Museums for the Horse Industry : Equus Education

Hearing about a museum recently on the radio, I got to thinking about some museums I have visited. Some of these had horse aspects to them – did you know you can view Phar Lap’s heart? Others are entirely horse focused, like the Living Horse Museum. In time my thoughts moved along to setting up museums for the horse industry.

I know the Irish National Stud was establishing a horse racing museum whilst I was studying there back in 2006. A lot of their money comes from visitors and tourism, as well as their stud. So if you have a passion for a particular sport or theme within the equine world, why couldn’t you set up a museum around this topic? The idea would be that people pay to move through the rooms of your museum and learn the history of your chosen topic.

Museums for the Horse Industry

So what are some examples of museums for the horse industry?

Perhaps horses in history and the roles equine species have played in history. Did you know about mules being used to pull people down a canal? Or ponies that were used in mines to gather coal. Or horses used in war?
What about various breeds of horses? The Lipizzaner horses have an interesting history as I’m sure many other breeds do! There could be a focus on new breeds (those established in the last 100 years, for example). And of course, you could look at the breeds of horses that have greatly influenced others, like the Arabian.
Equestrian sports. Perhaps different sports that can be carried out on horseback could be explored. There are those sports people do for fun, those that have been banned in certain areas (like foxhunting) and those that are done up to Olympic level.
Famous horse people. Whether it be jockeys, Olympians, breeders, trainers or educators, the role that celebrity horse people have played in society and our lives could be explored.

Museums for the Horse Industry | Equus Education

There are many topics within the horse world that could provide a great muse for a horse related museum. If you have a passion for a particular area and know a lot of the history and facts within it, could you set up an area that portrays this so others can learn? Of course, a fee could be charged for people to come through the museum.

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