How many horses are in the US?
The number of horses in the United States totaled 6.6 million in 2023, compared with 7.2 million in 2016, according to survey data published in 2024 by the American Horse Council. Despite the drop, that’s a good total, considering the downward pressure on the industry from the pandemic, inflation and climate change. The 2016 horse population dropped nearly 2 million from 2003. The 2016 and 2023 totals appear below. The grand total for 2023 is the only number the AHC released in its press release, and the product page for the 2023 report suggests that the AHC won't sell the report to anyone who wants to publish the results. Read more here.
| State/Country | 2003 Horse Total | 2016 Horse Total | Decline in Horses | Percent Decline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 148,152 | 114,300 | 33,852 | 22.85 |
| Alaska | 11,449 | 9,100 | 2,349 | 20.52 |
| Arizona | 177,124 | 142,000 | 35,124 | 19.83 |
| Arkansas | 168,014 | 132,300 | 35,714 | 21.26 |
| California | 698,345 | 534,500 | 163,845 | 23.46 |
| Colorado | 255,503 | 205,300 | 50,203 | 19.65 |
| Connecticut | 51,968 | 40,400 | 11,568 | 22.26 |
| Delaware | 11,083 | 8,000 | 3,083 | 27.82 |
| Florida | 500,124 | 387,100 | 113,024 | 22.60 |
| Georgia | 179,512 | 133,100 | 46,412 | 25.85 |
| Hawaii | 8,037 | 6,100 | 1,937 | 24.10 |
| Idaho | 158,458 | 125,100 | 33,358 | 21.05 |
| Illinois | 192,524 | 150,400 | 42,124 | 21.88 |
| Indiana | 202,986 | 172,600 | 30,386 | 14.97 |
| Iowa | 199,220 | 154,600 | 44,620 | 22.40 |
| Kansas | 178,651 | 138,600 | 40,051 | 22.42 |
| Kentucky | 320,173 | 238,000 | 82,173 | 25.67 |
| Louisiana | 164,305 | 120,500 | 43,805 | 26.66 |
| Maine | 37,854 | 28,600 | 9,254 | 24.45 |
| Maryland | 152,930 | 101,500 | 51,430 | 33.63 |
| Massachusetts | 37,529 | 29,500 | 8,029 | 21.39 |
| Michigan | 234,477 | 188,900 | 45,577 | 19.44 |
| Minnesota | 182,229 | 145,700 | 36,529 | 20.05 |
| Mississippi | 113,063 | 87,400 | 25,663 | 22.70 |
| Missouri | 281,255 | 229,000 | 52,255 | 18.58 |
| Montana | 129,997 | 104,900 | 25,097 | 19.31 |
| Nebraska | 150,891 | 117,100 | 33,791 | 22.39 |
| Nevada | 51,619 | 41,200 | 10,419 | 20.18 |
| New Hampshire | 14,681 | 11,700 | 2,981 | 20.31 |
| New Jersey | 82,982 | 59,400 | 23,582 | 28.42 |
| New Mexico | 147,181 | 113,500 | 33,681 | 22.88 |
| New York | 201,906 | 154,000 | 47,906 | 23.73 |
| North Carolina | 256,269 | 205,200 | 51,069 | 19.93 |
| North Dakota | 59,391 | 47,600 | 11,791 | 19.85 |
| Ohio | 306,898 | 256,000 | 50,898 | 16.58 |
| Oklahoma | 326,134 | 252,700 | 73,434 | 22.52 |
| Oregon | 167,928 | 135,200 | 32,728 | 19.49 |
| Pennsylvania | 255,763 | 223,600 | 32,163 | 12.58 |
| Rhode Island | 3,509 | 2,600 | 909 | 25.90 |
| South Carolina | 94,773 | 73,600 | 21,173 | 22.34 |
| South Dakota | 120,878 | 96,500 | 24,378 | 20.17 |
| Tennessee | 206,668 | 165,800 | 40,868 | 19.77 |
| Texas | 978,822 | 767,100 | 211,722 | 21.63 |
| United States | 9,222,847 | 7,246,835 | 1,976,012 | 21.43 |
| Utah | 120,183 | 96,400 | 23,783 | 19.79 |
| Vermont | 24,540 | 19,800 | 4,740 | 19.32 |
| Virginia | 239,102 | 183,600 | 55,502 | 23.21 |
| Washington | 249,964 | 197,200 | 52,764 | 21.11 |
| West Virginia | 89,880 | 69,800 | 20,080 | 22.34 |
| Wisconsin | 178,636 | 150,300 | 28,336 | 15.86 |
| Wyoming | 99,257 | 78,600 | 20,657 | 20.81 |
Sources: American Horse Council