Horsing Around
Equine Industry Booming in North County

By Jim Evans

Horses come in every flavor, from golden palominos to multicolored paints, and from 2,000-pound draft horses standing 18 hands high to 100-pound miniature horses standing (well, that might be stretching it) just 14 inches tall. Mules, donkeys and ponies are part of the family tree, too.

Yet for all the horses of all shapes, sizes, colors and relationships in North County, there isn’t much hard information about the equine industry here or anywhere else. The only thing that people seem to agree on is that the horse industry in San Diego’s North County is doing very well, thank you.

The American Horse Council Foundation, perhaps the most authoritative statistical source, says there were 6.9 million horses in the United States in 1996, the most recent year for which study data was available. Of those, nearly 3 million were used for recreation; almost 2 million used in show; 1.3 million used in other activities (farming, ranching, rodeo, police work, etc.); and 725,000 used in racing or racehorse breeding.

All together, more than 7.1 million Americans were involved in the horse industry in one form or another, with a financial impact of more than $112.1 billion on the U.S. economy. This translated into 1.4 million full-time jobs.

The same study estimated there were 720,500 Californians involved in the state’s horse industry, with 333,200 residents participating in some aspect of showing and 487,800 in horse-related recreational activities. The California horse industry provides about 36,000 full-time jobs with a total employment impact of 124,400 jobs. Still, these are only estimates at best.

Even the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which keeps extensive data on commercial livestock operations, keeps surprisingly little data on horses. Gary Nelson, agricultural statistician for the California Department of Agriculture, says that the most recent 2002 agricultural census shows approximately 130,000 horses (and ponies) in California, including 8,153 in San Diego County. The latter figure is sixth in the nation, according to the San Diego County Farm Bureau.

However, “we feel these numbers are grossly underestimated,” Nelson said.

A survey by the Ramona Equine Industry Network estimated at least 15,000 horses just in Ramona and showed that the equine industry in San Diego County generated between $24 million and $30 million. But even REIN’s statistics are already outdated, according to REIN president Teri Merry, and might be flawed.

“It is difficult to find data on horses because it is seldom that more than 50 horses are kept in a single facility,” said Deanne Meyers, livestock management specialist at UC Davis, said in February 1997. “You must have a sufficient mass of animals for study before data can be representative.”

The fact is, the equine industry might be one of the most prosperous yet clandestine in the country. But regardless of the statistical uncertainty across the country and throughout California, most people would agree that horses are definitely big business in North County. Horses here abound in hundreds of private stables, horse shows, rodeos, equestrian centers and racetracks, spawning a vast subculture of related service and retail industries, from veterinarians and farriers to feed stores and saddle shops.

“Yes, the industry is doing well in North County,” said Lisa Lucidi, owner of Lucidi Farms, a new 32-acre, $2.4 million equestrian and horse-boarding center that opened last year in Poway.

Janine McCullough, business manager of the Golden Eagle Farm, a 560-acre horse paradise located 9 miles east of neighboring Ramona, agreed.

“The horse business is healthy in North County and continues to grow,” she said. “We are certainly seeing no decline in growth or interest from our perspective.”

Golden Eagle, one of the premiere breeding farms in California for Thoroughbreds, stables more than 550 horses at its main farm and has produced more than 130 stakes winners — many at the Del Mar Race Track, where Golden Eagle’s owners, the Mabees, are the winningest owners in Del Mar’s history.

Del Mar Horse Park has been a success since it first opened in 1937. Often referred to as the “playground for the stars” because it attracted early Hollywood stars such as Bing Crosby, Pat O’Brien, Ava Gardner, Dorothy Lamour and others, the Del Mar Race Track consistently leads the nation in both race attendance and daily handle. More than just a racetrack, the sprawling equine campus also hosts special events in the off-season, such as the Del Mar Fair, conducts satellite wagering, and is the home to several restaurants, commercial stables and other interrelated businesses.

Not surprisingly, the greatest threat to the equine industry in North County might be real estate development. Real estate values here have appreciated faster than any other segment of the country, creating a high demand for large tracts of land often occupied by horse enthusiasts.

“Developers have made it too enticing to landowners to hold on to their properties, and we are losing a lot of our prime horse properties to residential and commercial development,” Lucidi said.

“Even Del Mar has been threatened by development interests, so it is always a concern,” McCullough said.

Horses and people have had an obliging relationship since at least 3000 B.C. (maybe not quite that far back in North County), so there is no reason to think that relationship will not continue. However, it could become more tenuous as property values spiral upward in San Diego and the demand for housing continues to increase.

The problem is, the number of people and horses likely will continue to grow. And real estate? Well, they’re not making any more of it. Somewhere, there has to be some middle ground.