The estimation of the size and economic impact of the horse industry in Ontario, Canada

A 10 page survey questionnaire was sent to 6,163 members of 8 horse industry mailing lists. A return rate of 25 % and 14.8 % was achieved in the non-racing and racing industry sector surveys respectively. The respondents were cross referenced with the Canadian Census of Agriculture to determine an underestimation for the census. This factor was used to estimate the total number of horses and horse owners in the province. The cross referencing also permitted mapping of the relative geographic distribution of horses and horse owners. A method was developed to determine the size of the race horse industry rather than depending on using total registration numbers. The economic impact of the Ontario horse industry is estimated using revised estimates of horse numbers and median values for annual expenditures and assets and investments which were also estimated from the survey data.