Stay Informed

Indiana’s population of horses and ponies has experienced many ups and downs over the years.

While there isn’t any current data on all horses and ponies in the state, the Census of Agriculture has for decades asked about horses as part of its survey of farms. As of the latest Census of Agriculture in 2017, there were nearly 78,000 horses and ponies on Indiana farms, and 11,956 farms owned at least one horse or pony.

This is well below the total from the 2012 census of just over 97,000 and far below the totals from the days when horses were routinely used in farm work – such as 1920, when there were more than 717,000 horses on Indiana farms – but it’s still significantly higher than has been recorded during many previous censuses. For example, in 1969, there were around 62,000 horses and ponies on Indiana farms, and in 1997, there were only about 57,000.

Current data also isn’t available on breeds of horses and ponies raised in Indiana, but many organizations devoted to equestrian breeds and activities have Indiana chapters, including: Indiana Quarter Horse Association, Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Indiana Standardbred Association, Indiana Trail Riders Association, Indiana Saddle Horse Association, Indiana Ranch Horse Association, Indiana Belgian Draft Horse Association and the Indiana Dressage Society, along with many others.

There is some evidence that horse ownership in the state might be changing. According to Keith Lambright of Shipshewana Horse Auction, which is held every Friday, year-round, there aren’t enough horses to go around.

“The demand exceeds the supply,” he said. Whether that constitutes a shortage could depend on your point of view, he said, noting that in some ways the supply of horses could still be recovering from the economic downturn of 2007-2009, when people had horses they couldn’t afford to keep.