Horse Industry Takes The Reins In Georgia’s Economy

Georgia’s equine industry is anything but a pony show — it has a $2.5 billion annual impact on the state’s economy, according to the Georgia Agricultural Commodity Commission for Equine.  Further, horses are the No. 9 commodity in the state with a value of more than $333 million, or about $279.8 million more than those famous Georgia peaches. That’s according to the 2014 Farm Gate Value Reports from the University of Georgia. While more than $750 million is generated from the breeding and care of the 74,000 horses in Georgia today, according to this week’s Atlanta Business Chronicle, the state’s equine industry has two tales to tell. Some breeders and competitors say property taxes and land costs are causing them to move south of Atlanta.