How many horses are there in Robeson County? I'm not sure anyone knows exactly, but even the casual observer will agree that there are several thousand of them.

Horses are not considered livestock, as are beef cattle, hogs, and goats. Instead, they are considered pleasure animals and, in some cases, may even be considered companion animals. But in all cases, those individuals who own horses have a special affection for these animals.

Three years ago the horse owners in North Carolina were successful in establishing the North Carolina Horse Council. They secured approval from the North Carolina Legislature to hold a Horse Promotion Assessment Referendum to allow all people who owned or leased horses in North Carolina to vote to see if they would be willing to assess themselves a small amount on the feed they purchased. The money collected would then be used to support the activities of this council and to provide for specific needs of horse owners.

The referendum was successful, and for the past three years all horse owners have contributed 5 cents of the purchase price of each bag of horse feed. This equates to about $2 per ton. For the average horse owner, it equates to about $1.80 for each animal each year.

The laws affecting this assessment, just like with all other assessments, require that those people contributing be given the opportunity every so often to vote again to see if they are still willing to support the voluntary assessment. Because of this, a referendum will be held statewide on Tuesday, March 19, to allow horse owners and leasers to vote on whether or not they want to continue this voluntary assessment.

The Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service (Highway 72 West, Lumberton) will be the official polling place for horse owners and leasers in this county. Any person, nine years old or older, who owns or leases a horse is eligible to vote. The polls will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.

Those individuals who will be unable to come to the Extension Center to vote on that date may request an absentee ballot by calling (910) 671-3276 or by visiting our office. Absentee ballots must be requested no later than Monday, March 11, and must be returned to the Extension Center by mail or in person no later than Friday, March 15.

This assessment is no different than the successful assessments currently supported by other groups. In essence, it is a voluntary contribution to support research for that specific commodity, to promote the use of the product, or to develop new markets for the product.

One of the most successful examples of how an assessment works is the one currently supported by cotton producers. Every cotton farmer contributes a small amount for each bale of cotton he or she sells. Part of the money collected is used to pay for the cotton commercials you see on television. These commercials have had a great impact on changing the perceptions of consumers about cotton garments and cotton products and are somewhat responsible for shifting consumer demands from some of the synthetic fabrics back to cotton, which has increased the demand for the cotton farmers' product.

Here in North Carolina the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is responsible for collecting assessment fees for all commodities. NCDA then turns the fees that are collected over to the appropriate group.

In the case of the Horse Promotion Assessment, the dealer who sells feed to the horse owner adds the small amount that has been approved to the price of the feed. This amount is forwarded to the Department of Agriculture monthly, just like sales taxes that are collected are forwarded to the Department of Revenue monthly. Then the Department of Agriculture provides all fees that are collected to the North Carolina Horse Council on a quarterly basis.

Whether they realize it or not, all horse owners are receiving benefits from the current assessment. The North Carolina Horse Council has been a strong advocate for trails, has hired a specialist to work in this area, and has organized the Annual Trails Conference. The council has supported the REINS adult education program; has provided REINS grants; and has been actively involved in the SART (State Animal Response Team) efforts to provide emergency treatments for animals during times of natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes.

The North Carolina Horse Council has hired a Legislative Representative to represent horse owners on issues in the legislature, such as passage of recent legislation limiting the owner liability for inherent risks of horse ownership. The council has developed educational displays that have been seen at the three major horse complexes in the state and has developed several traveling displays, window decals, hoof picks, a new website (www.nchorsecouncil.com), and a toll free number for questions: 1-800-529-9206.

If you are a horse owner or lease a horse, I cannot tell you how to vote, but I will encourage you to vote. If you need more information, please give me a call. Don't forget, March 19 is the day to vote, and if you want an absentee ballot, you must request one before March 11.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 3/11/02