Maryland Horse Industry Board Grant Program

The Maryland Horse Industry Board Grant Program is a Maryland grant program developed to promote, increase awareness of, and help grow the state's horse industry. The program is supported by the Maryland Feed Fund. Its stated goals are to increase public awareness and participation in the horse industry, advance education and training for youth and adults, support and promote equestrian events, programs, and activities, and preserve access to and use of public lands for riding. Projects aligned with action items in the most recent Maryland Horse Forum Report receive strong consideration, as do projects intended to enhance diversity and inclusion in the Maryland horse industry. Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, not-for-profit and nonprofit organizations in Maryland; local and state government and university programs in Maryland; and clubs, associations, businesses, licensed farms, stables, horse rescues, schools, and educational institutions in Maryland. Only one grant may be submitted per organization. The guidelines do not establish eligibility for individuals and do not identify any eligible geography outside Maryland. Grant requests should not exceed $3,000. The average grant award is approximately $1,000, and approximately $30,000 in total grant monies is awarded each year. The Board is less likely to fund projects that use grant money for capital expenditures on farms, including waterers, run-in sheds, trail bridges, and fencing; supplies that have already been purchased or projects that have already been conducted; university overhead or indirect costs; or the purchase, lease, or care of horses. Entities seeking sponsorship for events are encouraged to submit the sponsorship request in the form of a grant application to this program. Funding for an applicant to attend a conference, training, or certification is limited to $500 or less. Matching funds are considered during evaluation, but the guidelines do not state that applicants are required to provide a match or cost share. Applications for the 2027 grant year opened August 5, 2026 and must be submitted by October 5, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. The guidelines state that there are no exceptions to the deadline. Applicants are directed to use the online application form through Google Forms. Applicants must observe the word limits specified for individual sections, maintain the order and format of the application form, and use N/A when a question does not apply to the project. Scanned and legible paper applications are accepted, although online submission is preferred. Links to supplemental material may be used, but including supplemental materials with the application is strongly discouraged. Only eligible projects with completed applications submitted or emailed by the deadline will be considered, and additional materials will not be accepted after the deadline. Applications meeting the eligibility and submission requirements are forwarded to a review committee composed of three to five Maryland Horse Industry Board members and the Executive Director. Applications that do not qualify for review are to be identified to applicants by email. The review considers the quality of the written presentation and correctness of the submission, the project's potential impact and value to the horse industry, project feasibility, financial need, and the potential for matching funds. The committee may recommend an award lower than the amount requested. The stated preferences for Maryland Horse Forum Report action items and projects enhancing diversity and inclusion should therefore be considered alongside the formal review criteria when developing a proposal. Applicants should be notified of their application status within 120 days after the October 5, 2026 deadline. Funding will be available as soon as possible after January 15. Funded projects must be completed by June 30, 2027, and recipients must submit a final report by June 30, 2027 detailing how the grant money was spent and the outcome of the project. The guidelines state that total grant monies are awarded each year, supporting treatment of the program as recurring annually; based on the current August opening month, the next cycle is anticipated around August 2027 unless the Board announces a different schedule. The program contact is Anne Litz, Executive Director, Maryland Horse Industry Board, at 667-408-0407 or mda.horseboard@maryland.gov.

Submit a complete and correctly formatted application by the deadline; demonstrate potential impact and value to the horse industry, project feasibility, and financial need; address potential matching funds where available; align the project with action items in the most recent Maryland Horse Forum Report where applicable; projects enhancing diversity and inclusion receive strong consideration; avoid requesting funds for uses the Board identifies as less likely to be funded