How Equine Nonprofits Have Gotten Creative

In December 2023, the Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue of West Virginia came up with a creative plan to appeal to existing donors and attract new ones without breaking the contributor bank.

The campaign asked donors to send the organization a Christmas card containing between $1 and $5. In response, photos of all the cards and the collective amount of the donations they contained were to be posted on the organization’s website.

As of press time, the rescue had received dozens of cards in the days leading up to Christmas, with more pouring in.

“They have been coming in every day, and they all contained between $1 and $5,” says Suzanna Johnson, Heart of Phoenix education officer. “This was a way to appeal to people who don’t have a lot of money, but everybody likes to send Christmas cards.”

Covid and Inflation

According to the website of the RKD Group, Dallas-based consultants who use data-driven strategies to help animal welfare nonprofits find connections with donors, 2023 donation revenue is down over the past 12 to 18 months largely because givers have been hard hit by inflation.

Meanwhile, the organization predicts that continued inflation and rising interest rates will stifle efforts to attract new donors this spring.

That’s not news to Grace Purdom, president of the California-based Hope 4 Horses.

“We have been in the horse business a long time, both the nonprofit and for-profit parts,” says Purdom, whose husband Scott is a trainer and clinician. “We’ve traveled all over the country and seen horse rescue after horse rescue close—not just in the east, but in the west, too.”

According to Purdom, some of those organizations folded after Covid-connected business grants dried up.

“Some never came back,” she says.

More recently, as financial support has deteriorated, the cost of keeping horses has escalated.

“The same night we had a board meeting and were told that private funding was down between $30,000 and $40,000, we had just gotten a $25,000 hay bill,” Purdom recalls.

She adds that farrier and veterinarian fees have gone up this year as well.

The rise in operational costs all threaten horses’ chances of getting the rehabilitation and aftercare they need.

“We see horses in need from owner surrenders, and there still is indiscriminate breeding out there,” Purdom says. “There were 140 horses from one animal control [agency] out there—where do you put 140 horses?”

Failure Is Not An Option

As a result, rescues have been forced to re-evaluate their own criteria for helping horses in need.

“It has made us focus more on ‘desperate need’ cases, where in years before we could help before things [got] bad,” explains Heart of Phoenix Founder and Executive director Tinia Creamer. “As it is now, if a horse isn’t in dire shape, donors do not step forward, so we have had to get more creative.”

Altogether, the circumstances have created a perfect storm for equine welfare organizations who have adopted whatever tactic they could to meet the challenges.

Most are taking to social media to share the journeys of individual horses as they transition from rescue through rehabilitation to readiness for adoption. They are also engaging the local and online communities to assume a stake in the organization’s success, and they’re cultivating a pool of volunteers to do everything from handling horses to office work.

Whether the current economic circumstances challenging equine welfare nonprofits will subside any time soon is anybody’s guess. But even if the economic picture changes, Creamer says equine welfare organizations will always be challenged to make the most of existing or potential resources at their disposal because failure is not an option.

“I don’t see the economy improving in the short term, and a rescue has to adapt to the world we have,” says Creamer. “Having said that, we’ve made changes and continue to make them to try to be here next year and the year after. Horses depend on us here, and we owe it to them to be here.”

Successes in the Face of Challenges

We reached out to the ASPCA Right Horse program to ask how their equine adoption partner network has fared despite recent economic conditions, and asked for some suggested action items you can do to help.

◆ Multiple factors are converging simultaneously, impacting shelter and rescues’ ability to provide care. Despite challenges, partner organizations of the ASPCA Right Horse program saw more than a 5 percent increase in adoptions in 2023 compared to 2022.

◆ Data from ASPCA’s adoption site shows there is a demand for adoptable horses, including older horses, as evidenced by more than 2 million page views for adoptable horses in 2023 and over 4,000 adoption inquiries.

◆ Additionally, the ASPCA, alongside a rising number of other animal welfare organizations, are focused on services, including subsidized veterinary care and resources, to help keep equines safely in their homes and out of shelters and rescues.

◆ The ASPCA encourages anyone interested to support their local animal welfare organizations by adopting, volunteering their time, donating supplies, or becoming foster caregivers. To find an organization in your area to support, visit myrighthorse.org.

Equine Nonprofits That Help People

For equine assisted services (EAS) nonprofits, humans depend on the horses, too.

The Connected Horse launched in 2015 as pilot projects at Stanford University and the University of California at Davis. It pairs senior horses, some rescued or surrendered, with people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their caregivers to help them manage stress and navigate the flood of physical and emotional ramifications connected with the conditions.

Through the program, human participants connect with the horses as they brush, walk, and visit with them under the watchful eyes of program personnel.

