NEWSfrom MHC’S INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS
PUBLIC RIDING STABLES IN URBAN/SUBURBAN AREAS ARE CRUCIAL And Why Montgomery County Should Treasure Wheaton Park Stables The Maryland Horse Council (MHC) is the only trade association for all
segments of the Maryland horse industry, at the state and local level. MHC has been representing the Maryland horse industry for over 35 years. As such, it is our mission to help all equine businesses to thrive – and we en- courage ALL stables to be Industry Professional members of MHC. Stables that off er guided trail rides and lessons to the general pub-
lic are particularly important to the equine industry’s eco-system. For many, they are the point of entry into our industry and community. Most stables that off er these gateway services are on private land
and are privately operated. There are, however, a handful of lesson barns that are on public land, though still privately run. When a privately-run business operates on public land, there is usually a legal or regulatory requirement that the private operation provide either public recreational op- portunities or open space. In other words, the government cannot just rent out the land for an offi ce building or a parking lot. When public land land is rented out for riding les- sons or guided trail rides, there is often push-back from the community about using public land for what is often perceived by the general public – wrongly – to be an “elitist” or “exclusionary” activity. One such conversation is now being had about MHC Industry Professional member Wheaton Park Stables, Inc. (WPS), which is owned by San- dra S. Creecy and located at the Wheaton Regional Park in Montgomery County. Montgomery County is updating its Master Plan for Wheaton Region- al Park. During a public meeting on September 9, 2021, county offi cials indicated that while the Wheaton Park Stables are safe for now, the county is keeping open the option to re-purpose the sta- bles to a diff erent use at some point in the future. MHC believes it is critical that public facilities, especially facilities in such dense, relatively urban areas, continue to provide gateway equine activi- ties to the general public. Moreover, WPS is home to an equine-assisted therapy program called The Cura Personalis Project (CPP). Wheaton Park Stables diff ers from most other equestrian programs in Montgomery County because it is within walking distance of a dense suburban population that is dominated by a demographic that does not typically have access to horses, horse farms, riding lessons, or any exposure to agriculture or rural life. It is also one of the most, if not the most, aff ordable riding programs in lower Montgomery County, or, indeed, anywhere in the Washington metropolitan area. The Cura Personalis Project (CPP) provides vocational training to chil- dren and adults with developmental disabilities, unique training that
the residents of Wheaton would not have easy access to otherwise. Programs like CPP’s equine-assisted therapy are also such demonstra- bly valuable aids in treating physical and psychological trauma that the Maryland State Veterans Administration has recently made equine-as- sisted therapy available to veterans under the Service Animal Program. Governor Hogan and the General Assembly have declared that Mary- land needs to do a better job of making outdoor recreational activities available to a wider cross section of our population. This past August, the Maryland General Assembly created the State Park Investment Commission to study, among other things, “the extent to which State parks and associated recreational opportunities are adequately acces- sible to all populations of Marylanders, including low-income Marylanders, those who lack access to a car, and Marylanders with disabilities.” Now is not the time to take away important out- door recreational activities or equine-assisted ther- apy programs. Nor is it fair to deprive Wheaton res- idents of the opportunity to experience the magic of horses in an aff ordable and accessible way. WPS is the type of recreational program of
which Maryland needs more, and we hope that the County will continue to support providing equine activities at Wheaton Regional Park.
REMINDER ABOUT BENEFITS Businesses that advertise in The Equiery with
Nia Zahra Brumme (former Equiery in- tern) was able to attend summer camp in grade school and then ride regularly in her teens only because Wheaton Park Stables was a few miles from her Silver Spring home. Riding helped spark a love of athletics in Nia, who recently gradu- ated from college with a degree in Inter- disciplinary Health Services, a minor in Sports Marketing, and is now working towards being a licensed physical thera- pist. Don’t be surprised to see her some day specializing in equestrian PT!
display ad contracts for 3 or more consecutive months per year will now automatically become Industry Professional members of the Maryland Horse Council. So you could just join MHC, or you could contact Equiery Associate Publisher Tracy McKenna to put together a digital-print market- ing package to increase your brand recognition and get a free membership to boot.
You can
reach her 1-800-244-9580 or
tracy@equiery.com. Industry Professional members can also send us their videos, which MHC will share on its YouTube Channel, and promote with a Facebook post. Check out member Valley Meadow’s video to see how it’s done! Send your videos to
tracy@equiery.com.
BUSINESS NEWS MHC sponsor and Industry Professional member
MidAtlantic Farm Credit has announced that their scholarship application period is open until
January 7, 2022. Over $100,000 in “Agricultural Advancement Scholar- ships” are off ered by the Farm Credit Foundation (the charitable arm of MidAtlantic Farm Credit system) to students who are planning to attend, or are currently enrolled as students in, a college, university, or technical school, pursuing a career in agriculture. The scholarships are not just limited to farming programs; the schol- arships are available for any agriculture or agriculture-adjacent careers
This feature is a benefi t for MHC Industry Professional Members. To learn more or submit news & updates, contact Business Network Co-Chairs Jane Seigler & Crystal Brumme Pickett at
IndustryNews@mdhorsecouncil.org
BECOME A MEMBER •
JOIN.MDHORSECOUNCIL.ORG 46 | NOVEMBER 2021 | THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION 800-244-9580 |
www.equiery.com
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