Horse industry increases in Ohio

LEBANON, Ohio - A surge in Ohio's horse industry reflects a renewed interest in recreational riding, board, and breeding, trainers and other professionals say.

A 2005 study commissioned by the American Horse Council Foundation found Ohio's horse industry worth $2.2 billion annually. It estimated Ohio had 306,898 horses, ranking it sixth nationally behind Texas - with 978,822 horses - California, Florida, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

The number of horses in Warren County, northeast of Cincinnati, increased 2,565 in 1997 to 3,815 in 2002, a 49 percent increase, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.