The Michigan equine monitoring system. I. Design, implementation and population estimates.

The research outlines the creation and execution of the Michigan equine monitoring system (MEMS) in Michigan since 1991. The system catalogs the equine population, health, and its economic influence on the industry in Michigan.

Design and Implementation of MEMS

• The researchers designed the Michigan equine monitoring system in a systematic manner to keep track of the equine population across Michigan, along with its health conditions and its impact on the regional equine industry. This was a two-phased program, with the first phase focused on documenting the population and economic aspects of the equine industry in Michigan.
• They employed a standardized questionnaire for data collection, using methods such as mail, telephone, and personal interviews. The study reached a broad audience with 93% participation from the 3000 randomly selected samples.

Survey Findings

• Of the 2800 participants, it was found that 650 of them did not own any horses. From the survey, the researchers found that there were 129,932 equids reported, a considerable decrease from the 160,000 reported back in 1984.
• The breeds that were found most frequently included the American Quarter Horse, Standardbred, and Arabian breeds. The researchers provide a detailed report including the size of equine operations/herds, their purposes, geographical distribution, and financial structure of the industry.

Research Implication

• This research provides an effective model for monitoring the equine population and its economic implications in a particular region. It also lays the groundwork for other regions to establish their equine monitoring systems, systematically capturing key information about the equine population, health conditions, and the industry’s economic structure.
• The participation rate and the detailed results also underscore the need for such systems, revealing a significant drop in the equine population over time and the specific breeds present in the area. This information can be crucia for decision-making within the equine industry, for areas such as breeding, healthcare, and business investment.