August 19, 2003

 

NDSU Equine Program Has New Facilities

Students enrolled in the North Dakota State University equine sciences program may be surprised at just how large the university’s new horse stall barn really is. "Eventually we’ll be able to house up to 400 horses," according to Ken Odde, NDSU Animal and Range Sciences chair. "This will greatly enhance our educational capabilities."

NDSU has had an equine program for some time but it wasn’t until 2001 that a major and minor in equine sciences was established. Since then the number of students enrolled in the program has increased. The students enrolled in the program gain a broad perspective of the horse industry, how horses are used as recreational and commercial livestock and gain experience in horsemanship and animal care, Odde says.

Construction on the 600-by-134 foot barn began in late November of last year and was completed earlier this summer. It is located adjacent to the new North Dakota Horse Park. Currently, NDSU is leasing stall space to the park for the racing season, which ends Sept. 14. Students will begin taking classes at the barn after that. There is a small arena located at the site however long-term plans call for a large indoor arena to allow for expanded educational opportunities.

"There was a memorandum of agreement that was signed a couple of years ago by the North Dakota Horse Park Foundation and NDSU," Odde says. "Obviously when that decision was made, both parties felt that it was going to be mutually beneficial."

NDSU and the Horse Park Foundation are looking to expand the use of the track beyond racing. It is hoped that eventually other groups such as the North Dakota 4-H horse program will use the facilities. "The 4-H horse program is already very strong and we see it as a natural fit for them to use this facility on occasion," Odde says. "We could host any number of equine events such as rodeos and competitions on a national level."

The equine program at NDSU is also linked to the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center. "There is a horse research program at the Dickinson Center," Odde says. "In fact, they recently held their first equine field day." Our program is part of our continuing effort to provide assistance to people in the many different phases of agriculture," says Kris Ringwall, director of the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center. "There is a growing number of horse enthusiasts in the region, and we want to address their needs."

Odde and others in the equine science program will promote the program during the racing season by staffing a booth at the horse park. He sees it as a good way to educate the public about the program and recruit new students.

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Source: Ken Odde, (701) 231-7658, ken.odde@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu

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