With the horse world constantly evolving and equine sports facing more scrutiny than ever, it’s important for farriers, horse owners and equine veterinarians to keep a finger on current equestrian trends.

Here are a few statistics about the horse industry from the American Horse Council (AHC), the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) and other sources.

1. The U.S. horse population is estimated at 6.7 million, according to the most recent AHC 2023 Equine Economic Impact Survey. This is a decrease from 7.2 million horses in 2017.

2. Some 33% of Americans believe horses enjoy competing in equine sports. However, 69% voiced worries about horses being used in sports, with the major concerns dealing with endurance, eventing and carriage driving. Some 47% believe horses will continue to be involved in sports but only if changes are made to improve equine welfare.

3. Since the 2017 study, breed registrations have increased by 8%, largely among Quarter Horses, Standardbreds and Morgans.

4. Only 1% of Americans own horses.

5. Nearly 30% of U.S. horse owners have a household income of less than $75,000 a year.

6. Texas has the most horses (748,800), followed by California with 477,700 and Florida with 344,900. Ohio and Oklahoma are each home to about 250,000 horses while Kentucky has 224,600.

7. Even with 1 million horses in Australia, there are only 1,000 farriers in the country. This works out to an astonishing 1,000 horses per farrier, says the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

By comparison, the U.S. with 6.7 million horses (2023 data) averages 235 horses for each full-time and part-time farrier based on American Horse Council and American Farriers Journal data.

8. Among 28,000 folks surveyed in 116 countries, 80% believe equine welfare standards need to be improved for horses competing in sporting events. Some 87% of veterinarians had concerns about the welfare of horses used in sports.

9. A study of current and former equine veterinarians indicated 92% were female and 65% are married or have partners. Two-thirds had student loans and 11% owned their own veterinary practice. Equine vets work an average of 56 hours per week, based on data from an American Association of Equine Practitioners & American Veterinary Medicine Association study.

Over 75% of equine veterinarians reported discrimination due to gender, size, appearance, age or disability. Job concerns included unpredictable schedules, long work hours and poor relationships with clients and colleagues. The study also confirmed that equine vets earn less than other veterinarians such as small animal practitioners.

10. Two-thirds of 28,000 folks surveyed in 116 countries consider horses as family members or partners. Only 1% considered horses to be livestock while another 1% classified them as work animals.

11. Some 90% thought equine welfare can be best identified by a horse’s mental health status, followed by health indicators (77%) and physical condition (63%). Nearly 80% believed welfare standards need to be improved for horses competing in sport activities.

12. Among equine veterinarians expressing disaffection with their work, the major concerns were long work hours, a lack of work-life balance and issues associated with DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.) These worries can lead to personal burnout, an unwillingness to stay employed in the veterinary profession and equine veterinarian shortages.

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