Maryland Horse Industry Board Awards $30,000 in Grants for 2017  

ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Maryland Horse Industry Board—a program within the Maryland Department of Agriculture—has awarded $30,000 in grants to 23 organizations that represent a variety of equine groups and disciplines across the state. The committee selected projects from a pool of 33 applicants.

Funding for these grants and the Maryland Horse Industry Board is provided by the Maryland Feed Fund, which collects $6 on every ton of horse feed sold in the state. Since the fund was established in 2002, the board has awarded over $400,000 in grants to over 300 projects.

This year’s recipients include projects that provide training to help animal control workers in equine welfare cases, enhance facilities for inner city children to learn about horses and horsemanship, and restore historic Maryland horse racing films from the 1920s that have never been seen by the public.  Nearly half of this year’s grantees received funding for projects related to 4-H, Pony Club and therapeutic horsemanship programs.

A full list of recipients—including detailed descriptions of each project—is available on the Maryland Horse Industry Board’s website.

“Horses are a critical component of Maryland’s agricultural industry. The Maryland Horse Industry Board and the Feed Fund help stimulate growth and opportunity in Maryland’s equestrian community without using any government funding,” said Board Chairman Jim Steele. “This self-funded commodity marketing entity is a model of how industry groups can help themselves without relying on taxpayer dollars.”

Projects are evaluated based on their value to the industry, degree of industry promotion, size and scope of activity, financial need, potential for matching funds, and overall quality of the written presentation. Grants are capped at $3,000 in order to award funds to as many groups as possible. Eligible projects should have a completion date no later than June 30. Grant recipients are required to file a project report with the board detailing how the money was used.

The Maryland Horse Industry Board was established in 1998 to promote and develop the equine industry in Maryland. For more information about the grants program and the board visit the department website, or contact Executive Director Ross Peddicord at (410) 841-5798 or ross.peddicord@maryland.gov.

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