The horse sector
The primary horse keeping sector can be subdivided into four branches:
Breeding
Equestrianism
Leisure
trade
why did we keep horses? (in order)
Consumption meat and milk (first one)
Warfare (large breeds for bearing knights in armour (180 kg))
Transportation
Land cultivation
Domestication
At different locations around the same time
Ca. 3.500 BC
From 1950 until now
Horse replaced by tractor
From horse power to leisure’
‘lighter’ horses required
Thru horse breeding we changed its features and mate it more for
other thing and not as a land cultivator
Why do we keep horses?
Sports (dressage, show jumping, eventing)
Recreation – companion – leisure – tourism
Professional <-> hobby
Sport and leisure:
Races
Most important
Horse races (flat and steeple)
Trotting
Betting: €30 billion in Europe; 93 billion worldwide
Estimated horses and ponies in the Netherlands is 550.000
But just 10% professionally and thus registered (29.789 registered)
The non-professional businesses have fewer than 20 horses and/or
ponies, do not have to be registered
Breeding
Is mostly done with horses and ponies that are registered in a
recognised studbook
, In the Netherlands there are 32 recognised pony and horse
studbooks (40.000 coverings per year)
The studbooks monitor the quality of the breeds
Trade
Many horses are traded and exported form the Netherlands
There are two horse trading associations
o The Central Association of Horse Traders in the Netherlands
(CPBN) for leisure and slaughter
o The Netherlands United Equestrian Trade (VSN) equestrian
horses
2013 of KWPN equestrian horses totalled 200 million euros
Turnover in the domestic trade is put at 10 million euros
Equestrianism and leisure
One large federation for equestrianism (2002): the royal Dutch
Equestrian Federation (KNHS)
All eight disciplines fall under the KNHS except harness racing and
horseracing
KNHS has ca. 220.000 members
Number of people involved:
o Total nr. Of riders 466.000
Top sports: 2.000
Common sport: 130.000
Recreation: 334000 (260.000 riding shools, 55.000 individuals)
o Passive: 500.000 (spectators per year)
o Trotting and racing sports: 40.000
o Young (<20y 45%), female, income just above average
o 50% member of a club (information available for the sector)
The association of Netherlands Harness Racing and Horseracing
(NDR) has 1.600 members
Economic significance (zie pp)
Dutch export – 300 mil. Dollar 4th exporting country in the world (to the US
the most)
Equine legislation and regulation
Mandatory stallion selection was introduced in 1884 in the
Netherlands
The Animal Health and Welfare Act (GWWD) was passed in 1992
o Contains regulations on the use of and checks on horse doping
and on whether intervention is called for
With the lapsing of the Horses Act, the obligation to cover only with
certified stallions also lapsed
The GWWD war replaced by the new Animals Act in 2013
The primary horse keeping sector can be subdivided into four branches:
Breeding
Equestrianism
Leisure
trade
why did we keep horses? (in order)
Consumption meat and milk (first one)
Warfare (large breeds for bearing knights in armour (180 kg))
Transportation
Land cultivation
Domestication
At different locations around the same time
Ca. 3.500 BC
From 1950 until now
Horse replaced by tractor
From horse power to leisure’
‘lighter’ horses required
Thru horse breeding we changed its features and mate it more for
other thing and not as a land cultivator
Why do we keep horses?
Sports (dressage, show jumping, eventing)
Recreation – companion – leisure – tourism
Professional <-> hobby
Sport and leisure:
Races
Most important
Horse races (flat and steeple)
Trotting
Betting: €30 billion in Europe; 93 billion worldwide
Estimated horses and ponies in the Netherlands is 550.000
But just 10% professionally and thus registered (29.789 registered)
The non-professional businesses have fewer than 20 horses and/or
ponies, do not have to be registered
Breeding
Is mostly done with horses and ponies that are registered in a
recognised studbook
, In the Netherlands there are 32 recognised pony and horse
studbooks (40.000 coverings per year)
The studbooks monitor the quality of the breeds
Trade
Many horses are traded and exported form the Netherlands
There are two horse trading associations
o The Central Association of Horse Traders in the Netherlands
(CPBN) for leisure and slaughter
o The Netherlands United Equestrian Trade (VSN) equestrian
horses
2013 of KWPN equestrian horses totalled 200 million euros
Turnover in the domestic trade is put at 10 million euros
Equestrianism and leisure
One large federation for equestrianism (2002): the royal Dutch
Equestrian Federation (KNHS)
All eight disciplines fall under the KNHS except harness racing and
horseracing
KNHS has ca. 220.000 members
Number of people involved:
o Total nr. Of riders 466.000
Top sports: 2.000
Common sport: 130.000
Recreation: 334000 (260.000 riding shools, 55.000 individuals)
o Passive: 500.000 (spectators per year)
o Trotting and racing sports: 40.000
o Young (<20y 45%), female, income just above average
o 50% member of a club (information available for the sector)
The association of Netherlands Harness Racing and Horseracing
(NDR) has 1.600 members
Economic significance (zie pp)
Dutch export – 300 mil. Dollar 4th exporting country in the world (to the US
the most)
Equine legislation and regulation
Mandatory stallion selection was introduced in 1884 in the
Netherlands
The Animal Health and Welfare Act (GWWD) was passed in 1992
o Contains regulations on the use of and checks on horse doping
and on whether intervention is called for
With the lapsing of the Horses Act, the obligation to cover only with
certified stallions also lapsed
The GWWD war replaced by the new Animals Act in 2013
