The Faculty of Animal Science (FAS) Universitas Gadjah Mada held a workshop on “Horse and Carriage Development” on Friday (08/11) which was part of the faculty’s Lustrum X event. The participants came from various backgrounds; from the UGM academic community, representatives of the DIY regional government, horse breeders, horse cart drivers, and journalists.
Dean of the FAS UGM, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ali Agus, DAA., DEA., stated that this topic was chosen because of several factors. For one thing, horse livestock is a science that needs to be explored. In addition, FAS UGM is also currently conserving germplasm from horses.
In terms of community use, horses are one of the community’s interests, such as for carriages. Horse carriages became a culture of Yogyakarta. Therefore, Agus stated that it is important to develop horse and horse cart farms for the benefit of the people.
Agus hopes that with this seminar, the discussion regarding horses and carriages will be refreshed in the community. Thus, problems, challenges, and opportunities related to horse and horse breeding become clear so that solutions can be found. “Clarity on all these things will prevent people from leaving the tradition of horses and carriages in this modern era,” he said.
Agus also stated that it was the responsibility of FAS UGM to carry out this task as this is included in the Tridarma of higher education, specifically community service. “I hope this seminar will serve as a momentum for people from academia, government, businessmen, and the community, to work together to solve this problem,” he concluded.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/18697-upaya-konservasi-fapet-ugm-terhadap-kuda-dan-andong
