Dignitaries, including Chairman Kim Nak-soon of the Korea Racing Authority (KRA) and Deputy Minister for Food Industry Policy Lee Jae-wook, attend a ceremony to open The 2018 Horse Industry Expo, which took place at SETEC in Gangnam, southeastern Seoul, from Nov. 16 to 18. (Photo: KRA)

Among the social contribution projects the KRA is implementing are a horse riding program designed to treat stress firefighters experience while on the job and another designed to provide vehicle support to the physically handicapped who suffer from transportation problems.

The KRA inaugurated a pilot program to help 4,000 people experience horse riding. The program calls for the KRA to subsidize each horse riding class member to the tune of 25,000 won in order to lower barriers related to horse riding. Each learner is required to shoulder 5,000 won per session for horse riding classes that costs 30,000 won in fees. The KRA is considering expanding the beneficiaries of the class to 10,000 people.

The KRA, the nation’s sole institution charged with nurturing the horse industry, is implementing programs to rehabilitate people with mental and physical challenges. Horse riding for rehabilitation and healing has become a popular welfare program in advanced countries such as the U.K. and Germany, and it has proved to be efficacious.

The rehabilitation/healing program, targeting school dropout youth and handicapped children, has been expanded to cover firefighting officials.
Firefighting officials are most likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition triggered after experiencing a terrible accident.

Horse Industry Expo Opportunity to Enjoy Exhibitions, Performances

Expo, in fifth rendition of fair, is nation’s largest horse industry exhibition.

The 2018 Horse Industry Expo, which took place at SETEC in Gangnam, southeastern Seoul, from Nov. 16 to 18, served as an opportunity to enjoy diverse exhibitions, performances and horse racing experiences.

Horse Industry Expo, which made its debut in 2010, is the nation’s largest horse industry exhibition. The 2018 Horse Industry Expo, the fifth one held, was organized by the Korea Racing Authority (KRA) and hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA).

The venues of the 2018 Horse Industry Expo were SETEC and LetsRun Park Seoul. Exhibitions, transactions and an international symposium took place at SETEC, while events such as horse performances, teenagers’ horse racing championship and homegrown young horse competitions were held at the LetsRun Park Seoul.

A total of 100 exhibitors participated in exhibitions to market diverse items such as horse leisure sport products and pharmaceutical products. Spectators were given the chance to experience horse riding and feed ponies as well enjoy excited experiences such as the coloring of wooden dolls and making horseshoes.

One thousand spectators, who were interested in horse racing, but could not afford to buy tickets, were given a 50 percent discount for five horse racing round tickets. Youth were given a space to submit job seeking applications as job creation has become a much talked about topic of society.

The LetsRun Park Seoul was the venue of diverse horse culture performances, including a cowboy horse racing show, a horse parade, and a ponies’ performance. KRA Chairman Kim Nak-soon said, “Much efforts have been made so far to offer spectators unforgettable joys and provide industry people with opportunities to share growth.”

Seminar on Promotion of Welfare of Horses

The KRA has been making all-out efforts to cultivate the sound horse industry.

International experts were invited at a seminar to promote the welfare of horses at the LetsRun Park Bugyeong on Nov. 15 and at the LetsRun Park Seoul on Nov. 16. The seminar covered topics such Hong Kong’s horse authorities’ horse welfare polices and medical treatment of horses.

The KRA established a master plan for the promoting of the welfare of horses in late 2017.