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Services Rather Than Products Because equine operations, such as riding stables, typically provide services rather than sell products, many aren't counted in the USDA Census of Agriculture. Recognizing that gap, the USDA conducted a special equine survey, the first of its kind, in 1999. The survey reported 5,32 million horses, ponies, don- keys and burros in the United States but did not collect information about how much land is involved in equine operations. On the other hand, acreage involved in equine operations is included in the USDA National Resources Inventory (NRI), which looks at land cover /use, regardless of whether or not the operation meets the USDA definition of a farm. Some states also conduct periodic surveys to assess equine contributions to the working landscape, including land use, associated assets and equine - related employment along with the equine inventory. New York's special 2000 equine survey, released in November 2001, found 168,000 equines in the Empire State, raised at 30,000 locations. Nearly half of the horse owners described their operations 'as non - commercial /non -farm, accounting for more than 3 million acres of which 920,000 were classified as "fenced equine pasture." The issue can be illustrated by comparing state -level data from the NRI and the Census of Agriculture. In New York, for example, the 1997 NRI pegged cropland and pasture acreage at 5.4 million and,,. 2.6 million acres respectively, about 70 percent higher than *the acreage estimated by the same year's, agricultural census. Bills says that the New York'data suggest that equine operations. may account for a significant portion of the difference in acreage counted by the Census of, Agriculture_and the NRI. In Kentucky, where $1 billion in sales make equine the state's..top cash crop,`horses. are generally con- sidered an agricultural enterprise. Under Fayette County's new purchase of. development rights (PDR) program, equine operations, regardless of whether they involve breeding and training of thoroughbreds or boarding pleasure horses, fall under the same"eligibility guidelines as other farms: They must be at least 20 acres in size and located outside the Lexington %Fayette urban service boundary. Linking Suburbs and Rural Communities. People who lean toward considering horse operations as farms-also look at the contributions equine facilities make to the local agricultural infrastructure and the ways that "ancillary" recreational horse operations can help sustain the more traditional, production- oriented operation. Rich Harlow, program manager for Michigan Farmland and Open Space Preservation, says while many in Michigan's traditional agricultural community don't consider horse operations "real farms," a growing number recognize that horses can provide important links.between the suburbs and traditionally rural communities. 'The barley, oat and hay growers benefit:by;:getting a premium price.for their products," he says. Similarly, several New York.Farm: Bureau Chapters arguing for bridle paths to be included in the state's open space plan, wrote: "Horse people buy.oats, hay, corn, beet pulp and wheat straw grown by local farmers, usually within a: 30 -mile radius oftheir stables. An estimated low -end cost to'feed one horse per month is $65. Multiplythat:by. Erie County's 7,200 horses over a year's time and the contribution to the agricultural community in the purchase of horse feed alone is a staggering $5.6 million." in the Rocky Mountains, cattle and sheep operations have turned to guest ranch- ing as one way to diversify farm income in the face of low commodity prices. 'What we think is happening is that what it means 'to ranch' is changing right now," says Ben Alexander of the Sonoran Institute. "People who will succeed are those who diversify their livestock operations and find ways to participate in more lucrative aspects of the national economy." Historically, horses provided critical transportation for Western ranchers. But today's ranchers are as likely to cover their range using dirt bikes or all terrain vehicles, unless they have particularly difficult topography. Instead, equestrian activities play a critical role in a new generation of guest ranches, where urban dwellers come to participate in traditional ranch activities. 'To me, that's the most exciting form of guest ranching. There's an opportunity for people who are removed from the land— pavement people Ito reconnect with the land. Ranchers who put people on a horse and put them to work on the range have an opportunity to educate urban people about the difficulties, constraints and opportunities in agriculture today," Alexander says. "Ynere is a real disconnect.... in many iocaies, equine operations are a key part of the rural and Yarm lanrviscape, but remain iargely unrecu9nizediin farm statistics." Nelson bills, .,Cornell university ' bepariment of agricultural Economics "is guest ranching agriculture? Strictly speaking, it's not the production of food and fiber. But if guest `,ranching is viable from a cash flow standpoint, then guest services, including horse riding, become integral to the viability of that agricultural operation," he says. Defining Agriculture People who argue against treating recreational horse operations as farms generally start from a produc- tion- oriented definition of agriculture similar to the USDA's. They also question whether recreational facilities are really depending on agricultural resources and point to the substantial site modifications and development (stables, arenas, parking areas) that accompany horse facilities. "All those things usually involve taking away the topsoil and puttinq down drier materials. There's no reason for those &a L—Ti..