Missouri's horse owners come from all walks of life and areas of the state. A recent survey puts a number and value on the industry.

Move over Missouri beef producers. Horse owners want some room at the top. For years Missouri has ranked second to Texas in the number of cows statewide. A recent survey by the Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service (MASS) says the state is also third in the number of horses, trailing only the Lone Star State and California.

The survey results have opened a number of eyes to the scope of Missouri's horse industry. And that is exactly what members of the Missouri Equine Council (MEC) hoped.

"This survey has been needed for a long time," said Janice Spears, equine marketing specialist for MFA and an MEC board member from Ashland.

"We in the industry knew there were so many more horses than we were getting credit for. We just couldn't get any reliable numbers. The survey gives credibility to the industry."

The MASS figures show that Missouri had an equine inventory of 200,000 head in January 2002. Comparatively, Texas leads the country in horse population with 600,000 head, while California estimates a horse population of 240,000. Missouri's horse number is quite a feat considering the state is middle of the pack in terms of population and land volume.

So the questions are: Where are all these horses and what are people doing with them?

Actually, they are all over the state. Each region of Missouri has seen a rise in horse numbers over the past years.

There is such an increase that you would be hard pressed to drive down the road many miles without seeing a horse or two grazing in a pasture. Or, in many cases, the horses are a fixture on a three-acre tract just purchased on the outskirts of town. A house, small barn and a "backyard" horse or two is the set up for a great many of Missouri's horse owners today.

"There are lots of first-time horse owners out there," said Karen Craighead, an equine instructor at William Woods University, who also trains and shows horses. "Or maybe they had a horse as a kid. Now they have some extra income, so they put it toward a horse. There has really been an increase in, say, the last 10 years."

Shelly Daume, an equine veterinarian in Jackson, is asked to provide more to her first-time owner clients than simply vet work. "Often you have to start with the basics of care," she explained. "They ask me to help them find a good farrier or hay to feed."

Veterinarian Jim Petticord of Odessa has also noticed a jump in the number of backyard breeders, people who keep a small number of mares and raise foals. Some people simply breed their mare to the stallion down the road, but others order semen shipped to them from locations all across the country. Having the veterinarian implant the semen on the farm or at the vet clinic is certainly easier and less time consuming than hauling a horse to the stallion, leaving her to be bred, then going back to bring her home.

Getting specific
All types of horses make up the 200,000 across the state. The MASS survey says the Quarter Horse is the most popular breed, with 76,000 head statewide. There are 33,000 Paint horses and 16,000 Foxtrotters. In all, light horses make up 86.5 percent (173,000) of the population. Race horses account for 4,000, draft horses for 6,000 and the pony breeds total 8,000. Donkeys, mules and burros make up the remaining 9,000.

What owners do with those horses is as varied as the breeds. "The majority of people down here are trail riders, whether they trailer their horse to ride trails or simply ride down the gravel road," said Daume. "Quarter Horses have always been popular and there is starting to be a large population of walking horses and Missouri Foxtrotters."

Trail riding is serious business to the thousands of horse owners who spend days at a time at one of Missouri's organized trail rides. Acres upon acres of trucks and trailers cover the grounds several different weeks throughout the year at Eminence, Mo., the largest of the organized rides.

Horse shows continue to be popular, from the small-town "fun shows" to larger, several-day association shows. "It seems every little town across the state has an arena and they all have horse shows," said Craighead. "During the summer, you don't have to drive very far at all on any weekend to find a horse show."

The largest of the associations, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), hosts several 2- and 3-day shows throughout the year in locations across the state. Columbia's Midway Exposition Center hosts events, including large shows over Thanksgiving weekend, Easter weekend and near Valentine's Day. Midway also plays host to the Buckskin World Show each year.

"The association show industry actually seems to have slacked off a bit," said Petticord, who raises halter horses for the show arena. "People are deciding to be more specialized with their horses."

If full-scale horse show attendance is down, it's because entries in specialty shows are up. Rather than host a full-blown horse show, arenas often hold a day of team roping or barrel racing. "Team penning, for instance, has gotten popular," Petticord continued. "It's an event anyone can do, even people who are novice riders."

"In the past, if you went to the horse show, you showed in every class, even the big-named trainers," Craighead said. That isn't always the case today, as most trainers, riders and, therefore, horses prepare for just one event.

Another horse show avenue growing in popularity is the over-50 rider. Several associations, including AQHA, offer classes strictly for people 50 years and older. These classes are particularly popular to novice participants.

You certainly shouldn't forget about the sport of rodeo when discussing Missouri's horse industry. Between youth rodeos, high school or the Missouri Rodeo Cowboys Association (MRCA), thousands of people compete in the sport each year. Riders compete in rodeos held all over the state throughout the year to earn the trip to the MRCA state finals, held during the State Fair. Similarly, high school competitors travel to many weekend rodeos to qualify for their state finals in June. The top four in each event then qualify for the national finals.

Sales
The MASS survey reported that Missouri horse owners sold 20,000 head in 2001 for an average of $2,250 per head. Many of them sold private treaty from person to person, but many more head of horses go through sale arenas at various locations around the state. A handful of auction barns hold monthly horse and tack sales. Several of them also hold special horse sales throughout the year.

One such location is Lolli Brothers Livestock Market in Macon. In addition to a monthly horse sale, the Lolli Brothers Market holds five registered catalog sales during the year. One of the special sales in 2002 sold 600 horses over 2 days.

"The better riding horses always sell high," said Dominic Lolli. "There was a big rise in the number of broodmares sold 5 to 10 years ago, so eventually there were more horses to sell. Back then the price was good for colts, if the color and breeding were right. People are pickier now and colts aren't bred quite as well. Overall though, the horse market is good."

Accessories
"There are lots of people who never touch a horse but are making money in the horse industry," said Petticord. "Look at all the ancillary things that go with horses. If you've got good quality alfalfa or grass hay, you can make a good bit of money. There are feed dealers and truck and trailer salespeople. And it's awfully hard to find a good, dependable horse shoer."

The barn business is another one that is booming. Horses need shelter, whether it's a three-sided lean-to or a 10-stall barn.

Tack shops and western clothing stores also see positive results from a rise in the industry. As any horse owner will agree, there is more to horses than just buying the animal.

If you thought you'd been seeing more horses or horse trailers around lately, you are probably right. The Missouri Agricultural Statistics Survey results prove what many in the industry already knew--that horses across the state make an impact.

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