Maryland Department of Agriculture

The Maryland horse industry may be compared to an iceberg. The tip of the iceberg is what is visible to the general public: Maryland's racetrack operations. Beneath the surface, however, is a mammoth industry that until recently has lacked visibility and consequently has remained largely unappreciated. Sixty percent of Maryland's horses are used for sport, recreation and work purposes. In addition, participants involved in the Maryland horse industry represent all demographic categories.

The Maryland horse industry has assets totaling more than 5.2 billion dollars, holds approximately 10% of Maryland's land, has twice as many horses per square mile as Virginia, Texas, California, or Kentucky, and employs approximately 20,000 people. This industry has ties to almost all sectors of the Maryland economy, including agriculture, environment, transportation, business, economic development, and education. According to state agencies, the Maryland horse industry has an annual economic impact estimated to be three times that of all college and professional sports franchises combined. The horse industry is a part of Maryland's cultural and economic heritage and is an enduring resource.