Horse industry to leap forward in 2014
Racehorses compete in a race at Seoul Race Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. / Courtesy of Korea Racing Authority
Gov’t to build more horseback riding tracks, train more horse breeders
By Lee Hyo-sik
Korea’s horse industry is still in its infancy. It has often suffered from bad publicity whenever someone commits suicide after losing money on horse racing. Horseback riding, a common leisure activity in Western nations, has been considered recreational only for the rich due to high costs, making it even more difficult for the horse industry to take root in the country.
However, the government has recently embarked on a scheme to change such negative public perception toward the industry and foster it as a new growth engine for Korea’s sluggish leisure sector.
It plans to help farmers generate new income from breeding horses as they face increasing competition from foreign counterparts as a result of the opening of the domestic agricultural market. It will also promote horseback riding as a mainstream leisure activity, particularly, for young people who do not have many options for outdoor activities after school.
As more people ride horses and enjoy horse racing, the government expects more jobs will be created and regional economies will grow in line with a rise in the number of horses and riding tracks.
Under the five-year project, the government plans to upgrade the industry by constructing new horse racecourses and horseback riding facilities, and create exclusive horse industry zones on Jeju Island and in other parts of the country.
It will also build educational facilities for horse breeders and trainers, while promoting horse meat and other products made from horses.
If the scheme, unveiled in 2012, goes as planned, the government expects Korea’s horse industry will reach 3.6 trillion won ($3.4 billion) in revenues in 2016 from 2.8 trillion won in 2012, and generate 10,000 more jobs, pushing the number of people working in the industry to 30,000.
The number of horses here will also increase to 50,000 in 2016 from 30,000 in 2012, with 500 horseback riding tracks in operation, up from the current 300. In 2016, about 50,000 Koreans are projected to ride horses regularly as a leisure activity, up from 25,000 in 2012.
“Livestock farmers need to find a new source of income to survive as Korea imports more foreign products amid the increasing trade liberalization. We think horse breeding is one of the viable options,” said Ha Wook-won, an official at the livestock policy division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “To create demand for horses, we will promote horseback riding as a mainstream leisure activity and organize more horse racing.”
The resulting vibrant horse industry will boost rural economies and encourage people to move from cities to rural areas, Ha said. “Horse breeding will create jobs, such as horse trainers and veterinarians. Horse meat and other products made from horses will be more readily available.”
The official said the five-year plan has been proceeding as scheduled over the past year, adding that the government has focused on constructing race tracks and riding facilities across the country.
“We are promoting horseback riding as a recreational activity for all and educating more horse trainers. The ministry recently designated Jeju Island as a special horse industry zone. This means the island will receive tens of millions of dollars from the central government to build racetracks, parks and other facilities,” he said.
Horse sirloin Courtesy of National Agricultural Cooperative Federation
Build horse industry infrastructure
The ministry has placed top priority on constructing new horse racetracks and horseback riding facilities to raise public interest and lower the costs of such activities.
The state-run Korea Racing Authority (KRA) currently operates three racetracks. One is in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province; a second in Busan; and a third in Jeju. It plans to open a fourth racecourse in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, by 2016 to hold more races.
In cooperation with the KRA, the agriculture ministry also plans to open 200 new riding tracks by 2016, pushing the number up to 500.
“We will promote horse racing as a sound leisure activity. To breed more horses and turn horseback riding into something all Koreans can enjoy, the nation needs to have more riding facilities across the country. We will directly build them or extend financial support to private entities in doing so,” Ha said.
On Jan. 2, 2014, the ministry designated the country’ southern resort island of Jeju as a special horse industry zone to achieve a more effective and systematic development. Jeju is expected to receive a total of 214 billion won through 2017 to create a comprehensive zone, equipped with horseback riding courses, horse training facilities, and a school for horse breeders and trainers.
Other municipal governments have been asking for state support to construct a horse industrial park. Gyeonggi Province has been the most active, recently announcing a plan to spend 126 billion won to build horseback riding and horse training facilities in Hwaseong. It also plans to create an eco-friendly horseback riding park in Yangju and Dongducheon.
Support horse breeding farms and nurture trainers
To organize racing and operate a horseback riding program, the industry needs to breed enough horses. The ministry plans to foster 100 horse breeding farms across the country by 2016 to produce a total of 10,000 horses.
“The government will extend financial and other support to horse breeding farms so that they can produce good horses without having to worry about money. In cooperation with the KRA, we will designate 10 horse training centers by 2016,” Ha said. “We will also continue to export thoroughbreds to earn hard currency.”
The KRA has so far exported 11 racehorses, but by 2022, it plans to sell over 400 horses overseas. In 2011, it sold a Korean-born racehorse, named K-pop, to Malaysia, which then became a champion racehorse there. The KRA has exported nine racehorses to the Southeast Asian nation and two to Macao.
The ministry will set up three educational centers in which to train 1,100 professional horse breeders and trainers. Meanwhile, the KRA plans to implement a “global manpower training” project in which a select group of high school students will take part in a month-long training program in France where horseback riding is one of the most popular sports.
“The program is part of the agriculture ministry’s five-year scheme. We will select and send 40 students each year to France so that they can learn advanced knowhow on horse breeding and training,” KRA spokesman Park Jong-bae said. “Fostering horse industry professionals is as important as building racetracks.”
Promoting horse meat and processed products
The ministry also seeks to promote horse meat and other products made from horses, such as cosmetics and soaps, to help horse breeding farms make more money. It has supported restaurants that sell a variety of horse meat and organized a cooking contest using horse meat, in cooperation with the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation.
“Horse meat tastes good and is very nutritious. It is known to contain a high level of omega-3 fatty acids and help prevent diabetes. Of course, it will take some time for horse meat to become mainstream but I think this will definitely happen,” Ha said. and soaps made from horses have been very popular with people with skin problems.”
The ministry will also encourage companies to produce handbags and other leather products using horse skin.
“The government will explore opportunities to export horse meat and processed products to China and Southeast Asia. We will first conduct market research to find out whether consumers there are willing to include horse meat in their diet. We will then launch a marketing blitz to promote the excellence of our horse meat and other products,” he said.