An equine outreach group that provides horsemanship opportunities to inner city school children, therapeutic and youth riding activities, and programs to help rehabilitate rescue horses are among the 22 organizations to receive more than $25,000 in grants from the Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB), a program within the Maryland Department of Agriculture. The grants help to strengthen the industry by building awareness and involvement in the horse industry through research, education and promotional activities.
“The equine industry is an integral part of Maryland’s cultural and economic heritage,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “The scope and value of projects that the board evaluated illustrates the demand for these grants, and the feed fund continues to make it possible to support more of these requests.”
Grant funding is made available through the Maryland Feed Fund, which was established during the 2002 legislative session and places a refundable $6 per ton fee on equine feed costs. That amount comes out to about $3 per horse per year. The Feed Fund supports this grant program as well as other promotional, research and outreach activities undertaken by the MHIB.
Since 2001, the board has awarded 211 grants totaling more than $233,000. Any horse-oriented organization, business or individual may apply. Grant applications are evaluated for value to the industry, degree of industry promotion, size and scope of the activity, financial need, quality of the written proposal and application and the ability of the applicant to see the project through to completion and to provide MHIB with a detailed, follow-up report that includes a financial accounting of how the grant monies were used.
For 2013, MHIB received 28 applications, and will be awarding $25, 350 to 22 applicants:
- Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Second Chances Farm (Carroll County) $700
- Green Horse Enterprises, Blue Ribbon Equestrian Tours (Montgomery County) $500
- Maryland Horse Breeders’ Association (Baltimore County) $3,000
- Fair Hill Volunteer Mounted Patrol (Cecil County) $2,100
- Fair Hill International (Cecil County) $2,500
- Mane Event at Andover Equestrian Center (Anne Arundel County) $700
- Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program (Cecil County) $700
- Maryland Fund For Horses (statewide) $1,000
- Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission (Charles County) $500
- Talbot Special Riders (Talbot County) $700
- LEAD Maryland Foundation (Queen Anne’s County) $1,500
- Ellen Moyer Author/Annapolis Community Foundation (Anne Arundel County) $500
- Maryland Therapeutic Riding (Anne Arundel County) $700
- Talbot County 4-H Saddle & Paws Club (Talbot County) $200
- University of Maryland Equine Studies Program (Prince George’s County) $2,000
- Retired Racehorse Training Project (Anne Arundel County) $1,250
- Talisman Therapeutic Riding (Queen Anne’s County) $700
- City Ranch Inc. (Baltimore City) $2,800
- Carroll County Equestrian Council (Carroll County) $1,500
- Enchanted Haven Horse Rescue (Caroline County) $700
- Horse Force One Hay Bank (Caroline County) $500
- Pony Express 4-H Club (Queen Anne’s County) $600
The Maryland Horse Industry Board was established in 1998 to promote and develop the equine industry in Maryland. The year 2013 marks the board’s 15th anniversary. For more information about MHIB or the Feed Fund, visit www.mda.maryland.gov/horseboard or call MHIB Executive Director Ross Peddicord at 410-841-5798 or email ross.peddicord@maryland.gov.
