From the 90s the horse sector is in expansion Dutch rural area. In 1986 there were around 60.000 horses registered in the Netherlands. In 2006 the number of horses raised to 130.000. (Alterra 1444)
While Dutch traditional cow farming is decreasing, the use of rural areas for horsing is expanding. Recreation activities bring rural areas economic development but recreation also change the social structures and landscape. Currently there is a discussion over the impact of the expansion of this sector in the Dutch rural area. The investment in this sector is growing. Old farms are closed and rehabilitated as horse farms. People from the cities move to rural areas and even buy farms. On the other hand local people in the rural area see the change as a threat. The there are groups claiming for more regulation. Language: English