“The horse is really the teacher,” says Paula Hertel, Connected Horse co-founder.

More than 60 pairs of patients and caregivers connected with equines during the first three years of the university pilot programs. Another 186 people took part in Connect Horse programs at private partner barns, including those that rescue, receive surrenders and place adoptable horses.

According to co-founder Nancy Schier Anzelmo, Connected Horse programs are supported by grants, donations from program participants and their families, and private supporters. And while she admits that the recent economy has affected the fundraising outlook for almost all nonprofits, the mission of equine-focused organizations is critical for the horses and for the humans involved.

“Horses, especially older horses, need purpose just as people do,” she says. “Our country needs to support programs to serve [people] in need right now as well as older horses, or horses who cannot be used for sport anymore. It’s very personal, and making connections in nature and with others is a key to building a community that serves each other.”

Make the Most of Your Donation to Equine Nonprofits

This year a simple trip to the supermarket was an economic shock for many across the country. At the same time, the nonprofit organizations that help horses are experiencing the same trauma every time they order hay, purchase grain, or call for the services of farriers and veterinarians.

But many of those who are challenged by the economy themselves still want to support horses in need however they can.

Grace Purdom, executive director of Hope 4 Horses, shares her best advice for doing that.

“First, we always recommend that people donate locally,” she says. “Visit a local rescue organization and learn about what that organization does and how it does it.”

For that, Purdom recommends that prospective donors sit in on an orientation session that many organizations host for new volunteers, new donors, and members of the public.

“Operators use orientation sessions to talk about the organization’s mission, its facility, how many horses they have, who they have on staff, and how many volunteers it has,” she says.

Then take a tour of the facility. Horses onsite at effective rescues should appear to be in various stages of rehabilitation and look happy and healthy under the staff’s care.

During the tour, ask the staff guide lots of questions, especially if a horse appears to be thin.

“The staff could say that the horse just arrived 30 days ago and is in rehab,” says Purdom. “The point is to ask open questions and expect honest answers; a legitimate rescue is an open book.”

Finally, do a bit more research before making that donation. First, make sure that the organization is a legitimate 501(c)(3) under federal tax rules. That designation recognizes the organization as a nonprofit, which means it is exempt from federal income tax. As a result, contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible for donors.

Finally, just before writing that donation check, visit charity evaluation websites, such as GuideStar, which allows nonprofits to share information such as address, mission, key leadership, employee identification numbers, tax status and Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (IRS form 990) forms for three fiscal years.

“No matter how large or small they are, donations are very important to all of us,” says Purdom.

Further Reading: Dealing with Inflation as an Equestrian

This article about the state of equine traffics appeared in the March 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post The State of Equine Nonprofits appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Police radios blared, lights flashed from squad cars parked around the house, and a fourth police truck roared up the unplowed driveway. After the police served the warrant, we had a horrible time getting our huge trailer up the road and turning it around. The angry owner gestured furiously at us as we maneuvered the trailer around the junk and snowdrifts in the driveway, then backed it up to the gates of the back field.

A Sad Sight

An old bay mare with a large crescent star on her forehead stood a short distance away. I sadly studied her jutting ribs and prominent spine. Her hindquarters were atrophied, her winter coat coarse and dull, and her flanks were drawn up tightly. It seemed to take most of her strength to remain standing.

There were a few scattered, yellow hay piles, and the herd was jostling around them. The old girl tried to join the scrum at the nearest pile, but the horses just packed in tighter and wouldn’t let her in.

There were almost 30 horses in the herd, and it was obvious that the owner had only thrown hay out because they knew we were coming. There were several empty feeders on the property that were partially filled with snow, and it was clear that they hadn’t seen hay in a long time. Horses kept in these conditions should have feeders stuffed with free-choice hay, not occasional scant piles getting blown across the frozen valley.

The herd ranged from visibly underweight to emaciated, and I made a beeline for the only blanketed horse in the group. In my experience, the horses that we investigated in places like these were only blanketed to hide their awful condition. Sure enough, when I pulled the blanket off, the poor horse was nothing more than a skeleton with fur. I shook my head as I ran my hand over his sharp hip bones, then took some photos and put the blanket back in place.

The Mountain’s Challenge

My colleague was at the other end of the group snapping pictures and writing notes on a pad, and I shivered as the wind came screaming around the side of the old barn, pelting my face with tiny pieces of ice.

We were at an elevation of 9,200 feet in the Rocky Mountains, and there weren’t many trees to provide a windbreak. Immense snowy peaks loomed at the edge of the broad valley, and bands of sunlight illuminated the ice crystals in the wind.

