Horse Economy Survey Results
We are interested in learning how the current economic situations are affecting your “horse life.” We’re keen on learning if your horse habits have had to change due to rising costs. The results of the survey are below so you can see how your peers have had to adapt to economic changes. If you have not had the opportunity to provide your input please follow the link at the bottom of this page.
Results updated as of 10/29/08
1. How many horses do you own?
| 1-2 | 33.3% |
| 2-5 | 44.9% |
| 5-10 | 15.9% |
| 10+ | 5.8% |
2. What part of the United States do you live in?
| North East | 7.1% |
| Mid Atlantic | 34.3% |
| South East | 52.9% |
| Central | 2.9% |
| South West | 1.4% |
| North West | 0.0% |
| Mid West | 1.4% |
3. How are you involved with horses? (multiple answers allowed)
| Hobby/Pleasure Rider | 74.3% |
| Competitor (amateur) | 51.4% |
| Competitor/Trainer (professional) | 11.4% |
| Equine-related business employee (i.e. feed store, barn builder, tack store, insurance, marketing) | 17.1% |
| Equine Professional (i.e. vet, farrier, surgeon, horse show manager, hauler) | 10.0% |
| Barn manager/Horse caretaker | 31.4% |
4. Has the economy had an affect on your spending habits when making purchases for your horses?
| Yes | 81.4% |
| No | 18.6% |
5. If your main source of income depends on horses (i.e. Equine-related business employee, Competitor/Trainer, Equine Professional, Barn manager/Groom) how has your business been affected by the recent economy?
| Business has decreased a lot | 42.4% |
| Business has had a slight decrease | 39.4% |
| Business has stayed the same | 15.2% |
| Business has improved slightly | 3.0% |
| Business is skyrocketing! | 0.0% |
Due to the economy, have you had to:
6. Decrease the amount of travelling you do for horse related activities?
| Yes | 82.9% |
| No | 17.1% |
7. Resort to a lesser quality hay or grain to compensate for price increases?
| Yes | 29.0% |
| No | 71.0% |
8. Resort to a lesser quality boarding situation to compensate for price increases?
| Yes | 10.8% |
| No | 89.2% |
9. Sell any of your horses?
| Yes | 35.7% |
| No | 64.3% |
10. Get out of owning horses all together?
| Yes | 0.0% |
| No | 100.0% |
11. Change the types of competitions you go to (i.e. from rated to non-rated/local)?
| Yes | 51.6% |
| No | 48.4% |
12. Cut back on “non essentials” (i.e. supplements, braiding, lessons, massage therapy, high-end grooming supplies, body clipping)?
| Yes | 91.3% |
| No | 8.7% |
13. If you are the owner/boss of an equine-related business, have you had to reduce the number of people on your staff?
| Yes | 29.0% |
| No | 71.0% |
14. If you own a boarding/lesson/training facility, have you had to increase your rates due to the recent economy?
| Yes | 61.3% |
| No | 38.7% |
We thank everyone that responded to the above survey. If you wish to add your input, please feel free to fill out the ongoing Horse Economy Survey. We will update the above results over the next couple months. Check back soon for additional surveys to find out how your fellow horse lovers are doing, working and playing!
