Official State Animal of New Jersey
The horse (Equus caballus) was adopted as the official state animal symbol of New Jersey in 1977. The U.S. Equestrian Team headquarters are in New Jersey. All State Horses
After signing the law to officially designate the horse as New Jersey's state animal in 1977, Governor Byrne said:
"The founding fathers of our state thought so highly of the horse that they included it in our state seal. Today there are 4,654 horse farms in New Jersey, of which 888 raise racing horses. The Horse industry makes a contribution to the preservation of green acres at a time when great demands are being made for the preservation of our land."
I want to extend special thanks today to Michael McCarthy and his classmates at Our Lady of Victories School in Harrington Park and to James Sweetman of Freehold NJ. It is because of their efforts that the horse is now the state animal of New Jersey."