Horse Race Industry Needs Research Paper

Introduction

The Horse Industry represents a unique situation in the livestock industry. Since the use of horses in the world are for food as well as for non-food purposes. High-quality racehorses are saved from theft, injuries, and other diseases by commercial insurance policies. In addition to that, the reproduction side of the horse industry is highly controlled with limited use of artificial insemination and, in certain cases, registration of animals. Therefore this industry is quite unique. It deals in the private as well as the public sector. The horses are used for race purposes mainly. Racing is an entertaining and interesting business; the people relating to this industry are always keen to increase their horse abilities and ownerships and try to attract consumer interest and dollars. Moreover, it also means investigating other racing choices, such as simulating races, which involve off-track wagering.

The main objective of this paper is to point out those strategies and techniques of business which can help the firms, either public or private sector, dealing with the racehorses or slaughter of horses. How can they become efficient? What policies and practices can make them work better and progress fully? If we just look at this matter, the slaughter of horses is done mainly due to the failure of those horses that run at the race. These types of horses are taken in a large number from their owners for slaughter and food supply purposes. (House of Commons Hansard Written Answers, 2002)

According to Morley, “The Government has been consistent in their view that a trade-in meat is preferable to the long-distance transport of animals for slaughter” (House of Commons Hansard Written Answers, 2002).

However, this subject will be taking into consideration as soon as we get a proposal from European Commission regarding animal welfare rules and regulations during transport. Unfortunately, at present, the Government has no right and control to post-ban on this business. Nonetheless, the European Commission has already been said that posting this ban on animal trade would not be count in any respect as an illegal ban.

Dr. Lonnie Jones, an economist with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and co-author of the recent study, opined that “The economic impact of the Texas horse-racing industry could jump from roughly $600 million to $800 million in annual business sales to more than $1.5 billion annually within the next few years” (House of Commons Hansard Written Answers, 2002).

Problem Statement

The equine industry is currently not in a very good position. There are several problems under consideration.

While the horse industry is divided into the racehorse, the slaughter, the public, and the private sectors, there are still some people who are against the slaughter of horses and some who are in favor. We can never ignore the fact that in the American and European countries, horsemeat is just like the meat of buffalo, goat, sheep, pig, etc. if it is their part of the culture, then naturally, the slaughter industry has its own place. Just like the racehorse industry, both of these purposes are equally likely to be fulfilled, and both of the industries are working at their full pace in the US and the rest of the world. Like any other business, these industries, either private or public sector belonging, needs to be trained fully so as to be good in business and to provide the best services to the buyers and consumers. The care and the right use of horses are also a matter of concern. Although it’s a fact that the primary use of horses is for the race, we still know that mostly the horses that are unfit for the race due to any reason other than health are sent to the slaughter industries, and every year there are a large number of these unwanted horses. These unwanted horses are absorbed into public programs or the private sector after lose of their primary use. Conventionally, the hunter-jumper market has captivated most former purebred racehorses that have no important remaining muscular-skeletal abnormalities, and the previous Standardbred racehorses have been used as carthorses. Sensibly, horses with career-ending injuries are not considered as useful anymore and fall into the category of unwanted horses. Then there exists the question of slaughtering them and sending them for food purposes. The precise number of horses entering into this category of unwanted is not known exactly. It is, however, estimated that 50000 horses are slaughtered each year in the USA. The real number of unwanted horses is much higher than known. The horses used within the farms cost a lot to the owners their maintenance; food, wastage disposal, and land use, etc. are a matter of great concern to the slaughter industry.

Purpose Statement

The basic aim of the study concern is to provide ways to be adopted by the people in the business dealing with the slaughter, the racehorses keeper either belonging to the public sector or the private sector, And how to set goals and objectives for improvement? The American horse council estimates that almost 10% of all horses die every year due to illness, injury, lack of proper environment and food provisions, etc. There is a need for proper treatment and laws to be passed by the Government to support the cause of increasing horses reproduction so as to avoid its generation being finished rapidly. California passed a law in 1998; since then horse protection from thieves was increased, and horse theft was dropped by 40%, and more is decreasing every year. The matter of support to the horse industry is also important to be considered because this is not only the illness or lack of food that made horses die or discarded for their primary purpose but also the lack of proper means of transporting horses for slaughtering. Many times it is observed that the ways of transportation used are basically for short animals like cows, pigs, cattle, and horses having long neck and body are forcefully accommodated in them which injured them. The person in business if can’t afford big cars due to lack of enough money has no other way to go for this method.

