equine.mgcafe.uky.edu

The University of Kentucky's Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment offers a four-year Bachelor of Science in Equine Science and Management. The degree is built around three specialization tracks—equine science; equine management and industry; and communications, leadership and education—and adds experiential components such as internships, study abroad, and nearly a dozen clubs and teams. It suits students who want a science-based, industry-connected path into the equine sector rather than a short course or certificate.

The three specialization tracks

The program lets you shape the degree around your career goal. Each track shares a common foundation in horse health, performance, and management, then diverges:

The program page describes the tracks at a summary level; specific course lists and credit requirements are not detailed there, so confirm the current curriculum with the program before applying.

What else the program includes

Beyond coursework, the program highlights several elements that build professional experience:

• Progression toward professionalism each year of study
• Leadership opportunities
• Internships
• Study abroad
• Nearly a dozen clubs and teams to choose from

These are presented as benefits of the program rather than optional extras, which suggests the degree is designed to blend classroom learning with hands-on and industry exposure.

How to explore the program before committing

The program runs Experience Equine Days with both in-person and virtual options—a low-commitment way to see facilities, meet faculty, and ask about tracks. Upcoming dates listed on the site include an Experience Equine Day on October 26, 2026 at 10am EDT. Sign-up is handled through the program's site.

Context: the industry behind the degree

The program positions itself within Kentucky's equine industry, and the site cites the 2022 Kentucky Equine Survey (a collaboration between UK and the Kentucky Horse Council): the state is home to 209,500 equine, with total equine and equine-related assets valued at $27.7 billion in 2022—up more than 18% from 2012, despite roughly 14% fewer equine than in 2012. For prospective students, that signals a large, high-value industry in the program's home state, though it does not by itself guarantee job outcomes.

Practical next steps

1. Review the three tracks and pick the one closest to your goal.
2. Register for an Experience Equine Day (in-person or virtual) to test the fit.
3. Ask the program directly for the current course sequence, credit requirements, and internship placement details, since the homepage only summarizes them.

The site also links to program apparel and goods, but no tuition or program cost figures appear in the available page content—check with the university for current costs and admission requirements.

The 2022 Kentucky Equine Survey found 209,500 equine in Kentucky and placed the total value of equine and equine-related assets in the state at $27.7 billion, up more than 18% from 2012 — even though the equine population fell almost 14% over the same period. The survey was a collaboration between the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Horse Council, and it counted all Kentucky horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.

Who ran the survey and what it covered

The Kentucky Horse Council and UK worked together on the 2022 survey. Its scope was deliberately broad: rather than counting only horses, it gathered data on every horse, pony, donkey and mule in the state. That makes the headline population figure a count of all equine, not just riding or racing horses.

The two headline numbers

The two figures move in opposite directions, and that is the survey's most striking finding. Kentucky has fewer equine than it did in 2012, but the industry's assets are worth substantially more.

Why the divergence matters

A rising asset value alongside a shrinking population points to a shift in what the industry holds and produces rather than how many animals it keeps. The survey itself is presented as evidence of the industry's resilience, and UK frames the results as showing the continued strength of Kentucky's equine sector. For anyone interpreting the numbers, the practical takeaway is that headcount alone understates the industry's economic weight — value per animal and related assets have grown enough to offset the decline in animals.

Where to find the full results

The survey is published through UK Ag Equine Programs, which hosts a dedicated page for it on the program's site (linked as "Explore Survey" from the program homepage). That page is the place to check for the detailed breakdowns behind the 209,500 and $27.7 billion figures, since the homepage summary reports only the top-line results.

UK Ag Equine Programs is the equine program of the University of Kentucky's Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and its website (equine.mgcafe.uky.edu) is the program's public hub. The site is organized around four things: research, extension services for horse owners and farm managers, a four-year Equine Science and Management bachelor's degree, and news and events tied to Kentucky's equine industry. It is the place to start if you want to understand the program's mission, find a service, or check whether the degree or a campus visit fits your plans.

What the program says it does

The stated mission is to "discover, share and apply new knowledge on the health, performance and management of horses," with the aim of enhancing Kentucky's equine industry. The site frames the horse as "at the heart of everything we do" and describes research carried out by multidisciplinary teams — nutritionists, animal and plant scientists, engineers, microbiologists, veterinarians, economists and social scientists.

