A 2005 census taken by Deloitte Consulting told us: 9.2 million. That's a hair smaller than the population of North Carolina!

So, what are all these horses doing? The data was surprising. While there is a strong group of racehorses and show horses out there, there are also many pleasure horses that have recreational careers. In fact, recreational equines make up the largest section of the horse population in America - 3.9 million horses.

As for the competitors - what disciplines do they participate in? Researchers tracked this by polling equestrian competition organizations and compiling membership data. The most recent horse census revealed 208,930 participants in equestrian sport activities. The largest single-discipline equestrian sport membership number was held by the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) at 33,044 members.

Whether your horse is a competitor or a pasture ornament, chiropractic can help improve movement, quality of life, and temperament. For more on the benefits of chiropractic for equines, check out this page on our website.

Like horses, we people are often visual learners. That's why Animal Connections put together this infographic for you. Surprised by the numbers? Tell us about it in the comments.