Can farms with equids serve as a reference for equine industry facilities

An analysis of the 2010 French agricultural census shows that 41,000 farms hold on average three equids, and 14,000 farms hold more than 300,000 equids in total. The prominence of broodmares in herds enables us to discriminate breeding farms (which offer varying services, including breeding and livery boarding) from facilities that function more as riding schools or training stables. In facilities with at least one annual work unit (AWU), the rate ranges from forty equids per AWU on average for draft farming, twenty for saddle horses, and fifteen for race horses. This analysis shows that farms with equids can serve as a reference for all types of equine industry facilities.