Main sections of the site

The degree program

The Equine Science and Management bachelor's degree offers three areas of specialization: equine science; equine management and industry; or communications, leadership and education. The site lists these benefits: a path to professionalism progression each year, leadership opportunities, internships, study abroad, and nearly a dozen clubs and teams. Prospective students can sign up for Experience Equine Days, offered both in person and virtually.

Kentucky Equine Survey findings

The 2022 survey was a collaboration between UK and the Kentucky Horse Council, covering all Kentucky horses, ponies, donkeys and mules. Reported figures:

• 209,500 equine in Kentucky
• $27.7 billion total value of equine and equine-related assets in 2022, up more than 18% from 2012
• Almost 14% fewer equine in the state than in 2012

The program presents these results as evidence of the industry's resilience: asset value rose even as animal numbers fell.

Events and other resources

The events calendar lists items such as a UK Ag Equine Weekend of Service (October 17–18, 2026), Fall Break (October 26–27, 2026), an Experience Equine Day (October 26, 2026, 10am EDT) and Commencement (December 18, 2026, at Rupp Arena). The site also links to a page for buying program apparel and goods; no prices are shown in the available site content, so check that page directly for cost and ordering details.

How to use the site

• Horse owner or farm manager: start with Extension for testing, pasture, facility and surface services.
• Prospective student: review the Degree section, then register for an Experience Equine Day.
• Researcher or industry reader: use Research and the Survey section for program work and state-level data.
• General visitor: the Events and News sections show what the program is currently running.

If you need a specific service, confirm availability and any requirements through the contact details on the relevant section page rather than assuming from the overview.

Prospective students and families can learn about the University of Kentucky's Equine Science and Management degree by signing up for Experience Equine Days, which the program offers in both in-person and virtual formats. The events are the program's designated way to visit, ask questions, and see whether the degree fits before applying. To find dates and register, start from the program's home page and follow the "Explore Degree" path, which links to the sign-up for upcoming Experience Equine Days.

What Experience Equine Days Are For

The event is an introduction to the program and the degree, not a general campus open house. The program describes it as the way to "visit and learn more about the program," so expect the content to center on:

• The Equine Science and Management four-year bachelor's degree and its three areas of specialization: equine science; equine management and industry; or communications, leadership and education.
• Program benefits such as the path to professionalism progression each year, leadership opportunities, internships, study abroad, and nearly a dozen clubs and teams.
• The research and extension side of UK Ag Equine Programs, which the degree sits within.

Because both in-person and virtual options are listed, families who cannot travel to Lexington can still attend. The virtual format is the practical choice for out-of-state students or those comparing several programs before committing to a visit.

How to Sign Up and Check Dates

1. Go to the UK Ag Equine Programs home page (equine.mgcafe.uky.edu).
2. Follow the "Explore Degree" link, which the site identifies as the entry point for the degree program and the Experience Equine Days sign-up.
3. Register for an upcoming session in the format that works for you — in-person or virtual.
4. Check the site's "Upcoming Equine Events" listing for confirmed dates. The listing shows events with times and locations, so it is the place to confirm when the next Experience Equine Day is scheduled rather than relying on a general description.

One caution: the events calendar mixes Experience Equine Days with unrelated items such as service weekends, fall break, and commencement. Read each entry rather than assuming every date on the list is a prospective-student event.

What to Prepare Before You Go

The program's own description gives you a useful question list. Ask about:

• Specialization choice. How early must a student pick among equine science, equine management and industry, or communications, leadership and education, and how much do the three paths overlap?
• The professionalism progression. The program highlights a "path to professionalism progression each year" — ask what that looks like in practice across the four years.
• Experiential work. Which internships, study abroad options, and clubs or teams are open to first-year students?
• Research and extension exposure. Undergraduates sit within a program built on multidisciplinary research teams (nutrition, animal and plant science, engineering, microbiology, veterinary medicine, economics, social science) and a horse and rider safety knowledge center. Ask whether undergraduates can participate.

