In France, the horse population has been expanding since 1995 to reach 950 000 heads in 2010, representing about 15% of the total European horse population today. This growth is the result of the development of pony-riding for children and the increasing interest of French people in recreational riding and horse-betting. These changes offer major advantages to the different horse sectors, especially in the context of declining State support, increasing international competition on the horse market, societal changes regarding animal welfare, decreasing horse-meat consumption and harmonization of regulations at European level.
