After an in-depth Request for Proposal (RFP) was sent far and wide, and specifically to 6 leading economic impact consulting firms, AHC received 3 bids. All bidders were very qualified and submitted outstanding bids.
However, The Innovation Group once again came in as the best fit for the project. AHC has used Innovation Group previously for both the 2017 and 2023 studies. They have deep experience and knowledge of the equine industry.
There are two immediate next steps:
- Fundraising – the study costs the industry roughly $400K. As the horse industry doesn’t have a check-off program like other livestock, we must fundraise. Fundraising will start July 1st, and we welcome opportunities to speak to groups about supporting the national study and about specialty breakout reports. Contact us at info@horsecouncil.org
- On Friday, June 5th, AHC begged the indulgence of Innovation Group (since a contract has not been officially signed) to participate in a Town Hall meeting with industry stakeholders, to build off their 2023 work. We must now decide what survey questions worked? What changes do we need to the data collection or methodology? We have compiled questions we received since the last study and are inviting stakeholders to submit possible questions to info@horsecouncil.org no later than July 1st.
We’d like to remind everyone that this is first and foremost an economic impact study, not a marketing study. That means often people ask us to collect data that isn’t appropriate for economic analysis. We try very hard not to ask too many questions to avoid survey fatigue.
There are 1.6M horse owners in the US, and for the 2023 survey, we had 25K responses. We rely on industry groups to help us circulate and encourage responses to boost that sample size and cut back on the secondary research.
This is all about “good data in, means great data out.”
If you don’t participate, it’s hard for us to understand what the horse industry truly looks like and who you are.
Still not clear why it’s so important?
- The study determines where resources go and don’t go – think, USDA disease preparedness, and the farm bill funding!
- The study impacts political pull – think, this is how we influence politicians to understand their constituents’ needs.
- The study drives products and services. It drives business growth. Investors are constantly asking about investing in the industry.
- The study helps communities plan for the future.
- The study informs and helps guide research!
This study tells the story of you and your horse, and we need you to help us write it.
About the American Horse Council
As the national association representing all segments of the horse industry in Washington, D.C., the American Horse Council works daily to represent equine interests and opportunities.
Media Contact:
Julie Broadway
American Horse Council
Phone: 202-296-4031
Email: jbroadway@horsecouncil.org