Agriculture program breeds knowledge for students

Tanith L. Balaban Arizona Daily Wildcat Cheryl Tucker, an animal science junior, checks up on Storming Shorty and her filly, which were bred at the UA Horse Center for racing purposes. The Horse Center owns 36 horses that it uses for students to learn about animal care hands on.

"We're raising horses for the purpose of undergraduate teaching in the Agriculture Department," said William Schurg, associate professor for animal science.

Schurg said students breed and raise foals from the University of Arizona's horse population at the Campus Agriculture Center, located at East Roger Road and North Campbell Avenue.

"The process is very student oriented," Schurg said.

The horse center owns 36 horses, but houses more during the breeding season, when outside mares are brought in to breed with university-owned stallions.

Funds for the agriculture center are generated through breeding fees and the sale of mares.

"The campus is reasonably self-supporting," Schurg said.

Peter Else, resident director for the center, said undergraduates benefit the most from the hands-on teaching program.

"Undergraduates follow through the whole process from beginning to end," Else said. "They participate in every aspect with breeding, sales and marketing."

"Student workers get on-the-job type training," he said.

Undergraduate classes in breeding and reproductive biology, as well as student-oriented clubs, meet at the horse center.

"Reading the book is not the same as hands-on training," said Mike Murray, a senior in animal sciences. "That's the real benefit."

Murray began working at the farm two weeks ago, after volunteering through Schurg's horse production course.

Desiree Haskett, an animal science sophomore, began working at the horse center Jan. 1.

"It's a lot of hands-on experience that I didn't think I'd get to do," she said.

Last month, Haskett participated in successfully artificially inseminating a client mare.

Haskett feeds and tends to the horses in the morning. Then she and other workers "tease the mares, showing them to the stallions.

"If they're in heat, they'll show signs of not being bothered by the stallions," Haskett said. "Then we can determine when the perfect breeding time is."

With this method, Haskett said students can determine a mare's cycle, that is, when she is in season. She said students try to find a stallion they think would produce a "really good-looking foal."

"It's really hard, physical work," she said.

Janet Martin, director of the horse center, said the center hires students who don't have any previous horse knowledge and offers the chance to learn through experience.

"It's very beneficial, especially if you want to know about breeding," Martin said.

Martin received the same type of training at Texas A & M, Else said.

Martin said the university owns three thoroughbred stallions, all of which were donated by outside owners.

The center brings in privately owned mares for breeding. About 30 percent are artificially inseminated with cooled semen brought in from Texas, Martin said.

She said the university has been using artificial insemination for about five years. Students work directly with the insemination process and get the opportunity to use ultrasound to monitor pregnant mares.

Martin said the breeding season is just coming to an end and the center has eight foals this year.

The center generated about $10,000 this year in breeding fees alone, Martin said. Stud fees range from $400 to $750, depending on the horse.

This year, about 20 mares were brought into the agriculture center.

Money is also generated from sales, the average horse going for $2,000.

Martin said students working at the agriculture center mostly are from the veterinary science and animal science departments.

"A lot of people don't even know there is an agriculture campus," said Martin, who started working for the UA in November.

Schurg said there are numerous departmental influences at the center.

The horse farm is one of several branches of the Campus Agriculture Center. The center also houses sheep and cattle and has programs in horticulture, veterinary sciences and soil, water and environmental sciences.