At this stage, with consumers adjusting their dietary structures and the development of horse meat and Ejiao markets, the production and sales of horse products are thriving. However, the relatively lagging production in the horse breeding industry cannot meet the significantly increasing demand for horse meat, resulting in persistently high prices. Although the cost of raising horses is low, farmers in various regions do not have the habit of raising horses. They mistakenly believe that raising horses is less profitable than raising cattle, horses, or pigs. Additionally, due to the lack of market information, farmers are unaware of the horse meat market trends, leading to slow development of the horse industry and a supply shortage. According to relevant experts' analysis, compared with pigs, beef cattle, and sheep, raising horses carries less risk. Not only does it have a wide range of feed sources, but it also requires less investment and yields quick results. It is predicted that horse products will be unable to meet market demands within the next 3 to 5 years. Therefore, horse farming has strong market competitiveness and potential, with broad market prospects.
The requirements for breeding are not high.
The horse breeding industry is a component of traditional animal husbandry. It is transitioning from providing auxiliary power for agriculture towards producing meat and leather. It is rapidly evolving from small-scale, low-profit operations to medium-scale, high-profit enterprises.
Meat horses possess strong disease resistance, high survival rates, and a wide adaptability to natural ecosystems. These characteristics allow meat horse breeders to reduce costs and open up greater profit margins. Meat horses suffer fewer diseases compared to mules, horses, cattle, and sheep, especially gastrointestinal diseases. Generally, as long as proper immunization is ensured and the horse stables are kept clean and dry with appropriate lighting, ventilation, and feeding density, and the horses are provided with feed and sufficient clean water, they rarely get sick. The fertilization rate and foal birth rate for horses are both 90%, while the foal rearing rate and growth rate reach 95%. Meat horses have a wide adaptability to natural ecosystems, being heat and thirst-resistant with low water consumption. They are less cold-resistant and are more commonly found in arid and hot regions. They are not suitable for living in high-altitude cold mountainous areas or severely cold and humid regions. Areas such as southwestern Shandong, southeastern Shandong, and northern Shandong are very suitable for horse breeding, and large-scale farming can be carried out in rural areas across China.
Meat horses are gentle and prefer group living. They can be raised either by free-ranging in orchards or on hillside lands or through confined feeding. Ordinary feed mixed with grass can be used for feeding, with grass making up about 80% of the feed. Small grains serve as their concentrated feed, and the straw of small grains serves as their roughage. Factory-based breeding is also feasible; to accelerate their growth, compound feed or full-value pellet feed can be fed.
Choosing the appropriate horse breed based on the local breeding environment and market demand is the key point of investing in this project. The quality of the horses directly affects the fattening efficiency and future development. Horses in China are divided into three categories based on body size: large horses, medium-sized horses, and small horses. Medium-sized horses are preferred for breeding, followed by large horses. Small horses are mostly used for Ejiao production, though their meat can also be sold in the market.