As the 2012 Kentucky Equine Survey enters the final stages of data collection, a second and vitally important piece of the project intensifies. The deadline for the project to secure funds from the state’s equine industry in order to receive matching funding from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund is a little more than a month away.

The University of Kentucky’s Ag Equine Programs and the Kentucky Horse Council have partnered on the 2012 Kentucky Equine Survey, a statewide comprehensive survey of all horse breeds. The study is being conducted in conjunction with the University of Louisville’s Equine Business Program and the Kentucky field office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. The last comprehensive study of this type was conducted in 1977.

"We just crossed over the halfway point of raising $100,000 from Kentucky’s equine industry and wholeheartedly thank our industry partners who have led these efforts," said Jill Stowe, PhD, associate professor in agricultural economics at UK and project lead. "Our Sept. 1 deadline for raising the remaining funds is coming quickly, and we are looking for other industry partners to step up and help this important project reach its full potential."

"This study is critical to every horse activity in Kentucky and will create a rich and unbiased set of data that should be a foundation for decisions by policymakers, educators, investors and business leaders for many years to come," said Nancy Cox, PhD, associate dean for research in UK’s College of Agriculture, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station director, and administrative leader for UK Ag Equine Programs