Equine industry in Kentucky

The equine industry in Kentucky is a major part of the state's agribusiness, including sectors involved in horse breeding and rearing, racing, buying and selling, and tourism. According to a study by the University of Kentucky, the equine industry contributed $3 billion to the state economy in 2012 and generated 40,665 jobs. Some job estimates range as high as 96,000 when considering secondary impacts such as tourism. Kentucky is the United States' leading producer of horses overall, and the number one producer of Thoroughbreds, with 30% of the national foaling total. In 2009, stud fees and horse sales totaled $4.26 billion, making horses the state's second most profitable agricultural product.Purebred horses exported from Kentucky were worth between approximately 150 and 175 million dollars each year from 2012 to 2015.

In 2010, the Thoroughbred breeding industry alone generated 10,797 jobs, plus an additional 6,860 indirectly related jobs.

Horses and horse pursuits are strongly linked to Kentucky identity. A horse appears on Kentucky's state quarter and on the standard automobile license plate, selected by a citizen vote, A Kentucky Horse Park specialty license plate with the park's logo resembling the 1963 photograph The Soul of a Horse was the subject of a lawsuit brought by the German photographer who owned rights to the image.

Streets in Danville and Lexington are named after famed racehorses like Cavalcade, Citation and Man o' War.

A study published by the Humane Society concluded that the relatively high horse density for Kentucky's population, 12.9 people per horse, is in part due to the strong "horse-sport-and-socializing legacy" in its region.

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