The Government should provide subsidies to such people who are working on a small scale to fulfill their needs. In this regard, Conventional market services drive demand over much of the world among consumers with tough affirmative attitudes to meat as a nourishing, tasty, and best food; price in relation to income, availability, quality (including neatness), and relevance to lifestyle remain the leading forces in service. However, if talking about some developed nations’ meat production raises their concerns, and it might affect demand negatively. In this regard, every Government has to think it over seriously, most importantly towards their policies for this industry. Undoubtedly, meet industry not also needs information awareness programs but also needs to observe their action plans in order to satisfy full customer needs. As a matter of fact, both technologists and scientists can serve a lot for this industry by applying their practices in an efficient manner. Such as applying practices that result in less environmental damage, depend on fewer stimulants and additives, sensitive exploitation of the new genetics, and with more consideration for the animals involved.

Research Questions/Hypothesis

Unfortunately, in the United States, it has been observed that the departments of poultry science have declined dramatically, which affects a lot of research and development (R&D) in this field. A significant amount of shortage in funds has also been noted in this field which proved as the ‘last nail in the coffin.’ In this regard, a study of poultry meat organizations was conducted.

The Main Aims & objectives of the study were:

1. To assess the trade concerns over the position of ‘Poultry Science Departments’
2. Classing recruiting pattern, in order to establish chance for prerequisite skills of graduates
3. To find the graduate mental attitude towards recruiting of Associate-Degree Students

Among corporate vice presidents and directors of the human resources of top ten turkey broiler organizations, a 2-page poll was distributed. Eighty-three percent of the respondents faced problems when locating a sufficient number of poultry science graduates. Moreover, as far as hiring two years degree graduates are concerned, according to the survey, it looks to be a little confrontation. Nonetheless, eighty percent of the poultry organization’s managers and hiring authorities were agreed to hire two-year degree students. In reality, business and communication skills in HR professionals are far more important than those employees working in a technical capacity in poultry sciences. Thus, all academic programs must provide students with marketplace knowledge, which helps them in squeezing new technologies, making things good between government organizations and industrial bodies.

In addition, every business organization can stay longer in the market if it provides its customer a god quality meat. In this regard, providing good meat to consumers involves two main layers of control. The first layer of control should be that the industry must provide true quality of food to the consumer and the second layer of control is to check whether the industry is doing its job perfectly in the provision of horses from the farm for either purpose.

Core Literature

In 2005 the beef livestock industry experience constant sky-scraping prices. “The strong market expectant producers to enlarge group size and others to obtain or come back into beef production. Cattle statistics decreased 7% in 2005 to 597,362 from 642,972 in 2004. The number of producers cut down to 12,346, down from 12,446 in 2004. Cattle producers, though, suffered extensive losses in the coastal parishes as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Cattle statistics from two coastal parishes (Lafourche and Cameron) return these opening losses, but statistics from all other coastal parishes do not yet return the destruction from these hurricanes. The repercussions of these disastrous events will be felt in the beef industry of Louisiana for several years. The horse industry is an important economic incentive for Louisiana. An estimated 60,000 people have approximately 200,000 horses. The industry is collected of approximately 10% racing, 20% show or contest, and 70% frivolous horse owners. The racehorse industry is collected of 1,365 breeders who have 11,447 mares that created 7,401 foals that were sold in 2005 for $59.2 million. These breeders own 1,345 stallions that were bred to 10,333 mares, generating income from stud fees of $25.8 million. The total income generated from racehorse production was $85 million. An additional 2,337 racehorse owners owned 12,169 racehorses in training or on the track at a value of $146 million. The contact of racehorse owners and breeders activities in 2005 was $232 million. A big part of the horse industry is frivolous. The horse is used for comfort, exercise, and enjoyment. Approximately 30% or 8,539 of the entertaining horse owners bred 25,018 mares and sold 13,018 foals in 2005 for $19.5 million. These horsemen own 2,401 stallions that were bred to 8,177 mares generating income from stud fees of $4.1 million. The total income from creation in the frivolous horse industry was $23.6 million in 2005. Another 23,814 frivolous horse owners have 57,615 horses valued at $86.4 million. The total impact of the recreational horse industry was $110 million. In accumulation to the value of horses produced and maintained in Louisiana, the behavior of the horse industry generates a great cash stream for the state. The four racetracks employ 3,000 people and turn out expenditures of approximately $1 billion per year. The latest study by the American Horse Council expected the economic impact of the Louisiana horse industry to be $2.45 billion per year”. (Narrative, n.d.)

There should be some business ethics for every field in this world. These business ethics and rights to employees (as well as to the livestock if the it is agriculture or farm industry) must be provided so as to safeguard their needs and to maintain friendly working environment and to provide boost to a certain industry. The above-mentioned statistics shows clearly that this system is working very well in US and can do much better if proper policies are adopted and the same procedure should be adopted in the future as well.

