News Release Distributed 10/04/06
Horses are big business in Louisiana, and the LSU AgCenter is making sure that equine information is as available as for other farm and ranch animals.
Peter Cannizzaro, the equine education agent for the LSU AgCenter in Covington, has begun a program that will feature horse workshops in various locations around the region and state.
As the only equine education field agent in the state, Cannizzaro says he makes himself available to horse enthusiasts statewide. He can travel to other parishes in the state if another agent requests it.
"We have other agents that do horse work around the state and do it well, but when you look at the number of horses in St. Tammany Parish alone, it’s easy to see why I’m located here," he said. "Not only is St. Tammany the largest parish land-wise, we also have around 25,000 head of horses.
Cannizzaro has begun quarterly workshops with topics of interest to horse lovers. The most recent workshop was held at the St. Tammany office in Covington on Sept. 21 and included topics ranging from forages to proper barn construction.
According to Cannizzaro, several considerations need to be made before constructing a horse barn. First, you need to know about the ordinances in your area. Then you need to consider the best location for the barn. During this phase it is important to look at the direction that the barn faces to provide optimum ventilation and comfort for the animals during inclement weather.
Dr. Clint Depew, the LSU AgCenter’s state horse specialists said Louisiana is in the top 10 of horse-producing states with more than 200,000 head and 70,000 owners.
"According to the American Horse Council, Louisiana has a $2.45 billion horse business with the average owner having two to three horses," Depew said.
He said the two major issues affecting horse owners in Louisiana right now are health and marketing.
"West Nile virus is still a concern, but many of the owners have vaccinated their horses by now, and we’ve noticed a slowdown in the shots being given," Depew said.
As with any health concern, people tend to let down their guard when enough time passes, he said. As for the marketing issues, owners still face a challenge.
"When you have horses that range in price from $400-$500 and into the millions of dollars, it’s hard to provide a market standard," he said. “The LSU AgCenter is working on plans to try to standardize the marketing of horses.”
Depew said the horse workshops offer an opportunity to bring in horse experts and professionals to help sort through some of these issues.
Also during the meeting, Cannizaro discussed how to get the most out of cool-season forages and hay for the horses. "Before you plant any grass, you need to get a soil sample analyzed. Once you take the sample, you can bring it to our office, and we will have it analyzed for you," he said.
He said he plans to conduct horse workshops in different locations each quarter so they will be accessible to a variety of horse owners.
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Contact:
Peter Cannizzaro at (985) 875-2635 or pcannizzaro@agcenter.lsu.edu
Clint Depew at (225) 578-2219 or cdepew@agcenter.lsu.edu
Writer:
Johnny Morgan at (225) 578-8484 or jmorgan@agcenter.lsu.edu