The horse industry has two distinct segments, the first being the sport and recreational use of horses, and the second being the agriculture sector. The sport and recreation sector is by far the most prominent use of horses in North America today. It includes horses raised for pleasure riding, rodeo, racing and competition. The agricultural use of horses is limited to the breeding, raising and marketing of horses and horse by-products. Meat production from horses is limited in North America but its consumption is popular in other parts of the world.
Horse production in Canada reached its peak in the early 1920s. The use of draft animals for farming and other agricultural practices encouraged horse numbers to reach 3.45 million animals. As machinery replaced the horse as a power source, numbers decreased as low as 340 000 in the 1970s. More recently, the decrease in horse numbers has only been limited as income rises and jobs permit more time for recreation.
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