US horse population and cold weather, 2003
Texas, California and Florida, the states with the most horses in 2003, were among the four warmest states during the 2002-2003 winter, with an average winter low between 36 and 45 degrees.
| State | 2003 Horse Total | 2002-2003 Avg. Winter Low | 2003 Avg. Summer Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 978,822 | 35.77 | 69.33 |
| California | 698,345 | 36.73 | 60.23 |
| Florida | 500,124 | 44.87 | 72.23 |
| Oklahoma | 326,134 | 27.60 | 67.57 |
| Kentucky | 320,173 | 24.90 | 62.73 |
| Ohio | 306,898 | 18.87 | 59.77 |
| Missouri | 281,255 | 21.63 | 64.03 |
| North Carolina | 256,269 | 29.43 | 66.10 |
| Pennsylvania | 255,763 | 16.50 | 57.90 |
| Colorado | 255,503 | 16.20 | 51.60 |
| Washington | 249,964 | 29.53 | 50.57 |
| Virginia | 239,102 | 25.27 | 63.33 |
| Michigan | 234,477 | 11.73 | 54.20 |
| Tennessee | 206,668 | 27.70 | 64.37 |
| Indiana | 202,986 | 18.57 | 60.67 |
| New York | 201,906 | 10.63 | 56.37 |
| Iowa | 199,220 | 12.57 | 60.10 |
| Illinois | 192,524 | 18.60 | 61.63 |
| Minnesota | 182,229 | 4.13 | 55.77 |
| Georgia | 179,512 | 34.37 | 68.50 |
| Kansas | 178,651 | 20.77 | 64.30 |
| Wisconsin | 178,636 | 7.93 | 55.23 |
| Arizona | 177,124 | 32.67 | 65.00 |
| Arkansas | 168,014 | 30.27 | 67.70 |
| Oregon | 167,928 | 28.90 | 49.87 |
| Louisiana | 164,305 | 38.93 | 71.90 |
| Idaho | 158,458 | 21.23 | 49.63 |
| Maryland | 152,930 | 23.40 | 64.50 |
| Nebraska | 150,891 | 15.70 | 59.20 |
| Alabama | 148,152 | 33.23 | 68.27 |
| New Mexico | 147,181 | 24.20 | 57.50 |
| Montana | 129,997 | 14.37 | 51.03 |
| South Dakota | 120,878 | 10.93 | 57.47 |
| Utah | 120,183 | 21.33 | 56.87 |
| Mississippi | 113,063 | 34.03 | 69.17 |
| Wyoming | 99,257 | 13.73 | 49.50 |
| South Carolina | 94,773 | 33.03 | 68.70 |
| West Virginia | 89,880 | 21.97 | 59.33 |
| New Jersey | 82,982 | 21.30 | 62.77 |
| North Dakota | 59,391 | 3.60 | 55.10 |
| Connecticut | 51,968 | 16.73 | 59.67 |
| Nevada | 51,619 | 24.97 | 56.30 |
| Maine | 37,854 | 4.70 | 53.73 |
| Massachusetts | 37,529 | 14.60 | 59.13 |
| Vermont | 24,540 | 5.23 | 54.30 |
| New Hampshire | 14,681 | 6.97 | 54.93 |
| Alaska | 11,449 | 7.53 | 43.23 |
| Delaware | 11,083 | 24.43 | 65.03 |
| Rhode Island | 3,509 | 18.87 | 60.80 |
Sources: American Horse Council, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
2003 average winter low temperature averages NOAA's average low from December 2002 and January and February 2003.
2003 average summer low temperature averages NOAA's average low from June, July and August.