Summary of our market study

French equine market estimated at 11 billion euros

Since 2020, the French equine market has shown signs of stabilization after a period of decline that saw a 30% drop in the number of breeders and a 25% drop in foal births. The industry generated sales of 11.2 billion euros, with horseracing accounting for 87% of total financial flows.

The United States was the leading producer of thoroughbred racehorses, while France ranked 6th with 5,500 thoroughbreds.

The sports and leisure sector experienced a peak in demand, followed by a decline and then stabilization. The number of licensees in France fell by 11%. Draft horses and horsemeat make a less significant contribution to the industry.

The number of horses in France remained relatively stable at 1.09 million.

Despite the fall in the number of breeders, the number of breeding farms has increased.

Artificial insemination is the predominant breeding method, with a wide variation in methods depending on the breed.

The market is structured by various organizations such as France Galop, Le Trot, SHF, SFET and Interbev Equins, each responsible for different segments of the sector.

In the 2010s, the French breeding industry underwent a major transformation with the sale of the Haras Nationaux by the French government. These reforms led to a contraction and stabilization of the market.

The equine industry encompasses the racing, sport-leisure, draft horse and horsemeat categories.

Racing accounts for around 87% of the sector's sales, but betting volumes have fallen by around 10% in recent years.

The number of horse-riding licensees has declined by 11% over a six-year period. Nevertheless, the sport retains its position as the fourth most popular national sport. This sector includes disciplines such as show jumping, dressage and eventing. The majority of competition participants are club members.

Demand for working horses rose, reflecting successful promotional efforts.

Production and demand for working equines remained stable at 4,300 horses, regional breeds at 2,000 and donkeys at 2,500.

The horsemeat segment is in sharp decline, accounting for just 1.3% of the sector's sales.

Key players in the equine market

France Galop and Le Trot: The pillars of the racing industry

France Galop's main mission is to encourage the breeding of purebred racehorses and the development of horseracing in France. It exerts considerable influence on the racing landscape by assuming legal, disciplinary and financial responsibilities.

Le Trot focuses on the world of trotting and promotes the breeding and discipline of trotting.

Société Hippique Française (SHF): Breeding sport and leisure horses

The SHF looks after the sport and leisure horse segment, concentrating its efforts on preserving the quality of young sport horses and ponies. By organizing competition circuits and complying with the rules on value enhancement, the SHF ensures that sport and leisure horses benefit from an environment conducive to their development. In collaboration with the Fédération française d'équitation (FFE), the SHF facilitates the development and importance of riding as a sport in France.

Société Française des Équidés de Travail (SFET): Champions of working equines

Dedicated to the promotion of working horses, SFET defends the breeding, training and marketing of these hardy equines. Representing a diverse range of 24 breeds, SFET conducts promotional activities and development programs that highlight the use and adaptability of workhorses in contemporary contexts.

Interbev Equins: The voice of the equine meat industry

Although representing a smaller and shrinking sector, Interbev Equins acts as the guarantor of interests linked to horse breeding and the commercial aspects of the horsemeat industry. Working closely with FranceAgrimer, Interbev Equins is responsible for protecting this traditional market segment, ensuring that standards and common interests are taken into account and defended.

the horse breeding market - France

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Last update : 05/10/2021

Summary and extracts

1 Market overview

1.1 Definition and scope of the study

A breeder is the owner of at least one mare, which he or she brings to stud. The breeder monitors and cares for the broodmares throughout the breeding cycle, and provides the initial education of young foals destined for development and/or marketing. Breeders are often required to engage in other activities, such as breaking-in, transporting horses, brokerage, promoting young horses in competition or instructing riders, to supplement their breeding income.

Historically, horse breeding was the responsibility of the Haras Nationaux, which played a supervisory role with the aim of maintaining and improving the quality of equestrian horses in France. Offered at reduced rates, stud services were provided by a hundred or so stallions made available annually to mare owners. The initial aim was to provide horses for the French cavalry, which in turn served the French army. at the end of the XIXᵉ century, the Haras nationaux supplied horses for equestrian disciplines, and since the second half of the XXᵉ century, equestrian sports and leisure have been added.

In the early 2000s, the Haras and their ownership by the State were much debated, marking the beginning of reforms for the equine sector: some State-owned stud farms began to be put up for sale; State management of stallions was also called into question, as the State gradually withdrew from this function, and public calibration drew to a close, causing upheaval. In 2010, the Haras Nationaux came to an end, merging with the École Nationale d'Equitation to form the Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation (Ifce). At the end of 2014, it was official: the State sold all its stallions, marking the end of public stallion breeding, which had to be gradually offset by private stallion breeding.many small breeders were unable to pay the stud fees and had to close down their businesses.

These reforms have had a major impact on the equine industry: the number of breeders fell by 30% between 2009 and 2019, and the number of foal births followed suit, dropping by 25% between 2009 and 2016. From 2016 to 2019, however, the number of breeders stabilized, falling by just 0.6% a year, and from 2017 to 2019, the number of births even returned to growth, still very slight, but at 2.3% a year.

The equine breeding sector has been turned upside down by the reforms concerning the National Studs, entities that had been established and reigned over the sector for centuries. This break-up is still recent, the sector is changing and is still in a period of transition, but the figures are stabilizing and show that the sector has lost some of its power, but is nonetheless an attractive sector, ready to take off again.

Breeders are producers in the equine industry, which is divided into 4 categories: racing, sport-leisure, working and meat. Breeders are highly dependent on the activity of each of these sub-sectors, the most important of which is horse racing, generating 87% of the sector's sales in 2019. Racing has suffered greatly from the health crisis, but is slowly regaining its strength, as shown by PMU's results, which should reach 93% of usual results by the end of the year, according to the CEO's October 20210 estimates. Like the equestrian sector, the other activities of the equine industry are also gradually recovering from the health crisis.

2 Demand analysis

3 Market structure

4 Offer analysis

5 Regulations

6 Positioning the players

6.1

Guy Pariente Holding
Wertheimer & Frère
Franklin Finance S.A.
S.A. AGA KHAN
Jean Claude SEROUL
Haras de Saint-Voir
Mme Benoit Gabeur
MR THIERRY CYPRES
Mme Henri Devin
Mme Catherine Coiffier
Jean-Philippe DUBOIS
Écurie des CHARMES
Écurie Quick Star
RÉMI BOUCRET
S.C.E.A. DES BISSONS
Arquana
France Galop
Cheval Liberté - Nancy Cheval
Haras de Vendée

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