THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF HORSE OWNERSHIP A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University by Garlena Ann Bauer, B.S. * * * * * * * The Ohio State University 1979 Approved by Copyright 6 1979 UlI.JL1Ii:(I/\ 6q Advi!Il1V.I' r by ~ar1ena Ann Bauer All rights reserved. Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology ii. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1. Table 1. Comparison of top five states to Ohio in Arabian horse Owrlership. II • .. .. .. .. • .. 3. Table 2. AHSA figures for horse shows which have taken place over the last five years in the United States . 4. Typology of Horse Owrlers: Spectators, Newcomers, Hobbyists, Professionals and Investors . • . 5. II. CONTEXT 9. Evolution of Modern Society 10. Horse World as Outgrowth of Above 11. Typology of Horse Owners . 14. Conflict as Result . 26 III. METHODOLOGY 32. Participant Observation 32. Strengths and Weaknesses of Field Research . 38. v. SURVEY FINDINGS 42. Horse Census Questionnaire Findings. .. 42. Table 3. Husband's Education . .. 44. Table 4. Wife's Education .... 45. iii. Table 5. Interest in Breeding Horses . 46. Table 6. Interest in Showing Horses . 46. Table 7. Interest in Trail Riding 47. Table 8. Interest in Contest Horses . 47. Table 9. Interest in Race Horses 47. Table 10. Breeding Operations 48. Table 11. Hire Employees . • .. 48. Table 12. Number of Horses Owned . .• 48. Table 13. Total Acreage Owned . • .. 50. Table 14. Percentage who live on FaI'Dl . • . .• 51. Table 15. Percentage who own farm . .. 51. Table 16. Husbands Who Grew Up on Farms 51. Table 17. Wives Who Grew Up on Farms ..... 51. Table 18. Husband's InvQlvement with Horses . •. 52. Table 19. Wife's Involvement with Horses . .. 52. Table 20. Plan to Own More Horses . .. 53. Table 21. Total Family Income for Year 1977 . .• 53. Table 22. Money Invested in Horse Related Equipment, Exclud­ ing Land and Buildings . .. 54. Summary of Findings 55. iv. CHAPTER V. STATIIS SYSTEMS AND STRATEGY 57. Status Systems in the Arabian Horse Culture . 58. Parties .. 58. Vocabulary 59. Items of Conspicuous Consumption 60. Horse Shows . 61. VI. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS 66. A Local Arabian Horse Show 68. A State Arabian Horse Show 74. A National Arabian Horse Show . 83. VII. CONCLUSIONS 91. 1\P. PEND I X A. BIBLIOGRAPHY 94. APPENDIX B. Letter to Horse Owners, November 10, 1978 97. Letter to Horse Owners, January 19, 1979 98. Horse Census Survey Instrument 99. APPENDIX C. Photographic Documentation of Horse Shows 103. i NOIl.:>naO~.LNI "I "I 2. "The Sociological Implications of Horse Ownership" is a pilot study which has grown out of the interest of the academic community as an attempt to understand the subgroup of our population which is referred to in the horse world as the "horse set." A large segment of our population is involved with recreational and professional activities related to horses and this number is increasing rapidly. However, an extensive library search has failed to turn up any relative information on this subject. It is felt that information regarding this topic would be valuable to obtain for purposes of planning in areas of veterinary medicine, economics, agriculture, etc. In this age of rapid inflation, it is interesting to note the consistent rise in interest related to horses. For example, the International Arabian Horse Association in Burbank, California reports a rapid increase in both membership and the registration of Arabian horses. The current membership includes 24,000 members, excluding t the affiliated state membership, with an additional 5,000 direct members. Five years ago, this figure approximated 10,000 members. The national headquarters is deluged with 400 - 600 requests per month requesting information on the Arabian horse. They report their junior membership (under age 18) rising between 20 - 40% each month. The Arabian Trust in Denver, Colorado, in conjunction with the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky distributes over one million requests for informa­ tion on horses annually. More specifically, in the United States, there are 55,436 owners who have registered 180,000 purebred Arabian horses, 190,000 half Arabs, and 6,000 Anglo-Arabian horses. By contrast, Mexico has only thirty­ 3. five horse owners who have registered Arabian horses. Registration for other breeds includes 1,379,000 registered Quarter Horses; 300,000 Thoroughbreds; 280,000 Appalosa; 240,000 Standardbreds; 180,000 Tennessee Walkers; 140,000 Saddlebreds; and 60,000 Morgans. Large Arabian horse owners (owning 26 or more horses) total 15% of the Arabian horse owners but own two thirds of all Arabian horses. Arabian horse ownership is heavily concentrated in California, Minnesota, Washington, Michigan and Indiana. Table 1 comparing the five leading states with registered Arabian horses to Ohio follows. Table 1. Comparison of the top five states to Ohio in Arabian horse ownership and number of registered Arabian horses. Total Number Total Number Registered Arabian Horse STATE Horses Owners California 27,531 10,605 Minnesota 7,779 2,577 Washington 7,635 - 2,875 .... Michigan 7,204 2,875 Indiana 4,466 1,488 Ohio 2,048 662 Even though Ohio may not rank as one of the top five states in numbers of horses owned or horse owners, it is one of the most active of all states and puts on one of the top shows in the country. 