{"id":29459,"date":"2025-11-07T10:25:50","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T15:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=29459"},"modified":"2025-11-07T10:25:50","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T15:25:50","slug":"governor-moore-signs-executive-order-establishing-the-maryland-horse-industry-strategic-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2025\/11\/07\/governor-moore-signs-executive-order-establishing-the-maryland-horse-industry-strategic-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Moore Signs Executive Order Establishing the Maryland Horse Industry Strategic Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 7, 2025)<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Governor Wes Moore today signed an\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/governor.maryland.gov\/Lists\/ExecutiveOrders\/Attachments\/96\/EO%2001.01.2025.23%20Maryland%20Horse%20Industry%20Strategic%20Planning%20Initiative_Accessible.pdf\">executive order<\/a>\u00a0today formally establishing the Maryland Horse Industry Strategic Plan to guide the future of Maryland\u2019s $2.9 billion equine sector. The initiative marks a historic step toward unifying the state\u2019s diverse horse community under a single, coordinated vision for growth, sustainability, and collaboration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaryland\u2019s horse industry is a powerful symbol of the state\u2019s heritage, agriculture, and economic vitality,\u201d\u00a0<strong>said Gov. Moore.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThis strategic plan will bring together all facets of the equine community to ensure the industry continues to thrive for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/labor.md.gov\/images\/establishingmdhorseindustrystrategicplan.jpg?w=760&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Seven officials in business attire join Maryland Governor Wes Moore for a group portrait also displaying a signed executive order.\" border=\"0\" \/><\/p>\n<p>With more horses per square mile than any other state, Maryland\u2019s equine ecosystem supports thousands of jobs, maintains open space, and attracts visitors from across the nation and world through premier events. Maryland\u2019s horse industry also supports more than 28,000 jobs and $1.24 billion in wages statewide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom racing to recreational riding, from therapeutic programs to trail systems, Maryland\u2019s equine ecosystem touches every corner of our state,\u201d\u00a0<strong>said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Atticks.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cThis effort ensures that all sectors have a seat at the table to build a unified vision for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The steering committee leading this work will include state agencies as well as representatives from across Maryland\u2019s horse ecosystem. These representatives reflect the breadth and diversity of the state\u2019s horse community, from thoroughbred and standardbred racing and sport horses to trail riders, jousters, and therapeutic programs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis executive order moves Maryland forward, bringing together leaders from Maryland\u2019s horse racing, competition, recreation, and wellness sectors under a shared vision,\u201d\u00a0<strong>said Maryland Secretary of Labor Portia Wu.<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cOur Maryland Racing Commission has provided oversight for safety and integrity in Maryland horseracing for more than a century, and we are excited to plan for a vibrant future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The committee will lead the development of a comprehensive strategic plan designed to strengthen Maryland\u2019s horse ecosystem across seven key focus areas:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Strategic Planning and Policy Guidance<\/li>\n<li>Collaboration and Communication<\/li>\n<li>Economic Development<\/li>\n<li>Advocacy, Public Awareness, and Promotion<\/li>\n<li>Education and Workforce Development<\/li>\n<li>Sustainability and Land Use<\/li>\n<li>Health and Welfare<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Horse Industry Board will partner with the Maryland Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Natural Resources; the Office of the Secretary of State; the Maryland Racing Commission and others to coordinate planning and stakeholder engagement. They will produce a report, including recommendations and measurable goals, to present to the governor and the Maryland General Assembly.<\/p>\n<p>Through this executive order, Maryland affirms its leadership in equine excellence, preserving a proud, three-century tradition while shaping a vibrant and sustainable future for the horse ecosystem.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">###<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ANNAPOLIS, MD (November 7, 2025)\u00a0\u2014 Governor Wes Moore today signed an\u00a0executive order\u00a0today formally establishing the Maryland Horse Industry Strategic Plan to guide the future of Maryland\u2019s $2.9 billion equine sector. The initiative marks a historic step toward unifying the state\u2019s diverse horse community under a single, coordinated vision for growth, sustainability, and collaboration. \u201cMaryland\u2019s horse<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2025\/11\/07\/governor-moore-signs-executive-order-establishing-the-maryland-horse-industry-strategic-plan\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":222,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/222"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29459"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29460,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29459\/revisions\/29460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}