Results from the 2018 AHP Equine Industry Survey

American Horse Publications (AHP) conducted its fourth online nationwide equine industry survey from January 22, 2018, through April 1, 2018. The survey’s three main objectives are: 1) to gauge participation trends and management practices in the U.S. equine industry; 2) to identify critical issues facing the equine industry as perceived by those who own or manage horses; and 3) to better understand approaches to horse health care. The survey was designed and administered using SurveyMonkey, a web-based survey platform.

Upon conclusion of the survey, 9,629 responses were collected. After removing responses from 617 participants who did not currently own or manage any horses, there were 9,012 usable responses. Potential respondents were made aware of the survey through online and print notifications from AHP members as well as via social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter. In addition, those providing their email addresses in previous surveys were invited to participate via email. 43.4% of the original 9,629 responses were generated from the email invitation, but it is likely that a greater percentage are previous respondents, since some individuals accessed the survey from the weblink rather than the email invitation. The downloadable report summarizes the results from the five main sections of the survey: respondent demographics, horse ownership, horsekeeping costs, issues facing the equine industry, and horse health care. Complete results from each question are available on request by AHP members or purchase by a non-member for a fee.