Normally, those mountains delighted me. Every time I drove through this area, I’d have to pull over. I’d get out of my truck and just breathe the icy air and gaze at the silent behemoths, a trail of snow lifting from the mountains as the relentless wind tore at them. But today, they just seemed ominous. The wind screamed in the distance, and a few horses quickly lifted their heads from their sparse meal.

“We’re going to get you out of here,” my colleague promised them as she went to meet with the police officers. We had four more trailers waiting on the main road, and as soon as the officers had given us their blessing, we loaded the first group. The horses practically leapt into the insulated trailer, and soon we were headed back down the long driveway.

Within the hour, all the horses were safely loaded and we began our slow convoy back to the ranch. On a normal day, the drive would take about three hours, but today it would be more like five. The team chatted back and forth on the radio, making sure everyone stayed together, and I glanced back at the desolate property, growing smaller in the rearview mirror. The trailer rocked gently as the horses settled in for the ride, and I said a silent prayer for their safety on the long journey.

Road to Recovery

We reached the ranch safely, and the waiting staff opened the gates wide. Trailer after trailer backed up to the alley and deposited their charges, and soon the herd was gathered in a large round pen.

We moved them carefully through the chutes, where they were weighed and evaluated, then given ID tags and names as a medical record was completed for each one. Over 80 percent of the herd was in poor condition, and I was shocked to learn that the “old” bay mare that had caught my eye on the property was only 5 years old. We named her Doreen.

When the exams were completed, we moved the tired herd up to a large pen that had several loafing sheds and massive feeders brimming with fragrant green hay. There was a place for everyone at the feeders, and the hungry horses settled in quickly. The entire team leaned against the fence and watched the horses enjoying their hay. It was the best kind of therapy after a long, hard day.

Doreen found a place at the feeder too, and her head was so far down in the hay pile, I could hardly see her. I watched her for a long time, but she never lifted her head from the feeder, and I chuckled to myself. She was finally going to have some good food and hopefully would begin to gain weight soon.

Down and Out

Every time I checked on the herd, Doreen was always in the same position with her head buried in the feeder. I’d watch her for several long minutes, then move on, knowing that she was getting great care and high-quality feed.

About a week later, a staff member came into my office looking worried.

“Dr. Diehl, it’s Doreen. I was cleaning her pen today and I saw that she was dropping a lot of hay out of her mouth. I watched her for a while, and even tried hand-feeding her, but I don’t think she’s able to eat.”

To be continued …

This edition of Vet Adventures about a high-altitude rescue appeared in the April 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Vet Adventures: High-Altitude Rescue, Part 1 appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

When a person encounters a speed bump like a financial crisis or health issue, it can be challenging to cope. But for horse owners, it’s even more difficult to manage these obstacles. Many don’t know where to turn for help, which puts their horses at risk. However, a growing number of resources are now available to assist horse owners having a hard time providing essential care for their horses. These safety net programs provide vital support that can help horses stay in their homes.

“The goal of a safety net is to be able to provide the support necessary to keep a horse in [his current] home when that’s in the best interest of the horse,” explains Emily Weiss, Ph.D., American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) vice-president of equine welfare.

“Ultimately, we want fewer horses coming into shelters and rescues,” says Weiss. “Elevating the visibility that these solutions exist can help keep those horses from neglect or having to come to a shelter and be relinquished.”

One key program working to do just that is the United Horse Coalition’s Equine Resource Database (UHCERD). Launched in 2020, this searchable online database of over 1,200 horse rescues, sanctuaries and shelters puts help a click away. Owners can search by state and by type of help needed, from hay and feed to euthanasia and disposal, as well as rehoming and other forms of assistance.

Horse health issues are a common setback where safety net services can make a difference. The Vet Direct Safety Net program managed by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and The Foundation for the Horse in partnership with the ASPCA was created to help horse owners in need pay for emergency vet care.

Horse rescues are also working hard to meet people where they are and to provide broader assistance beyond relinquishing and rehoming horses.

Helping Horse Owners

Recent numbers from the Equine Welfare Data Collective, a research program of the United Horse Coalition, focus on quantifying and understanding the horse rescue pipeline. They reveal that 77 percent of horses coming into rescues and shelters are surrendered by their owners or confiscated by law enforcement. Owner finances are the most common reason reported for surrender, followed by owner health.

“This reaffirms through data what we already knew anecdotally—that to make the biggest change for at-risk horses and stem the tide, we have to start at the source, and that is by helping horse owners who have fallen on hard times,” says Ashley Harkins, United Horse Coalition (UHC) director. “This is at the heart of what UHC does, and why the UHCERD exists—to promote responsible horse ownership and provide options for horse owners.”

