Maryland Horse Industry Board MARYLAND EQUINE
      Results of the 2002 Maryland Equine Census  




Special Report made possible by the Cooperative efforts of the Maryland 
Department of Agriculture, the Maryland Horse Industry Board, and the Maryland 
Agricultural Statistics Service 
EQ-01-02
December 06, 2002 
Equine Inventory | Places, Acreage & People
Equine Related Assets | Equine Related Expenditures
County Data | Breed Data | Other Data | Trail Riding Preferences
PDF Format of Draft 
According to the 2002 Maryland Equine Census, there were a total of 87,100 
horses, mules, donkeys, and burros in the State of Maryland. Light Horse Breeds 
accounted for about 48 percent of the total, followed by Thoroughbreds with 33 
percent of the total. Ponies and Standardbreds each accounted for about 7 
percent, followed by draft breeds and mules, donkeys and burros. The value of 
the equine inventory at the time of the census was a little over $680 million, 
putting the average value per animal at about $7,810. There were a total of 
20,200 equine places in the State during the Census. This includes racing, 
breeding, and all sizes of boarding facilities as well as private residences 
where horses are being kept for recreational purposes. On these places, there 
are 38,000 people actively involved with the equine. These equine operations 
account for a total of 685,000 acres, of which, 206,000 acres were used 
primarily for equine related purposes. The value of all equine related assets 
totaled $5.2 billion, including the value of the inventory. The value of land, 
fencing, and buildings made up about 76 percent of the total assets. The value 
of the inventory accounts for 13 percent and equipment and supplies made up 
about 11 percent of total reported assets. Equine related expenditures amounted 
to nearly $766 million, of which 62 percent were operating expenditures and 38 
percent were capital expenditures. There were 8,400 horses sold during the past 
year with an average value of sales of $14,196. Less than 100 mules, donkeys, 
and burros were sold. 
      INVENTORY Number 
      Equine associated with the racing industry: 
      Standardbreds 5,800 
      Thoroughbreds 28,800 
      Other Race Breeds 200 
      Equine not associated with the racing industry: 
      Light horses Breeds 42,000 

      Draft horses Breeds 2,200 
      Ponies All Breeds 5,900 
      Donkeys, Mules & Burros 2,200 
      Total Equine Inventory 87,100 


      EQUINE PLACES ACREAGE & PEOPLE 
      Number of Places Having Equine 20,200 
      Number of People Involved 38,000 
      Total Acreage Reported 685,000 
      Acreage used for equine purposes 206,000 

      EQUINE RELATED ASSETS (Dollars) 
      Value of equine inventory 680,240,000 
      Value of land, fencing, facilities 3,965,780,000 
      Value of equipment and supplies 552,850,000 
      Value of other Asssts 22,500,000 
      Value of all Assets 5,212,370,000 

      EQUINE RELATED EXPENDITURES (Dollars) 
      Total Operating Expenditures 475,670,000 
      Total Capital Expenditures 290,110,000 
      Total Expenditures 765,780,000 

 
      EQUINE SALES (Total) 
      Horses 
      Number Sold (Hd) 8,400 
      Total Value of Sales $119,250,000 
      Donkeys, Mules & Burros 
      Number Sold (Hd) 50 
      Total Value of Sales $25,000 

