What happens if your horse outlives you?

The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) is pleased to announce a new publication, “Estate Planning: A Guide for Equine Owners,” is now available.

“Unfortunately, the UHC receives quite a few calls about horses whose owners have passed away, and the next of kin or friend is unsure what exactly to do with the horse, or even lacks the knowledge to care for the horse,” said UHC Director Ashley Furst. “The UHC is often looked towards as a resource for information, so we felt publishing a guide to Estate Planning would help expand our message of what Owning Responsibly entails. While estate planning can certainly be a tough subject to talk about, we feel horse owners will find the brochure to be a very helpful guide when it comes to planning for the future.”

The Estate Planning Guide examines the differences between setting up a trust versus simply naming the horse in your will, the different types of trusts available, as well as other considerations to keep in mind such as registration papers and medical records for the horse, equipment, land, and your equine business.

“The UHC intends this to be a general guide for estate planning as it applies to your horses, and we certainly recommend contacting a knowledgeable equine attorney to guide you through the details of estate planning involving your equine,” said Ms. Furst.

A pdf of the brochure can be found on the UHC’s website: www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org/uhc-materials/ , and hard copies of the brochure are also available upon request. If you or your organization is interested in receiving copies, please email Ashley Furst at afurst@horsecouncil.org.