Few states are as well-trodden by horses as New Mexico. With an estimated one horse for every 17 people, and approximately 100 New Mexico horse clubs and associations, days are filled with activities, shows and competitions on the hoof.

On any given weekend, six to eight horse events are common in the "Coming Events" section of The Horsemen's Voice, the state's only all-breed horse magazine. Team penning, roping, reining and a host of rodeo events mimic cattle-gathering routines and are practiced alongside elegant shows featuring riders in dress jackets and fashionable hats.

Horse racing, endurance riding and arena and cross-country jumping have a strong following across the state. Pleasure riding and ranch work round out the non-competitive aspect of the state's horse industry.

Fifty-eight training facilities and instructors are listed in The Horsemen's Voice. "As more people become interested in owning horses, it's important that knowledgeable instructors are available," editor Sallie Pennybacker says.

Horse ownership is known as a great way to dispose of income for the average enthusiast. However, it can be an economic plus to some.

In the United States, horse production and horse-related entertainment contribute more than $25 billion to the Gross Domestic Product, a valuation of all goods and services produced in the U.S. The American Horse Council estimates the total impact, including indirect dollars, is up to four times greater.

Show Me the Money

Every two years, Albuquerque hosts the U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. The show attracts thousands of owners and trainers from across the country, generating more than $30 million for New Mexico's economy. In 1997, horses were judged in 97 events, including riding, reining and general appearance.

"Showing has become a large part of the horse industry," Pennybacker says. "Some competitions, like reining, are quite a challenge and require great skills from both the horse and rider." In reining, the rider maneuvers the horse through a set pattern of turns, stops and spins at various speeds. Reining demonstrations were part of the last Olympics. "Demonstrations are the first step toward an actual Olympic competition," Pennybacker says.

If their larger counterparts make it to the Olympics, New Mexico's miniature horses also will want a piece of the action.

"Any color or type of large horse also is available in miniature horses," says Sandy Nelson, owner of Wonder Horse Ranch in Las Cruces. "For example, there are miniature quarter horses, Arabians and paints."

To be considered a miniature, a horse must be less than 34 inches tall at the last hair of its mane when it turn five years old. Miniature horses compete in a variety of events, including halter classes, obstacle jumps and driving (pulling a cart). Three shows are hosted in New Mexico each year.

The Sport of Kings

Tests of speed are common in the horse world. Easy Jet, Go Man Go, Bold Ego and Maddon's Bright Eyes are legends in New Mexico racing.

"The first horse race ever recorded historically on American soil was near Bernalillo in 1541," says Scott Wells, director of public relations at the Museum of the Horse in Ruidoso. "It was a race between Francisco V¥squez de Coronado and one of his men, Rodrigo de Maldonado. Coronado's horse stumbled and fell, injuring him, and he never fully recovered."

From these meager beginnings, giants were born. "Maddon's Bright Eyes was a world champion quarter horse mare, practically unbeatable from 1949 to 1951," Wells says. "She set six track time records at six different distances at six different race tracks across the country. These records put New Mexico on the map as a horse-racing state."

Easy Jet, a stud horse from Buena Suerta Ranch in Roswell, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Most Valuable Horse of All Time." In 1981, Easy Jet was syndicated for $30 million, Wells says. "Basically, his owners made a corporation out of him and sold 50 shares of breeding rights at $600,000 apiece."

Racing has thundered into a respectable position in New Mexico's economy. "In 1997, more than $100 million was bet on races in the state," says Paul Gordon, financial manager of the New Mexico Racing Commission.

With tracks in Ruidoso, Sunland Park, Santa Fe and at Albuquerque's state fairgrounds, race enthusiasts watched 214 days of live racing last year. "The Santa Fe track closed last year, but we're expecting two more to reopen--San Juan Downs in Farmington and La Mesa Park in Raton," says Julian Luna, the state's racing commission director.

Recent legislation allowing casino gaming at the race tracks will boost revenues even more. "Twenty percent of the slot money will go into the purse money awarded to the winning horse," Gordon says. "Increased purses draw more participants and better horses; better horses draw more spectators. It's a win/win situation."

Horses in High School

The state's largest rodeo this year drew 145 contestants--all products of New Mexico high schools. Winners of the state high school rodeo finals earn the chance to compete at nationals, where contestants from 38 states and four Canadian provinces vie for titles. For example, Kurt Kiehne of Lemitar won All-around Champion of the National High School Rodeo Association in 1995.

"New Mexico always has kids reach the final round at nationals," says Steve Harrington, state secretary of the New Mexico High School Rodeo Association. That's a fitting precedent for a state that helped found the national competition in 1948.

This year, 280 high school contestants were registered in the state, almost twice the per capita participation rate of Texas. Two of those contestants are Aaron Romero of Los Lunas and Eddie Nieto of Albuquerque, who are heading to the national finals with a team roping win in mind. The pair already won $40,000 in the U.S. Team Roping Championship last fall.

Though organized separately from formal high school sports, rodeo contestants still must maintain a minimum grade point average to compete.

