| Source | ||
| Number of horses in the UK | 1.35 million | British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA) National Equestrian Survey 2006 |
| Number of horse riders (People who have ridden at least once in the previous year) | 4.3 million | BETA National Equestrian Survey 2006 |
| Number of equine passports issued | 970,000 | Defra (National Equine Database) |
| Estimated overall annual worth of the industry | £4 billion | BETA National Equestrian Survey 2006 |
| Number of registered farriers in the UK | 2,473 | Farriers Registration Council August 2005 |
| Farriery industry earnings (annual) | £250 million | Worshipful Company of Farriers |
| Money spent annually on buying horses | £417 million | BETA National Equestrian Survey 2006 |
| Money spent annually on horses and riding generally | £2.6 billion | BETA National Equestrian Survey 2006 |
| Riding lessons | £732 million (35 million paid-for riding lessons annually) | BETA National Equestrian Survey 2006 |
| Equine medicines and wormers | £24 million | National Office of Animal Health 2007 |
| Economic impact of British racing | £2.8 billion | Deloitte report for British Horse Racing Board "Economic Impact of British Racing" 2006 |
| Betting turnover associated with racing | £5 billion | Crafts in the English Countryside: Towards a future/Horse Industry Countryside Agency 2005 |
| Sporting horse ownership by sector | ||
| Racing Horse Trials Show Jumping Dressage Hunting |
16,000 7,800 17,900 6,400 52,000* |
British Horse Industry Confederation *BETA - primary use of horse, additional 169 000 horses used for hunting in addition to other activities |
| Source | ||
| Horses per region of Britain | ||
| Scotland N. East & Yorks North West Wales / SWest Midlands Greater London S.E / East Anglia |
94,500 202,500 121,500 216,000 256,500 135,000 310,500 |
BETA National Equestrian Survey 2006 |
| Number of riding school and livery yards | 1,790 | British Equestrian Directory 2005 |
| Number of saddlers / harness makers | 1,000 | Crafts in the English Countryside:
Towards a future/Horse industry Countryside Agency 2005 |
| Number of people who play polo (registered players 2006) | 3,025 | Hurlingham Polo Association |
| Annual capital expenditure on horse-related costs ie vehicles, trailers, buildings | £388 million | BETA National Equestrian Survey 2006 |
BETA represents about 800 manufacturers, distributors and retailers of
equestrian goods and services.
The British Horse Industry Confederation is composed of the British
Equestrian Federation (a), the British Horseracing Board (b) and the
Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (c).
The BEF represents bodies with a total membership of some 200,000,
including organisers of horse trials, show jumping, dressage, the Pony
Club, driving, endurance riding and vaulting. It includes the British Horse
Society which has a membership of 60,000 recreational riders, plus
40,000 affiliated members of riding clubs.
The British Horseracing Board is the governing authority for horse racing.
The racing industry supports some 60,000 jobs, plus a further 40,000 in
the betting industry, which relies on horse racing for 70% of its business.
Race meetings are attended by more than 5 million people annually
The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association represents the thoroughbred
horse breeding industry which generates sales of £150m annually in the
UK and an export revenue of some £160m. It represents the interests of
more than 7,000 breeders of thoroughbred horses, occupying more than
150,000 acres of land. British breeders employ more than 11,000 staff.
Source British Horse Industry Confederation
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