Declines in the number of foals and registered horses have created challenges for the equine industry at large, though the situation has raised another major question: Where have all the owners gone?

This year’s American Horse Council National Issues Forum was titled, “Where Have All the Horses Gone?” During the June 24 forum in Washington, D.C., the question was answered on several levels, but the data also led to more questions.

Breed registries have largely the same story to tell, and it’s one about fewer horses either through declines in the number of mares bred or the fact horses aren’t registered. In any event, racing and other disciplines are feeling the impact that comes from fewer people participating in horse ownership.

For instance, the Thoroughbred foal crop was more than 51,000, an all-time high, in 1986, but The Jockey Club projects it will fall to about 22,000 in 2014. In turn, the number of individual race starters is projected to drop from 59,300 last year to 44,500 in 2017