Study sees NC horse industry boosting rural areas

RALEIGH -- North Carolina's advocate for rural economies has some ideas about how the state's horse industry can help business down on the farm. The Rural Economic Development Center offers recommendations on Monday on how taxpayer dollars can boost a business now valued at about $2 billion. The industry includes horse owners, farms, training facilities, veterinary practices, trailer and building suppliers, feed suppliers and other related operations. The center's study is the first to estimate the equine industry's economic role in North Carolina. A 2005 economic study by the American Horse Council ranked North Carolina the country's eighth-largest state in the number of horses. Legislation is already in the works to create a state commission for promoting and expanding the horse industry. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)