New Jersey may be better known for smokestacks than green pastures, but businesses that rely on horses help preserve scenic vistas, from picturesque fields to rustic stables and riding rings.

The horse has been the state animal for 30 years, and New Jersey boasts the country’s premier harness racing venue, the Meadowlands Racetrack, plus some of the sport’s top drivers.

The last four harness racing “horses of the year” were bred in New Jersey. And this October, New Jersey will host the prestigious Breeders’ Cup for the first time, a top race for Thoroughbreds, which are ridden by jockeys, unlike the Standardbreds that pull drivers in sulkies.

But experts say New Jersey’s horse industry, from breeding farms to hay growers, is in jeopardy due to development, growing competition from racetracks with slot machines in neighboring states, and the steady decline in the fan base for horse racing