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COUNTY DATA
Maryland equine are concentrated in central and northern counties. The 5 largest 
counties, in terms of inventory numbers are, Baltimore (12%), Montgomery (10%), 
Frederick (10%), Prince George's (9%), and Harford 8% . The top ten counties, 
all in northern and central Maryland, account for 79% of the total inventory. 
The average inventory value by county is influenced greatly by the racing and 
breeding operations located in each county. In addition, the counties with large 
concentrations of show horses tended to have higher average values. The 5 
largest counties in terms of the number of equine places and their respective 
percentages of the total number of places are: Montgomery (13%), Frederick 
(11%), Baltimore (10%), Washington (8%), and Harford (7%). The average number of 
people in each county (excluding hired labor) involved in equine activities 
varied from 2.6 people per place in Washington county to 1.5 people per place in 
Dorchester county. The acreage devoted to equine by county is concentrated in 
Baltimore, Frederick, Harford, Montgomery, and Cecil counties where 51% of the 
total acreage devoted to equine was reported. 
      Equine Inventory, Value, Places, Acreage and Number of People Involved by 
      County 
      Counties Total Equine 
      Inventory Total Value of 
      Equine 
      Inventory Number of 
      Equine Places Total Equine 
      Related Acres Total Number 
      of People 
      Involved* 
      (number) (thousand 
      dollars) (number) (acres) (number) 
      Allegany270 685 120 1,300 240 
      Garrett1,410 2,900 370 3,400 820 
      Baltimore10,630 121,800 2,100 31,200 4,200 
      Carroll5,730 31,735 1,290 14,700 2,430 
      Frederick8,290 47,310 2,180 22,000 3,570 
      Harford7,390 73,115 1,360 18,400 2,160 
      Howard5,190 61,265 1,200 11,200 2,280 
      Montgomery8,470 60,555 2,590 17,700 4,070 
      Washington4,460 12,295 1,560 10,200 4,090 


      Anne Arundel4,590 27,035 1,330 8,900 2,320 
      Calvert1,510 9,980 420 3,500 750 
      Charles1,640 7,375 490 4,300 1,110 
      Prince George's7,420 63,610 1,170 11,700 1,860 
      Saint Mary's2,710 7,540 620 8,600 1,510 


      Caroline1,310 7,290 260 3,300 530 
      Cecil6,580 68,345 900 15,300 1,580 
      Kent1,610 29,025 170 4,000 410 
      Queen Anne's2,000 18,070 300 3,800 550 
      Talbot1,930 8,375 700 4,200 1,600 


      Dorchester460 5,280 160 1,200 240 
      Somerset280 800 80 500 130 
      Wicomico2,260 9,860 650 4,400 1,200 
      Worcester960 5,995 180 2,200 330 


      Maryland Total87,100 680,240 20,200 206,000 38,000 
*Excludes hired labor 
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BREED DATA


Light Breeds and Racing Breeds dominated the breed categories across the State, 
accounting for 48 and 40 percent of the total inventory, respectively. The top 5 
individual Breeds in terms of inventory numbers and the respective percents of 
total were, Thoroughbreds (33%), Quarter Horses (14%), Standardbreds (7%), 
Arabian and Anglo Arabian (5%), and Other Warmbloods (4%). This breed ranking 
excludes the Unknown Light Breed category which accounted for 8% of the 
inventory and All Breeds of Ponies which accounted for 7% of the total. The 
inventory numbers were reported by land owners who kept equine on their 
operations. This table provides a breakout of the animals owned by the land 
holder and the animals boarded for others. Of the total 87,100 equine on 
Maryland horse places, 61,900 or 71% were owned by the land owners and family. 
There were 25,200 equine or 29% boarded for other owners. For the major breed 
categories, 34% of the racing breeds are boarded out and 28% of the Light Breeds 
are boarded out. The value of the equine inventory at the time of the census was 
estimated to total more than $680 million or an average of $7,810 per animal. 
The most valuable breeds were Other Warmbloods with an average value of $16,883. 
This category groups several warmblood breeds or cross breeds together and 
includes a large concentration of show horses. The racing breeds ranked next in 
average value with standardbreds at $13,653 and thoroughbreds at $13,446. There 
was a wide range of values reported for most breeds with retired animals at the 
low end of the scale and show or racing animals at the top end of the value 
scale. 
      Equine Inventory and Value by Breed 
      Equine Breeds Total
      Inventory Total
      Inventory 
      Owned* Total
      Inventory
      Boarded for
      Others** Total
      Inventory
      Value Average
      Inventory
      Value 
      (number) (number) (number) (thousand)
      dollars) (dollars) 
      American Saddle680 520 160 1,185 1,743 
      Appaloosa2,790 2,120 670 8,540 3,061 
      Arabian and Anglo Arabian4,040 2,870 1,170 16,005 3,962 
      Miniature Horses720 670 50 1,085 1,507 
      Morgan1,660 980 680 5,520 3,325 
      Paint / Pinto2,660 2,110 550 10,890 4.094 
      Quarter Horses12,060 9.170 2,890 39,180 3,249 
      Tennessee Walker1,700 1,180 520 5,120 3,012 
      Other Crossbreds3,280 2,320 960 17,435 5,316 
      Other Warmbloods3,600 2,170 1,430 60,780 16,883 
      Other Light Breeds1,880 1,390 490 10,290 5,473 
      Unknown6,930 4,800 2,130 11,320 1,633 
      Total Light Breeds42,000 30,300 11,700 187,350 4,461 