A Sense of the Industry You'd Be Entering

The program cites the 2022 Kentucky Equine Survey, a collaboration with the Kentucky Horse Council: Kentucky is home to 209,500 equine, and the total value of equine and equine-related assets in the state was $27.7 billion in 2022, up more than 18% from 2012 — even with roughly 14% fewer equine in the state than in 2012. That combination of fewer animals and higher value is a concrete talking point for a visit: it suggests an industry shifting toward higher-value operations, which is relevant to questions about where graduates work.

If You Can't Attend an Event

The site also covers the program's extension services for horse owners and farm managers, youth and adult education through 4-H and outreach, and services such as pasture management, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory testing, genetic testing, facility optimization, and racetrack and performance surface testing. Browsing these sections gives a fuller picture of the program's scope before or after a visit. Program apparel and goods are sold through a separate page linked from the site; the site does not state prices there, so check the page itself for current details.

Bottom Line

Experience Equine Days are the program's front door for prospective students, offered in person and virtually. Register through the "Explore Degree" link on the program site, confirm the date on the Upcoming Equine Events list, and arrive with questions about specialization, the yearly professionalism progression, and hands-on opportunities.

UK Ag Equine Programs offers horse owners and farm managers a set of extension and diagnostic services that cover pasture management, facility optimization, racetrack and performance surface testing, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory testing, and genetic testing. It also runs youth and adult equine education through 4-H and outreach programs. These services sit alongside the program's research and degree work, and the site presents them as practical support for people managing horses and farms rather than as a single package with one entry point.

Who the services are for

The program describes its extension offerings as aimed at "horse owners and farm managers," plus youth and adult learners in 4-H and outreach programs. If you are managing pasture, planning or adjusting facilities, or involved with racing and performance surfaces, these are the areas the program lists. The site does not publish eligibility rules, fees, or turnaround times for individual services, so confirm those directly before relying on a service for a time-sensitive need.

What is offered, by category

The research side of the program draws on multidisciplinary teams — nutritionists, animal and plant scientists, engineers, microbiologists, veterinarians, economists, and social scientists — and includes a horse and rider safety knowledge center working on sports medicine, surface, and pharmacology research. That context helps explain why surface testing and pasture management appear alongside lab testing: they come from the same applied-science approach.

How to use these services

1. Identify your need. Match your question to a category above — for example, a pasture problem goes to pasture management, while a lab question goes to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
2. Start from the Extension section. The site's "Explore Extension" path is where the extension services are grouped; use it to find the relevant service rather than searching the whole site.
3. Confirm details before you act. Because the site does not state prices, sample requirements, or scheduling for these services, ask about cost, what to submit, and expected timing before sending samples or booking work.
4. Check what you get back. For diagnostic and genetic testing, ask what the report includes and who to contact with questions about results.

A practical example: a farm manager noticing uneven pasture growth would use the pasture management service to review grazing and land practices, while a trainer concerned about a racing surface would look to the track and performance surface testing service — two different entry points under the same extension umbrella.

Education and outreach for youth and adults

Beyond farm services, the program supports equine learning through 4-H and outreach programs for both youth and adults. For prospective students, the same site covers the Equine Science and Management four-year bachelor's degree, with specializations in equine science; equine management and industry; or communications, leadership and education. The degree includes a path to professionalism progression each year, leadership opportunities, internships, study abroad, and nearly a dozen clubs and teams. Experience Equine Days, offered in person and virtually, are the scheduled way to visit and learn more — the events list shows an Experience Equine Day on October 26, 2026 at 10am EDT.

Context: why the program frames these services this way

The program's stated mission is to "discover, share and apply new knowledge on the health, performance and management of horses," tied to Kentucky's equine industry. The 2022 Kentucky Equine Survey, run with the Kentucky Horse Council, found 209,500 equine in the state and $27.7 billion in total equine and equine-related assets — up more than 18% from 2012 despite roughly 14% fewer equine. That combination of a smaller population and higher value is the backdrop for services focused on management efficiency, surfaces, and diagnostics.

What to verify before relying on a service

• Cost and payment: the site lists no pricing for extension or diagnostic services; the only commercial link is for program apparel and goods. Do not assume any service is free.
• Access and scheduling: no login requirements or booking rules are stated; confirm how to request each service.
• Scope: the site names the service areas but not their detailed procedures, so ask what each service actually includes before committing samples, animals, or farm time.