Equine Studies at the University of Maryland

10/02/2026

It's officially Maryland Horse Month! 🐎

Horses are an essential part of our state's heritage, economy and dailly life. They support thousands of jobs, protect our open green spaces and bring communities together.

that Maryland's horse industry contributes around $1.77 BILLION to Maryland's economy each year?

Here's how you can help support Maryland Horse Month this October:
- Attend an event.
- Visit a local horse show, racing event or fair.
- Visit a stable.
- Introduce your family to horses at a licensed Maryland Horse Discovery Center.
- Use the Maryland Horse Park System website to find local trails and equestrian venues near you. (https://www.marylandhorsepark.org/)

10/01/2026

Join us for this new event, a full day of learning about equine pasture management and health!

It's finally time! Register for the 2026 Equine Conservation Summit at our shiny new website: http://bit.ly/eq-summit
Registration is open until October 30th. Be sure to follow our page! You can count down with us as we give you the inside scoop on our events and speakers.
🏔️ See you at the Summit! 🏔️

09/25/2026

Maintaining a livestock designation for horses is important in terms of zoning regulations, access to cost share and grant funding, farmland preservation eligibility, and property tax structure. We are glad to see these corrections as we keep an eye on other changes.

📢USDA Corrects Press Release Issued Sept. 21 Regarding Companion Animal Welfare

On September 21, 2026, the USDA issued a press release regarding "Actions marking a new Era of Companion Animal Welfare".

Included in the release were references to horses and the Horse Protection Act. This caused alarm in the equine industry, as some felt this was signaling USDA plans to change horses from federally designated "livestock" classification to companion animals.

AHC made inquiries with USDA leadership, who acknowledged the confusion and stated "The Department is actively working on amending its public messaging related to this issue."

A new release was subsequently issued on September 23, 2026, removing those references, and a link can be found below.

USDA Leadership has confirmed there is no intention to reclassify horses as companion animals.

Read more here: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/09/21/usda-announces-actions-marking-new-era-animal-welfare

09/19/2026

🐴 Do you have a mare due to foal in April 2027?

The University of Maryland is seeking 2–3 mares to participate in our 2027 Foaling Program and provide a unique, hands-on learning experience for students in our Equine Reproduction course.

Under the guidance of experienced faculty and staff, students gain practical experience caring for pregnant mares, monitoring the signs of impending foaling, assisting with foalings, and providing care for newborn foals.

What we provide includes:
• Board for approximately two weeks before and up to three weeks after foaling
• Daily health checks, feeding, grooming, and care
• Daily turnout and video surveillance
• Close monitoring of mares as they approach foaling
• Attendance and assistance at foaling, if needed
• Newborn foal care and routine handling
• Postpartum care for the mare
• Coordination of necessary veterinary examinations
• Excellent communication and record keeping
• Photos and videos of your mare and foal

Space is very limited, so if you are interested in having the University of Maryland students and staff care for your mare this spring, please complete our Foaling Services Interest Form.

Learn more and access the interest form on our website: University of Maryland Foaling Services

Questions? Contact Dr. Amy Burk at [email protected] or 301-405-8337.

Help us give the next generation of equine professionals an invaluable hands-on learning experience! 🐎🎓

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/foaling-services/

09/18/2026

We had a great night at the Maryland Horse Foundation with Dr. Scofield learning about the history of Select Breeders Service and advanced reproductive techniques used in horses! It is so wonderful to have this elite facility in our state!

09/17/2026

Combine your skills with a love of eventing!

The USEA is searching for a talented communicator to join our Media & Communications team as a Coordinator or Manager. We’re looking for someone who knows the sport of eventing and can bring strong writing, photography, social media, and organizational skills to the role.

Think you might be a fit or know someone who is? Check out the full job description and help us spread the word! ⬇️

09/16/2026

Save the dates! (Especially Oct 22!)

We have more pasture walks happening over the next few months! Don't forget to sign up to join us, there will be lots of interesting things to see on the agenda, including silvopasture, grass-fed livestock production, grazing management, pasture maintenance, and soil fertility for pasture-based systems. Check out the links below or visit our website at https://go.umd.edu/forageevents for more information on these and other upcoming events.

September 21 at 5 PM - Pasture Walk at Grazy Days Farm (Union Bridge, MD): https://go.umd.edu/pwseptember

October 22 at 4:30 PM - Pasture Walk at Willowdale Farm followed by a social hour at Farmacy Brewing (Reisterstown, MD): https://go.umd.edu/pwoctober

08/21/2026

Maryland State Fair College Day at the Races
$1000 dollar scholarships given out and all you have to do is register, check in, and then come spend the day at the fair!
DATE: Saturday, August 29, 2026
TIME: 12:00 PM – 5 PM
EVENT CHECK-IN: 12:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CHANCE TO WIN Scholarship winner’s names will be drawn prior to the Shine Again Stakes Race (time to be determined). Students are not required to be present at the drawing, but are invited to be present and be a part of the group photo at the winner’s circle during the live televised drawing.

Pre-Register by Friday, August 28, at 5 PM.
Have your College/University ID and valid photo ID. If you do not yet have a college ID, bring proof of college admission.
You MUST PRE-REGISTER and CHECK-IN the day of the event to be eligible for scholarship.
LOCATION: MD State Fair Lower Floor South End of the Grandstand

See the link below for registration and details! 👇
https://marylandstatefair.com/college-day-at-the-races/

07/29/2026

More pasture management education opportunities! Regardless of species, we can learn so much from how different farms manage their fields. Which one are you excited to go to??

We have more upcoming events happening over the next few months! Don't forget to sign up to join us, there will be lots of interesting things to see on the agenda, including multi-species grazing, soil health, virtual fencing systems, silvopasture, and addressing common pasture problems. Check out the links below for more information and stay tuned for additional opportunities.

August 6 at 5 PM - Pasture Walk at Plow and Stars Farm (Poolesville, MD): https://go.umd.edu/pwaugust

August 17 at 5 PM - Pasture Diagnostic Clinic at the Mill of Salisbury (Salisbury, MD): https://go.umd.edu/pastureclinic

September 21 at 5 PM - Pasture Walk at Grazy Days Farm (Union Bridge, MD): https://go.umd.edu/pwseptember

06/26/2026

What an eye opening evening with the Maryland Horse Foundation ‘s Howard and Sondra Bender Educational Series! Tonight’s seminar featured University of Md. Extension specialists Paul Goeringer and Alex Chan discussing communication and basic steps to creating estate plans for farms and farm families. Family communication sets the foundation for important decisions and discussions with an estate attorney. Thank you both for the important information and thank you to all who came out and were active participants tonight!