Flanders plays a central role in Europe’s thriving equestrian industry, generating an annual turnover of around 1.43 billion euros and exporting horses worth about 200 million euros yearly. The sector supports over 6,000 jobs and includes roughly 200,000 horses, with 75,000 housed on professional premises such as breeding farms and riding schools. Despite its economic significance and Belgium’s global reputation for elite horse breeding—evidenced by strong Olympic performances and high-value exports—just over half of the businesses in the sector are profitable. Many smaller operations prioritize passion and lifestyle over financial gain, resulting in narrow profit margins.

At the higher end, larger professional breeding operations show stronger profitability, with around 80% making profits and driving most high-value exports, particularly to markets like the United States. Belgium ranks among Europe’s top horse-breeding nations alongside Germany and the Netherlands, boasting high average earnings per horse and a dense population of sport horses. However, the sector faces growing challenges related to horse welfare, intensified by public scrutiny and social media backlash following incidents in major competitions and concerns over practices in disciplines like horse racing. This has sparked debates about the compatibility of equestrian sports with animal well-being and their place in events like the Olympics.