Yeah, there are way too many variables to support that theory. There are a lot more horses eventing now (primarily for the reasons RAyers pointed out) so one would expect from a sheer numbers game, you would see more horses competing for more seasons at all levels.
Also, and far more importantly, the advances in equine sports medicine and rehabilitative therapy have been significant in the last 2 decades. You can do so much more even within the FEI restrictions to keep a horse happy and healthy at the upper levels (please assume this is in conjunction with good horsemanship, not replacing it). This seems a bit more apples to oranges as comparisons go.
But in addition to the short format as a business model, there is a lot of truth to the volunteer side of it. Even Combined Driving is modifying Section A and trust me, few drivers are making a living in CDE just yet! Fortunately from our sport’s perspective, Section B is still a fitness challenge in and of itself, so the repercussions are not quite the same.
