Are Horses Considered Livestock? (Find Out!)

I overheard an interesting debate last week when I was out shopping.

Two men were debating whether horses are considered livestock or not.

The older man was suggesting that they are livestock because they’re used on farms, whereas the younger man disagreed, arguing that they are companions.

This conversation really got me thinking, and I’m excited to share what I discovered when I did some research of my own.

So, are horses considered livestock?

You might be surprised to learn that horses are considered livestock in North America on a federal level because while they are used recreationally in sports and shows, they are also widely used for agricultural reasons. This means that legally they are livestock, despite their reputation as a companion animal.

In this article we’ll discuss the definition of livestock, why exactly horses are considered livestock, if miniature horses can be considered livestock and if horses are pets.

Let’s not waste any time and get to answering these questions!

What is livestock?

Before discussing the concept of horses as livestock, it is useful to define what livestock actually is.

In America, livestock is considered as animals who are kept and raised on a farm or ranch for commercial reasons.

This can mean commercially keeping animals for meat (food production), dairy produce, their hair or wool and for land farming.

Prior to 2018, horses were only recognized as livestock in some states, with state laws differing across the country.

For example, in California horses are considered livestock, whereas in several other states they are not based on the grounds that they are more so companions than animals for “food or fiber”.

Yet, in 2018, the farm bill confirmed their status as livestock on a federal (national) level.

The following sections will discuss the relevance of this bill to the consideration of horses as livestock.

Why are horses considered livestock?

Technically, horses are considered livestock if they are kept for the above-mentioned reasons.

That is if they are kept for meat or food production, for their hides, for their hair, or for farming purposes such as for use in plowing or pulling farm vehicles.

Horses are widely used for these purposes across North America, but there exists some confusion and controversy around the term since the vast majority of horses are domesticated and kept as show animals, racehorses, or more closely resemble pets than livestock.

In recent years, the Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) have been pushing for the legislation around the definition of horses as livestock to be loosened.

This is so that facilities that house horses may be eligible for cost-share funds, which they are not entitled to under the livestock definition.

However, now that the 2018 bill has been passed, the definition is even tighter, and they are now federally recognized as livestock.

It is thought that because they are used commercially, even if not agriculturally, that they then should be considered livestock.

Overall, horses are considered livestock because they are used commercially for both agriculture and recreational purposes.

Are miniature horses livestock?

Having discussed the reasons why horses may be considered livestock, you might be wondering, what about miniature horses?

Miniature horses are much smaller horses that are often kept as pets or as show animals.

Their heights range roughly between 34 to 38 inches and because of this, they are often regarded as being totally different to full-size horses.

However, it is important to note that miniature horses should be treated with the same level of commitment, time and effort that a full-size horse is.

Anatomically, they are exactly the same as full-size horses and are just as susceptible to the same diseases and health problems as other horses.

The only difference is their size and that they require less calories.

Therefore, although you might regard mini horses as closer to pets than to livestock, they can still by definition be classified as livestock.

Are horses pets?

Following from our discussion of horses being considered livestock, one of the most highly debated questions about horses concerns whether they may be considered pets or not.

So, are horses pets?

This question is a grey area for many horse owners.

Having outlined that horses are legally considered livestock; you might be wondering if they can also still be considered as pets.

Many horses are kept as companion animals, with owners forming strong emotional attachments to their horses.

This is by definition what a pet is, therefore, horses can be regarded as such.

However, as mentioned, horses require a lot of care and commitment to keep, and if you are looking for a pet who you can take with you on runs, on holidays, trips to the park etc., a horse is probably not the pet for you.

Therefore, horses can be considered both livestock and pets or companion animals.

It is the owner’s preference by which means the horse is treated.

In conclusion, horses are considered livestock on a federal level in the USA.

This article has explored the term livestock and what it actually encompasses by definition.

It was found that although some people reject the term livestock when describing horses, they are legally considered livestock due to their commercial usage (both agriculturally and recreationally).

We then discussed miniature horses and whether they should be considered livestock too, since they are much smaller than full-size horses and are more generally kept as domesticated pets.

It was found that they are also considered livestock since they are used for commercial purposes and only differ in size to full-size horses.

Finally, we considered if horses can be considered pets regardless of their categorisation as livestock.

It was found that they can be considered both pets and livestock as they are companion animals, although they may not make the ideal pet for everyone.