4. One of the primary reasons for horse ownership in the United States is family recreation in the form of horse show participation. Horse show classes include: halter and performance classes such as formal driving, western pleasure, English pleasure, hunters, park horse, jumping, native costume, pleasure driving and stock horse contests, and many more. The types of horse show classes are different for each breed, each show and each area of the country. According the the American Horse Show Association, horse shows in the United States are increasing in number, with the exception of the year 1977 when a bad winter was reported to have cut the number back because of cancellations. * These figures, however, do not include figures for the American Quarter Horse Association which has its own horse show association and is not accountable to the AHSA. Table 2 follows. Table 2. AHSA figures for horse shows which have taken place over the last five years in the United States. YEAR NUMBER OF-HORSE SHOWS 1974 1,258 1975 1,427 1976 1,491 1977 1,481 * 1978 1,607 s. Currently, figures are not available for the number of people who have attended horse shows each year in the United States, however, it is suspected that this number is also increasing. The question that is often asked is: What types or classes of people are involved with horses? After extensive observations, this researcher has attempted a typology of types or classes of persons involved with horses: spectators, newcomers, hobbyists, professionals, and investors. Thus a brief description of each follows. I. SPECTATORS Spectators are potential horse owners who currently do not own horses. They may have owned horses or have had access to horses when they were younger or they may have children who are interested in horses. They will sometimes hang out with friends who have horses, just to be around them. I I . NEWCOMERS Horse owners who have just recently purchased their first purebred or half Arabian horse. They are extremely enthusiastic but their outstanding characteristic is their naivete, especially in the area of cost. Most experienced horseowners will avoid newcomers, unless they have enough money to become prospective buyers. III. HOBBYISTS Hobbyists may either be adults who are interested in horses primarily for purposes of recreation or have children who are interested. Their primary interest is trail riding or exhibiting 6. at small horse shows and perhaps one larger Class A show annually. They have a tendency to become frustrated when competing with more experienced horsemen in the show ring and will drop out early in the game or, if they have enough money, will engage a trainer in order to become more proficient. IV. PROFESSIONALS There are two primary subtypes of business enterpreneurs within the horse world, those who are successful and have been in the business a relatively long period of time. They are established and comfortable and usually have incomes to supplement the lull periods. This is important, since it is hard to meet expenses in the horse business. The second category of business entrepreneurs within the horse world are the unsuccessful. They have been in the business for a long time but "have not made it." They tend to feel beat and sour, but they are in so deep they can't get out - there is nowhere to go. The horse­ market is unfluid, since the market at anyone time is limited. One cannot decide to hold a sale whenever it becomes a loosing game because there may be no market. This makes horse owners 7. frustrated when they have decided they have had enough and want to get out. V. INVESTORS Some horse owners buy horses when they are making an excessive amount of money in some successful venture and need a tax deduction. They never really get serious about horses and usually will hire trainers to take care of the details which they cannot handle and are not interested in pursuing. However, they resent paying for training and boarding fees and are usually unreasonable in their demands since their knowledge of horses is limited. A more detailed description of this typology follows in the later chapter on context. While these five classes of people emerged as a result of extensive participant observation of the Arabian horse show activities in Ohio, it would be interesting to compare this typology across breeds to see if a consensus can be observed.