The University of Kentucky’s (UK) Equine Initiative has changed its name to UK Ag Equine Programs. The name change was undertaken by the College of Agriculture in consultation with its internal and external stakeholders to better reflect the breadth of equine offerings at UK and the college’s long-term commitment to serving the state’s signature equine industry.

The Equine Initiative was launched in 2005 when the College of Agriculture set out to radically change how it served Kentucky’s equine industry and provide a suite of services appropriate for a land-grant university. In a nod acknowledging the success of those efforts and a continued commitment to the state’s equine industry, the college has adopted a new name to better position its equine programs for continued success.

“In short, we have indeed transformed the ‘initiative’ into established, world-class, service-oriented programs across the board,” said Nancy Cox, PhD, UK College of Agriculture associate dean for research, Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station director, and administrative leader for the UK Ag Equine Programs.

That was a sentiment echoed by Norm Luba, executive director of the North American Equine Ranching Information Council and chair of the College of Agriculture’s equine advisory committee