Committee Chair -Cady Ness-Smith -cady.ness.smith@michiganhorsecouncil.com
            

Working Philosophy - Direct scholarships to horse people and funding to non-profit equine
organizations that will help the Michigan horse industry.

Long-term Goal: To develop a Michigan Horse Council Fund for scholarships and philanthropy.

Target the following areas for support:

Horse People ~Scholarships, youth programs, educational programs
Horses ~ Research for the health and well-being of horses
 Horse Industry Infrastructure ~ Construction, improvement and maintenance of public places to use and exhibit horses, such as ______________________________public trails and fairground facilities

Proceeds from the annual Michigan Horse Expo allow the MHC to fund its operation and programs, and generously support the horse industry through its scholarship and philanthropy grants.  Since formalizing our philanthropic efforts in 2000, the MHC's total for grants and scholarships has surpassed the quarter million dollar mark, with the total now exceeding $260,000.  Some of our larger contributions have been $30,000 to the Mary Ann McPhail Center at MSU (a facility dedicated to equine gait and lameness research and veterinary clinical services), and $80,000 for the construction of the South Barn at the MSU Pavilion.  Other smaller grants have been made to build or improve equine trails and campgrounds, support the equine exhibit at the Michigan State Fair, help competitors from Michigan youth equine groups (such as 4-H and rodeo teams) pay for travel to national competitions, Assist the Cheff Center following the collapse of their arena roof, support county 4-H clubs, provide funding for MSU Extension research and educational programs, support the Youth Education Wagon Train, and most recently, help pay for equine rescue following Hurricane Katrina.