      Standardbreds5,800 4,640 1,160 79,190 13,653 
      Thoroughbreds28,800 18,250 10,550 387,235 13,446 
      Other Race Breeds200 110 90 715 3,575 
      Total Race Breeds34,800 23,000 11,800 467,140 13,424 


      Belgian690 650 40 1,580 2,290 
      Percheron420 330 90 1,985 4,726 
      Clydesdale110 70 40 520 4,727 
      Other Draft Breeds980 850 130 3,775 3,852 
      Total Draft Breeds2,200 1,900 300 7,860 3,573 


      Ponies, All Breeds5,900 4,700 1,200 16,480 2,793 


      Mules, Donkeys, & Burros2,200 2,000 200 1,410 641 
      Total All Equine87,100 61,900 25,200 680,240 7,810 
*Total inventory owned by the land owner and/or family.
**This inventory is owned by someone other than the land owner. 
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OTHER DATA


Most of the Light Breeds, 45%, were kept at private residences, while 31% were 
kept at Boarding, Training, Riding, or Show Facilities. As would be expected, 
most of the race breeds (39%) were kept at Race related facilities while 27% 
were kept at Breeding facilities. The largest percent of Draft Breeds, 41%, were 
kept on crop or livestock farms. Ponies are mainly kept at private residences 
and Boarding, Training, Riding, or Show facilities. Mules, donkeys, and burros 
were mainly kept at private residences. Number of Equine by Breed and 
      Primary Function of the Operation 
      Number of Equine By Breed Category 
      Type of Equine Operation Light
      Breeds Race
      Breeds Draft
      Breeds Ponies Donkey
      Mules or
      Burros Total
      Equine 
      Boarding, Training, Riding or Show Facility13,000 5,990 500 2,110 100 
      21,700 
      Commercial or Private Breeding Facility3,870 9,560 150 710 80 14,370 
      Racing or Race Related Facility430 13,660 30 170 140 14,430 
      Private residence with Equine18,850 3,630 550 2,160 1,420 26,610 
      Crop/Livestock Farm4,310 1,270 910 500 410 7,400 
      All Other Facilities1,540 690 60 250 50 2,590 
      Total42,000 34,800 2,200 5,900 2,200 87,100 

      Trail Riding Preferences 
      Total Number of Places Reporting Trail Riding*11,800 
      Percent Using State, National, or Region Parks60% 
      Percent Using State, or National Forest Land26% 
      Percent Using Wildlife Management Areas24% 
      Percent Using Private Land94% 
      Percent Using Other Locations8% 
*Respondents could indicate multiple trail riding locations. 
Of the total number of equine places at, 20,200, approximately 11,800, or 58%, 
indicated that they had rode trails some time during the past year. Respondents 
were then asked to indicate where they rode, given the categories listed in the 
table above. An overwhelming majority indicated they rode on private land, 94%, 
while 60% indicated they rode on State, National, or Regional Parks. Respondents 
could choose multiple entries if they rode in multiple areas. 
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