The raw data will be published by the Agricultural Marketing Center and entitled Private and Public Stables Survey Responses in Selected Maryland Counties . Parameters of the Survey A mailing list of private and public stables located within the seven selected counties was compiled from more than 300 individual lists obtained from equine organizations, trade publications, support businesses, and other industry sources. For survey purposes, individuals in the same immediate family were identified as one household. Spectators at shows and other horse events were not included. The response rate was 17.2 percent from households and 42.2 percent from public stables.
Researchers consider analyses based on such a response rate highly reliable.
Of the private-stable respondents, 88.5 percent indicated that they either owned or leased at least one horse. The average number of horse enthusiasts in each household was two. The average number of enthusiasts affiliated with each public stable was 200. Table 1 . This total specifically excluded horses stabled at Pimlico and Laurel racecourses, which generally average about 1,500 Thoroughbreds combined.