The horse occupies a special place in the image and lifestyle of many Virginians. Some of the nation's greatest thoroughbreds and show horses were bred in Virginia and the state has some of the top breeding farms in the country. Virginia horses are known for their quality. The lush, rolling fields of the horse country are part of the state's heritage.

Horses are also good business for the state. According to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, all segments of the horse industry contribute over $171 million annually to the state's economy. The industry employs more than 20,000 people statewide and horse events attract in excess of 500,000 spectators each year. The total investment in animals, land, and facilities amounts to over half a billion dollars.

Any discussion about the size of the industry has to rely on guesswork, because there is no reliable data on the number of horses in the state. Horse industry sources estimate there are about 130,000 horses owned by 75,000 persons and about 7,500 breeding farms. However, preliminary figures of a census being conducted by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University indicate a horse population of about 90,000.

While these figures are impressive, the industry in Virginia is stagnant. In 1974 there were 1,063 thoroughbreds foaled in Virginia; in 1979, there were 1,067. There were some fluctuations, but during that period the foal production was about 1,100 annually. Professionals generally expect an annual increase of 5% in foal production and, indeed, national production went up 18% in the four-year period. Virginia has not held her own in relation to other states, falling from fifth in foal production in 1968 to seventh in 1977.

While the thoroughbred sector has at least been able to maintain its foal production level, the rest of the horse industry may not have done as well. The preliminary figures from VPI & SU indicate a decrease of about one-fifth in the number of horses since 1972. Clearly, the industry is not healthy.

It was these concerns that led the General Assembly to see what it could do to help the horse industry. It established two study committees, which, upon meeting, merged into one subcommittee because of overlap of membership and subject. (House Joint Resolution No. 48 and Senate Joint Resolution No. 58, establishing the subcommittees, are in the appendix.)