.S. economy."

Added Tonko, “Congressman Barr and I laid the foundation for an active year for the Congressional Horse Caucus. The equine industry is an important component of robust economic growth in the capital region of New York and across the nation, and I look forward to partnering with those looking to advance this sector of our economy. In places like Saratoga Springs, the equine industry supports countless small businesses and provides an economic ripple effect that is felt across the entire region