These KY & IN Counties Have More Horses Per Square Mile Than Anywhere Else in the United States

Kentucky’s Equestrian Culture Runs Deep

We’re coming up on the first weekend in May, which every Kentuckian knows is reserved for mint juleps, big bawdy hats, and fast horses. Kentucky is famous for its thriving equestrian culture. Horses are such a big deal here, they even have their own theme park!

Kentucky’s Equestrian Culture Runs Deep

Growing up, being the "horse girl" didn’t exactly make me the most popular kid in school, but I was delighted that our 5th-grade field trip was to the Kentucky Horse Park. Now, thanks to the rise of shows like Yellowstone, it’s cool to be a cowboy. I didn’t have any friends with horses back then, but all my friends were more than happy to tag along with me to the barn.

From Childhood Memories to Adult Horse Ownership

I took a break from horses for a few years, but when my daughter was old enough to ride, we introduced her to our “Old Man.” Cochise, a 30-year-old retired trail horse living on my mom’s farm, was the perfect choice. He was patient, gentle, and happy to be led around at birthday parties while my kiddo crawled all over him.

Fast forward six years, and now we have not one but two horses boarded at Double M Stables in Evansville, one for me and one for my daughter, who shows competitively.

How Social Media Built a Strong Horse Community

As an adult, I also have something I didn’t have much of as a kid: horse friends. Thanks to social media, connecting with other horse lovers has been easier. Having knowledgeable friends in the horse world has been such a blessing. Whenever I need advice or help, they always have my back. And surprisingly, there are a lot of us out there.

Of course, it’s no surprise that Kentucky consistently ranks among the top states when it comes to horses, but I was surprised at some of the recent equine statistics.

Which States Have the Most Horses?

According to the 2022 USDA Agriculture Census, Kentucky actually got outranked when it comes to the number of horses in the state. Here's how the top 10 stack up:

Top 10 States by Number of Horses

1. Texas – 767,000 horses
2. California – 534,000 horses
3. Florida – 387,000 horses
4. Oklahoma – 326,000 horses
5. Kentucky – 320,000 horses
6. Ohio – 306,000 horses
7. Missouri – 281,000 horses
8. North Carolina – 256,000 horses
9. Colorado – 256,000 horses
10. Pennsylvania – 255,000 horses

Honestly, that makes sense. Texas is horse country — and it’s huge.

But I got curious: what if we looked at it by horses per person?

Here's what I found:

States with the Most Horses Per Person

1. Oklahoma – 0.0804 horses per person
2. Kentucky – 0.0709 horses per person
3. Missouri – 0.0455 horses per person
4. Colorado – 0.0432 horses per person
5. Ohio – 0.0260 horses per person
6. Texas – 0.0251 horses per person
7. North Carolina – 0.0236 horses per person
8. Pennsylvania – 0.0197 horses per person
9. Florida – 0.0171 horses per person
10. California – 0.0137 horses per person

Only Oklahoma ranked higher than Kentucky for horses per capita, so we’re still holding strong!

Then, because I’m a numbers nerd, I also checked out horses per square foot of land:

Horses Per Square Foot of Land

1. Kentucky – 0.0000002839 horses/sq ft
2. Ohio – 0.0000002447 horses/sq ft
3. Florida – 0.0000002113 horses/sq ft
4. Pennsylvania – 0.0000001988 horses/sq ft
5. North Carolina – 0.0000001707 horses/sq ft
6. Oklahoma – 0.0000001672 horses/sq ft
7. Missouri – 0.0000001446 horses/sq ft
8. California – 0.0000001170 horses/sq ft
9. Texas – 0.0000001025 horses/sq ft
10. Colorado – 0.0000000882 horses/sq ft

Once again, Kentucky is right at the top. No matter how you slice it, horses are a huge part of our culture.

I mean, we are horse country.

Where It's Easier to Find Horse Property Near Me

I live in Warrick County, Indiana, and getting even a little sliver of property outside of Newburgh or Boonville is almost impossible. Plus, there aren't many boarding barns around here either.
But I noticed it seems a lot easier to find property for horses just across the river in Daviess County, Kentucky.

That got me wondering — what are the top counties with the most horses per square mile?

Top Counties with the Most Horses Per Square Mile

1. Fayette County, Kentucky – 55 horses per square mile
2. LaGrange County, Indiana – 51 horses per square mile
3. Marion County, Florida – 15 horses per square mile
4. Bourbon County, Kentucky – 11 horses per square mile
5. Apache County, Arizona – 11 horses per square mile
6. King County, Texas – 10 horses per square mile
7. Arthur County, Nebraska – 9 horses per square mile
8. Wheeler County, Nebraska – 8 horses per square mile
9. McPherson County, Nebraska – 8 horses per square mile
10. Blaine County, Montana – 7 horses per square mile​

No surprise, several Kentucky counties made the list. Fayette County came in at number one, which makes sense since Lexington and the Kentucky Horse Park are there.

But what did surprise me? LaGrange County, Indiana, came in second! It makes sense, though. They have a large Amish community, and they even host a big horse auction.

If you Love Horses as Much as Me

If you love horses as much as me, check out my other articles about horses or my author page on Young Rider and Horse Illustrated magazines.

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