Fundraising effort underway to bring draft horses back to MSU
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EmailThe MSU Driving Club is raising funds to bring a team of draft horses back to campus for teaching and 4-H programing.
Draft horses, a powerful and gentle breed of horses developed for pulling plows, wagons and other farm equipment, have been an integral part of MSU’s equine history for over a century. But today, that tradition is in jeopardy.
MSU currently does not own any draft horses, limiting the viability of Draft Horse Basics, an independent study course that teaches students safe handling, hitching and driving techniques, as well as restricting opportunities for 4-H youth to engage in hands-on equine education through MSU Extension programs.
But a recently launched CrowdPower campaign organized by the MSU Driving Club is rallying community support to bring draft horses back to campus. Funds raised through this initiative will be used to purchase a pair of draft horses for year-round teaching and outreach programs.
Rich history, current challenges
Purebred Clydesdales and Percherons first arrived on campus in 1907, and the Belgian breeding program started in 1917. A national leader in breeding and showing draft horses, MSU competed at multiple state fairs and Chicago's International Livestock Show, winning 265 first places and 155 championships between 1908 and 1945.
In 1963, the last draft horse left the MSU campus, marking the end of an era. It wasn’t until 1999 that draft horses returned, thanks to the donation of a team of Belgian geldings to the MSU Equine Program. That same year, Draft Horse Basics was introduced as an independent study course under Dr. Russ Erickson. Designated as Animal Science (ANS) 141, the course was created to teach students of all experience levels the essential skills needed to work with and show draft horses.
Since its launch, ANS 141 has provided hundreds of MSU students with meaningful, hands-on experience, equipping them with practical skills applicable not only to draft horses but across the broader equine industry. Over time, however, the horses used for instruction and youth programming have aged and retired. Today, MSU no longer owns any draft horses, putting the future of ANS 141 and related MSU Extension programming at risk.
“The loss of our last MSU-owned draft horse in February has made it difficult to plan class and extension events,” said Dr. Cara Robison, Draft Horse Basics instructor and advisor to the MSU Driving Club. Robison has taught over 560 students how to drive horses since 2003 and is a passionate advocate for preserving the tradition of draft horses at MSU.
“There is a fear that if we go too long without MSU-owned horses, the university may end the program.”
Rallying together to keep the tradition alive
Today, MSU is one of only a few colleges and universities offering opportunities to learn how to drive horses. Robison and others committed to the future of equine education at MSU hope this current fundraising effort will build the momentum needed to keep this cherished tradition alive at MSU for future generations.
For the last ten years, draft horses have been leased for class use and have only been on campus in the fall, constraining programming activities. Additionally, Robison said that leased horses can be unpredictable in how they perform on campus, versus how they behave on their own farms.
By owning their own horses, Robison said they will not only be able to continue offering ANS 141 but will also be able to enhance their level of programming and event participation. “Having horses available year-round increases the exposure of the draft horses to the public and allows us to do events such as 4-H Exploration Days and Grandparents University,” said Robison.
The CrowdPower campaign launched this summer seeks to raise $25,000. Funds will be used to purchase at least two new draft horses at an estimated cost of $8,000 each. The remainder of the funds will help offset feed costs, farrier fees and equipment repair. To help donors maximize their impact, the MSU Driving Club is matching the first $8,500 in gifts dollar-for-dollar.
Beyond maintaining a longstanding MSU tradition, Robison said that successfully achieving their campaign goal will help students at MSU interested in pursuing careers in the equine industry. “Students who take ANS 141 can participate in the Michigan Great Lakes International Draft Horse Show and Pull at the Farm Bureau Pavilion,” she said. “This allows us to showcase students who would like to continue on with careers in the draft horse industry and help them get placed in jobs post-graduation.”