To date, the UCH’s Equine Resource Database and Covid resource sites have had over 24,000 visitors.

“Through this database, we are able to give horse owners a vital lifeline and point them in the right direction to get the help they need before their horse ends up at risk,” says Harkins, noting that there are programs available in every part of the country. “If people need help, we can direct them to whatever resources they are in need of, or barring that, with the people who can help.”

In 2021, the ASPCA expanded their services in Oklahoma, establishing the Equine Transition and Adoption Center pilot program to provide compassionate help and free services for equines in need, including subsidized veterinary care when it’s best for the horse to stay at home with the owner; compassionate euthanasia if needed to prevent suffering; or safe relinquishment so the horse can receive care before being placed in a loving new home through adoption.

This variety of services offers flexibility to provide the solution that’s right for that horse and owner at that moment.

“If you can’t keep your horse, we can take him and help him get a home,” says Weiss. “Or we can work together to see what solutions there are to help you keep your horse home. We see that as the solution, to be able to support horses within a community. It becomes a community resource.”

Tom Persechino, director of equine welfare for the ASPCA, notes that most horse owners reaching out to the Equine Transition and Adoption Center in Oklahoma have been able to hold onto their horses with just that little bit of support—often as simple as basic nutrition advice, treating an infection, managing minor lameness, or getting a horse up to date on vaccinations and routine care.

“If we can help horse owners get over whatever that challenge is that they’re facing in the moment, if there’s a safety net program that can help them get past that, we’ve proven that they can keep their horses long-term, they can keep them healthy, and they very rarely need to return for services or seek to surrender or relinquish them.”

Of all the services offered through the program, access to affordable vet care has proven to be significant. Simply providing support for metabolic issues like Cushing’s disease or treating dental problems can make a dramatic difference in keeping a horse healthy at home.

“Folks have reached out when their horse is losing significant weight and they think something horrific has happened, when he is simply not able to chew his food,” says Weiss. “That’s an issue that is easily resolved.”

Vet Direct Safety Net

Vet emergencies cause financial stress for both owners in need and veterinarians who want to be able to help them and their horses.

Through the AAEP’s Vet Direct program, equine veterinarians who register to participate can provide up to $600 of veterinary services per animal to assist horse owners in need. This allows vets to identify and provide care for at-risk equines in their communities and offer relief to horse owners who are unable to afford veterinary care.

“Vet Direct was launched as a way to see if there were horses that could remain in the home rather than being surrendered when they faced a medical issue at a time when their owner needed some sort of help due to circumstances they were facing,” says Keith Kleine, AAEP director of industry relations.

The program has assisted owners who were experiencing financial difficulty due to things like medical issues (themselves or immediate family members), loss of job or income, or other temporary situations. But long-term, Kleine says, if they could get help with some practical veterinary care, they could keep their horses.

The Vet Direct Safety Net covers urgent vet care such as wound treatment, eye issues, neurologic problems, choke, and non-surgical colic care, as well as euthanasia and disposal if recovery is unlikely.

Since its inception in 2017, the Vet Direct program has helped many equines. This includes horses like Trixie, who got the help she needed to overcome an ongoing eye issue. A donkey named Perk would have been euthanized after a dog attack without the financial support of Vet Direct. Another horse, Sugar, was lame and in so much pain she could hardly walk. Thanks to funds from Vet Direct, radiographs helped with a diagnosis, and with foam pads and regular trims she was able to walk comfortably again.

Tracking this program over the last few years shows that most horses receiving treatment through Vet Direct remain safe and healthy in their homes, according to the ASPCA.

For those cases where euthanasia is recommended as the most humane option to alleviate pain and suffering, Vet Direct is also able to help with those costs.

“The number of horses that suffer simply because the owner can’t afford euthanasia and disposal is significant,” says Weiss. “A number of owners hold off because it’s difficult to talk about. Having a veterinarian come to you through this program to navigate that [situation] is incredibly helpful.”

Asking for Help

Rescues are trying to be more proactive by providing short-term assistance to owners who qualify and acting as a resource in times of need, says Harkins.

The AAEP reminds horse owners that it’s important to ask for help before situations become dire. These organizations and programs are poised to help more horses if they are called upon before the animals are starving, says Kleine. Most importantly, there is no shame or judgment in asking for help. Vets, safety net administrators, and others involved in equine welfare recognize that hard times can happen to anyone.

“Asking for help is difficult, but it is incredibly admirable,” he says.

That’s why these programs exist—they want to provide assistance.

“When somebody raises their hand and says, ‘I’m having trouble and I want to do right by this horse and I need your help,’ that’s why we’re here,” says Weiss.