Welfare of Horses

Those involved in the horse industry must take in to consideration the welfare and the maintenance of horses.

Due Regard

Individuals working with horses should have due regard for their welfare. People working with horses must know the care and needs of the horses under them or others.

Proper Care

It is necessary for the people dealing with horse business to have proper knowledge and training for the handling of horses. Ignorance in such a business is not acceptable as a sign of cruelty and harshness.

Shelter Provision

No matter the horse is being prepared for the food or the race purposes, the shelter should be proper so as to accommodate the horses and to safe them from cold, rain or any other mishap.

Emergency Measures

Emergency measure should be provided to the staff working for the care and handling of the horses so as to provide them first aid in any case.

Feed and Diet

The horses should be feed properly and daily. There shouldn’t be any lack of diet, since this animal is use mainly for race and making carts etc so for such physical movements proper diet is necessary. The core literature of this paper related to the horses their handling, treatment, the past statistics and the people in this business, however the above-mentioned tips are necessary to apply to have proper business output and to stay longer in the industry or in other words to lead.

Research Activities

The research activities of the paper under study are mainly through the books and Internet, as well as some personal observation. It can be said primary as it is taken from the already written scholarly articles and journals. However the point of view is solely from the writers perspective and wholly written by the writer.

Operational Definitions

1. Livestock: farm animals
2. Slaughter: kill an animal for food.
3. A.S: Associate-degreed students (A.S.).
4. Equine: Of or like a horse (adjective)

Assumptions and Limitations

The assumptions of this study mainly are the horse industry benefits a promotion. The scenarios, the examples and facts and figures all were taken as a tool. This study is limited o the racehorse and slaughter horse industries, the business leadership skills and the methodology of the management and leadership. The horse industry has many problems like the transportation the accommodation the handling the lack of subsidies granted etc. but these are just few there can be a lot to write and discuss which is beyond the scope of this paper.

Some Recent Developments

In the fiscal year 2007-8, thirty three funding proposal were received by Virginia horse industry. In this regard, Virginia horse industry board members recently passed seventeen big projects of 81,884 US dollars. The list of winning projects, the name and association of the person submitting the project, and the amount of funding awarded by the Virginia Horse Industry Board are listed below according to category:

Education

Virginia State 4-H Horse Show – Connie Collier, State 4-H Horse Show Committee

$2,000

State Fair Draft Horse Hitch Educational Exhibit – Sue Mullins, State Fair

$1,500

Virginia Quarter Horse Association Open Show Program & Clinic Series – Jeff Ringer, VQHA

$5,000

Promotion of the Art and Science of Reining Within the Commonwealth of Virginia – Joy Blake, Blue Ridge Reining Association

$1,075

EQUI-KIDS Therapeutic Riding Program Mobile Equestrian Outreach – Barbara Ford, EQUI-KIDS

$1,900

Research

Determining Effects of Season & Pasture on Blood Markers

of Endocrine Disease in Horses/Ponies – Raymond

Geor, DVM, PhD, & K. Treiber, MARE Center

$10,230

Mechanisms of Suppressed In Vitro PMA/I Stimulated Proliferation in EPM Horses—Sharon Witonsky, DVM, PhD, VMRCVM

$3,000

Anti-Oxidant Status of Peripartum Mares & Neonatal Foals – Martin Furr, DVM,PhD, VMRCVM/Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center, & R. Geor, MARE Center

$6,550

Marketing

Expanding Virginia Horse Council’s Service to the Equine Industry – Keli Harold, VHC

$27,500

VA State Animal Response Team Website – Robin Schmitz, VSART

$3,005

Promotion of Jousting Ring Tournament in VA – Monica Banton, VA State Jousting Association/National Jousting Association

$745

Source: Virginia Horse Industry Board News and Event Calendar

Since 1995, the Virginia Horse Industry Board has re-invested more than three-quarters of a million dollars back into the Commonwealth’s equine industry through its grants program. (Virginia Horse Industry Board News and Event Calendar, 2007-2008)

References

1. Animal Net March AVMA .
2. Chenault Edith A., (n.d.), Race Horse Industry Analysis Featured In Meeting
3. Horse Passports and Database, (2002) NEWS RELEASE
4. House of Commons Hansard Written Answers (2002)
5. Industry Needs 92-97. Technology Transfer Information Center – TTIC
6. Narrative,(n.d.)
7. Virginia Horse Industry Board News and Event Calendar, (2007-2008)