In a state that determines an important part of its identity from the world-class horses that reside behind its picturesque fences and along its miles of emerald green pastures, it might come as a surprise to find out that the exact number of horses that reside in Kentucky is unknown.

In a collaborative effort, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Kentucky Equine Initiative, the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) and the Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) plan to change that beginning this fall with a statewide count of Kentucky’s horse population.

A count of this type has never been done in Kentucky. While there are some good estimates based on formulas and other studies, there is no current information. Nor is there information based on breed and primary type of use.

That horses are the number one agricultural crop is known, as is the fact that some of the best breeding stallions call Kentucky home. Most of the world readily recognizes Kentucky as the “Horse Capital of the World” and its top notch horse events and cutting edge equine medical facilities and research back up that claim. But, when asked for an actual number of horses, there simply isn’t an accurate figure