The horse power of the equine industry added $177 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023, according to a useful new survey from the American Horse Council. That’s up from 122 billion in 2017. It affects a variety of sectors, including such obvious segments as agriculture and veterinary services, as well as tourism and technology.
There are 2.2 million jobs linked to horses, everything from farriers and veterinarians to truck drivers, nutritionists and journalists. Even so, the number of horses in the country has dropped over six years, from 7.2 million in 2017 to 6.6 million last year.
The purpose of the survey is to demonstrate the value of the equine industry in the national and state economies by analyzing the direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts of horse ownership, recreation, and equine-related services. The data can be used in connection with investments in equine-related businesses, equine health care, education, land use decisions, tax policy, tourism and employment incentives.