The offers the only equine industry degree from an accredited college of business in the world, giving students the opportunity to turn their love of horses into a viable career. The program provides a uniquely qualified workforce to Kentucky’s horse racing industry, as well as equine businesses across the globe.

For 37 years, the UofL College of Business has been delivering equine degrees with a rigorous business focus and dedication to the combination of horse commerce, business enterprise and academics. The goal of the Equine Industry Program is to produce graduates with sound business and management skills and equipped with an industry-specific, multidisciplinary education who can innovate and contribute to the industry as employees or business owners in any breed or discipline.

The 362 program alumni include Gary Palmisano, executive director of racing for Churchill Downs Incorporated; K. Amy Lawyer, who now directs the UofL Equine Industry Program; Thoroughbred trainers Lindsay Schultz and Jason Barkley; Corey Barberito, assistant trainer for Dallas Stewart; Hannah Boyle, social media director at Churchill Downs; Sean Collins, assistant tour manager at the Kentucky Derby Museum; Paige Thompson, who recently opened White Tail Eventing in Cincinnati and Ali Sturtevant, who will graduate from veterinary school this spring.

The editors found themselves with dozens of boxes of bound BloodHorse magazines dating back to 1940 and no place to put them. They were a duplicate set, and some of them were even bound in a green cloth valuable to collectors.

“These magazines contain a wealth of historical information, and the last thing we wanted to do was throw them into a dumpster,” said Eric Mitchell, bloodstock editor at BloodHorse. “One of our first calls was to Sean (Beirne) at the UofL Equine Industry Program, which BloodHorse has supported for years by offering internships to students, providing guest lecturers, and hiring graduates of the program.”

That’s why, one cold day in March, Beirne and equine administrative assistant Liz Young found themselves driving to Lexington in a rented truck. What they came back with is unique to UofL.

BloodHorse Magazine’s donation to the University of Louisville Equine Industry Program marks the first time the program has been the recipient of a book collection. While the equine program is a part of the College of Business, the donated volumes will be kept in Ekstrom Library on Belknap Campus.

The collection consists of a continuous run of BloodHorse Magazine from 1940 to 2018 bound in 332 volumes. It contains more than 4,100 issues, many bound in green cloth. Also donated were a selection of Goodwin’s Turf Guides that date back to the mid- to late-1800s.

“This donation gives researchers an enormous amount of thoroughbred racing history and breeding in one place,” said Beirne, director of the Equine Industry Program. “On behalf of our students, faculty members and researchers, I thank BloodHorse for trusting UofL with this invaluable collection.”

UofL’s Equine Industry Program offers an accredited business degree with an equine focus. Graduates can be found in all aspects of the industry, from training to broadcasting. 

BloodHorse offers comprehensive and broad-ranging coverage of thoroughbred racing and breeding. The company’s website, , offers daily news, analysis, race entries and results.

“We were thrilled that UofL wanted the books and recognized their value,” Mitchell said.  “It really does offer peace of mind that they have a home where they are appreciated and used.”

Foley Hart, a Kent School of Social Work graduate student, thinks so and will soon launch a study to examine how the outdoors — including contact with horses — might help people with depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Hart, who graduates May 12 with a master’s degree in social work, said her interest in the topic evolved over several years and was influenced by her military experience, a newfound interest in horses and coursework at the Kent School.

“I just put all of the pieces together,” Hart said. “I’m drawn to help individuals who have major depressive order and PTSD. My thinking was to find ways to make treatment more affordable and to embrace natural therapies.”

Hart has landed a job with Healing Trails, an Ohio-based nonprofit that specializes in equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP). In this new role, she will earn EAP certification, work with girls aged 13-17 who have faced trauma, and conduct research on how lifestyle can influence mental health.

“I will be looking specifically at how various aspects of a person’s life (such as their diet, exercise, amount of time spent outdoors, etc.) can impact the success or failure of their therapy plan,” Hart said. “The Kent School set me up with a foundation that gave me the confidence to pursue this particular path in therapy and I feel very lucky to be a part of it all.”

While other studies have examined the correlation between the outdoors and depression, Hart says few of those studies adhere to research evidence examining protocols.

A Texas native, Hart graduated in 2012 from University of Texas at Arlington with a degree in psychology and, building on her college ROTC experience, joined the Army and went to Fort Knox for military training.

“I started looking into horses after moving to Kentucky,” she said. “I was inspired by a friend who was into horse racing and he showed me ‘the horse life.’”

Hart started working on her UofL degree in 2014 and completed her coursework online while serving in Kuwait. She has never set foot on a UofL campus.

She remains on active duty until September and is currently stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After she moves to Ohio to begin her career in social work, she will also take command of the 304^th Engineer Company, based in Lima.

In what seems like destiny, the move to Ohio also means that Hart’s husband, John, will realize his own dream of taking over the family farm, which is located nearby. The Harts, who have four children in their blended family, plan to live on the farm.

Hart said she appreciates how much UofL has done to help her realize her dreams.

“Kent School has been so wonderful and flexible in allowing me to juggle work, family and school,” she said. “Without this support, I don’t know if I ever could have completed my degree.”