LaGrange Co. Ranks 2nd Nationally in Horse Population
Published: Friday, June 12, 2020
When people think about horses in a geographical sense, surely Kentucky and the Wild West come to mind.
Perhaps they reflect on the feral ponies of Chincoteague that live on Assateague Island—a piece of land in the Atlantic Ocean shared by Virginia and Maryland—and were made famous years ago in a children's book series and the 1961 movie, "Misty."
No one, however, would go wrong for dwelling on northern Indiana where corn and soybeans may top the list of most agricultural thinkers.
LaGrange County's noteworthy equine heritage is certainly reflected in the beauty of its ubiquitous horse-drawn Amish carriages, rolling pastures made all the more picturesque with mares and their foals and the annual draft horse auction in Topeka.
But the area also deserves to be revered as true horse country because of equally impressive numbers.
According to the latest figures documented in the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture, LaGrange County's horse population of 14,720 was No. 1 in the state and second nationally. Its total of 1,567 farms with horses is also first in the state and fourth among the nation's counties.
Perhaps LaGrange County would be thought of more for its horse sense if it also wasn't first in the state in farms with cattle and calves, milk cows, sheep and lambs, milk goats, and overall poultry, along with deer in captivity, rabbits and honey bees.
Steve Engleking, the LaGrange Extension director, must feel like the athletic director at a major college that produces championships in numerous men's and women's sports.
How does he praise one without slighting another?
He doesn't.
"LaGrange County is proud of its significant agriculture and the richness of its diversity—from its status as the top county in several ag categories, the variety of farm enterprises of commodity and specialty crops which include produce and commercial cut flower production, to our differences in cultural practices, from old-fashioned heritage practices using horses to our modern, high-tech farming," Engleking said in an all-encompassing email.
LaGrange County anchors a region of the state where horses are as much a part of the landscape as barns. Neighboring Elkhart County is second in the state in horses, ponies, burros, donkeys and mules, while Allen County is fifth and Kosciusko is 11th.
The fact the state's NFLteam is called the "Colts" and its NBA club is the "Pacers" makes all the sense in the world.
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