A Hard-Working Breed

"There are more horses today than there ever were, but a good one is hard to find," says Dogie Jones, a quarter horse breeder in Watrous. "Buyers today are looking for versatile horses that can be used for everything--roping, reining shows, barrel racing and working cattle."

Jones, former president of the New Mexico Quarter Horse Association, got into the horse business after working as a state livestock inspector. He returned to the home his great-grandfather built on the Santa Fe Trail and purchased his first stud horse from Warren Shoemaker, who taught him about breeding. "Lots of horse clinics now can teach riding, training and breeding basics," Jones says. "But few teach you how to be a good foundation breeder."

Jones is one of the few foundation breeders in the state. "Foundation breeders continue desirable bloodlines by breeding to popular foundation herds." For example, Jones' stud, Genuine Credit, is from the Dash for Cash line of horses, offspring of the two-time World Champion Quarter Horse that won 21 of 25 races in his career. Racetracks from California to Texas have named races in honor of the champion.

For a lot of ranches in the state, quarter horses are the breed of choice for working cattle. "Ranchers want a horse that can work out on the range all day, cut a cow out of a group without spooking the others and stand and wait while the rider gets off to open a gate," says Floyd McAlister, an agricultural agent with NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service in Roosevelt County.

McAlister coordinated the first-ever working ranch horse competition at the Ag Expo in Portales this year. Participants came from Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico to put their horses to the test of everyday ranch work. "Each rider was given a set time limit to show how their horse performs in events such as roping, penning cattle and loading in a trailer--things you'd need a working horse to do," he says.

Horses that Relax and Heal

Some New Mexico horses work hard at keeping us healthy and happy. Trail rides and horseback vacations are becoming popular pastimes for horse enthusiasts. Rancho Encantado in Santa Fe is one of several businesses catering to this hobby.

"We are generally busy from March until the first snow, hosting three trail rides per day," owner Mawgie Hill says.

Rancho Encantado and other horse resorts across the state try to involve the whole family in horse outings.

"Children have to be 7 years old to ride, so for the younger kids, we have hands-on grooming sessions where they learn about animal care," Hill says.

This hands-on approach is mirrored at Skyline Therapy Services, which uses hippotherapy--treatment with the use of horses'to generate therapeutic benefits that address a variety of handicaps in children and adults.

"Hippotherapy is not a new concept. It's been around for more than 30 years," says Ruth Dismuke-Blakely, Skyline's founder and owner. "We provide traditional outpatient therapy, incorporating horses." Psychotherapy and physical, speech, language and occupational therapy can all be administered with the help of horses.

Most patients come to the Albuquerque facility by private referral from public schools, rehabilitation hospitals and agencies like Children, Youth and Families. "We're also an "old cowboy therapy center," Dismuke-Blakely jokes. "Most hurt cowboys tend to find their way here instead of staying in a hospital."

The movements of a walking horse mimic a human's movements. "This motion can show people who've never walked before how it should feel," Dismuke-Blakely says. Patients with different levels of physical and emotional disabilities have taken their first unassisted steps and said their first words at Skyline.

"The horses have made the difference. They're giving back people's lives," Dismuke-Blakely says.

New Homes for Government Ponies

If horses make a difference in people's lives, the reverse should be true--and is.

Wild horses left on the ranges of southern New Mexico when White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) was established have faced serious hardships in recent years. Drought and overpopulation have endangered the horses and native wildlife.

When the numbers reached more than 1,000 head in the late 1980s, missile range personnel began to take action. "We faced quite a challenge because these animals were originally considered estray livestock that could be sold to the highest bidder," says Patrick Morrow, wildlife biologist at WSMR. "The highest bidders could use the horses for any purpose."

In 1993, a task force of wild horse advocates and the state livestock board worked together to change the estray law to define livestock as animals raised on a farm or ranch. Because the wild horses are far removed from their ranch beginnings, the state's attorney general ruled in 1995 that they could no longer be considered livestock.

"After that, the horses came under the control of the missile range, and we worked to develop an adoption program," Morrow says. "Our long-term goal is to remove all the horses from the range."

For each capture, 50 to 100 horses are penned, vaccinated, checked for injuries and acclimated to hay. "We also practice working with the horses in corrals and loading them into trailers, so they'll be ready for adoption," Morrow says.

Individuals adopting a horse must sign a contract that they will feed and care for the horse for one year. "Until that first year is up, the horse technically still belongs to the missile range," Morrow says. "That's our way of ensuring the horses go to good homes."

Unbridled Love of Horses

"There is a mystique to horses," Dismuke-Blakely says. Horse people can reach levels of loving, caring and nurturing with their animals that are generally reserved for family members.

"In a world where there's not a lot of trust in relationships, it's inspiring that these powerful animals look to us for guidance and are willing to be our partners from the ranch to the show ring," Dismuke-Blakely says.

Whatever the reason, horses hold a special place in the hearts of New Mexicans.

If you would like to view more information regarding horses, please visit our "Hoof beats at NMSU" site.