Hundreds Joined Us For...
In December of 2011, local equestrians finished their holiday shopping and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, drinks and desserts in our newly renovated dairy barn. The whole space was filled with equestrian-themed and local vendors and a portion of the proceeds from all sales went to EPIC (Equestrian Partners in Conservation).
We hosted: A silent auction featuring more specialized items, like riding lesson packages and one of a kind gifts. Educational workshops with equestrian experts leading interactive, unmounted lessons. ---- Equestrian Partners in Conservation (EPIC) is a Montgomery County, Maryland-focused equestrian community organizing effort to engage the equestrian community in a strategic effort to conserve land for equestrian purposes and increase equestrian access to private and public lands. Montgomery County is Maryland’s most populous jurisdiction, located adjacent to the nation’s capital. It is also home to more than 12,000 horses. The horse community contributes almost $200 million annually to Montgomery County, Maryland, and the surrounding area. Equestrian businesses (feed, tack, vet, training, boarding) as well as the horse industry (breeding and racing) occupy a significant place in the county’s economic landscape. Open space for horse farms, pasture, trails, and training facilities is a requirement for the continued existence of this horse community and the benefits it provides to our economy and our environment. There are more than 20,000 acres of farmland devoted to horse farms in Montgomery County. Montgomery County is home to the largest number of “equine places” (2600)–more than any other county in Maryland. Of all of the horse facilities that offer access to trail riding, an astonishing 94 percent report using private lands for equestrian trails or access to public lands. More than 4,000 Montgomery County residents are involved in equestrian activities. The total value of all equine related assets in Maryland is more than $5 billion. Equine related expenditures in Maryland totaled more than three-quarters of a billion dollars in 2002. Horse people own an estimated 685,000 acres of Maryland land. |
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