American Horse Council Assesses Horse IndustryBy Kentucky Equine Research Staff · November 1, 2003
According to figures released by the American Horse Council, there are about 6.9 million horses in the United States. The greatest number, about 43%, is used primarily for recreation, while another 29% are show animals. Only 10% fall into the category of racing or race breeding, and the remaining 18% are used for a variety of pursuits such as polo, police work, farm work, or rodeo.
Almost 2 million people own horses, and an additional 5 million people are associated in some other way with the industry. Actual goods and services produced by the horse industry total over $25 billion each year, and taxes on all parts of the industry add $1.9 billion yearly to local, state, and federal revenues. About 1.4 million people are employed in work related directly or indirectly to equine business.