The post Horse Safety Net Programs Helping Horses and Owners in Need appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Three or four pinto horses nickered to us hopefully as we trudged up to the sagging wire fence, pulled on protective boots and ducked between the wires. The small group stood in a huddle on a steep muck pile, silhouetted against the morning sky, and a large herd of at least 60 stood quietly within the same large pen. On a regular day, I would have chuckled at the horses on the manure pile and snapped a few pictures, but today I kept my phone in my pocket.

Depths of Despair

The investigator and I gingerly moved through deep mud and packed manure toward the herd, the sentries on the dirt pile watching us closely. The horses were subdued and dead-eyed, nibbling hopelessly at the bare ground and empty feeders. The water troughs ranged from empty to a thick brown sludge with brown liquid on top. The air smelled of infection and death.

Several horses limped past me, some coughing miserably with mucus draining freely from their noses and dripping abscesses under their jaws. Many other horses in the group were displaying identical symptoms. We snapped photos, took videos, pointed in astonishment, crouched down to study deformed and painful legs, and often just halted and stared in dismay.

This was one of the worst situations that I’d ever seen. The herd was a perfect showcase of every type of injury or illness that make veterinarians shake in their boots.

The horses that didn’t display huge painful joints, crooked legs, deformed feet, loud coughs, dripping abscesses, or labored breathing were starved beyond measure, every rib and vertebra prominent under taut skin. Horses stumbled away from us on feet so overgrown that their toes curled into the air. There were missing eyes, torn ears, and severe scars.

Every Assortment of Horses

I tried to categorize the medical problems, but I kept losing count, distracted by the never-ending parade of terrible injuries. There were nervous yearlings, pregnant and nursing mares with scraggly foals huddled against their sides, gentle adults with old saddle marks on their backs and severe swellings around their ankles, and sweet geriatric horses with swaybacks and shaky front legs.

There were angry little donkeys, Miniature Horses, and fine-boned ponies. There were draft crosses, Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Morgans and Hackneys. And I couldn’t find one that was healthy.

Large horse trailers were lined along the dirt road leading to the property; the investigator whistled loudly and waved the first into position. The driver backed carefully up to the gate of the pen, and the sheriff’s department loaded the mares and foals first. Soon the trailer was pulling away and the second was backing in.

Taken Away

Load by load, the horses were removed. Soon there was nothing left but open gates, hoofprints and sagging fence wires shaking in the wind. I leaned against a fence post and rubbed my forehead. The horses were going to a safe ranch where they’d receive an identification number and get weighed. I would perform exams and assess their quality of life. They’d be fed and watered properly, maybe for the first time in a long time.

I was going to do everything in my power to help them, but based on what I’d seen, I knew that a significant number probably weren’t going to make it. I said a silent prayer for the horses and walked sadly to my truck.

As I drove to the ranch, I thought about the pasty glue marks on the horse’s backs and sides and the wrinkled and torn paper tags displaying large black numbers and bar codes, stuck firmly to their tails, hips and withers. These horses had endured multiple sales and had finally ended up at the kill pen.

When owners kick the can down the road by sending their old and lame horses to a sale rather than putting them to sleep, the horses linger miserably on the lots, frightened in the strange environment. They are bullied by other horses. They are “no-saled” again and again until the meat buyers come along. Then they are cleverly marketed to would-be rescuers.

The rescuers arrive, hooked by the sad stories, and pay a large amount of money to the gleeful kill buyers, who promptly replace departed horses with similarly crippled ones bought in batches for pennies on the dollar. And as often happens, the rescuers run out of money and energy and the horses end up in even worse situations.

Saying Goodbye

As I drove, I realized that I had a headache from clenching my jaw. I took some ibuprofen, washing it down with lukewarm coffee from my thermos.

Back at the ranch, we soothed the frightened animals, comforted the bewildered geriatrics, and gave them soft mashes to eat. We separated out stallions, pregnant mares, and weanlings. The nursing mares and foals got their own pen.

We treated fevers, coughs, dehydration, puncture wounds, painful eyes, and painful joints and feet. We wiped mucus-filled noses and eyes and cleaned diarrhea-crusted tails and hindquarters. And we sadly separated out the horses that were beyond our help.

Usually, my favorite part at the end of a large intake was leaning on the fence and watching the horses settle in and enjoy their fresh green hay and clean white salt licks, but knowing what I had to do for this particular pen in the morning made it hard to breathe.

I imagined them in their former lives, with bright coats and shining eyes, back when they had owners and back when they were sound. I wondered if someone had loved them and how they’d feel if they understood what their faithful old horses had endured these last few months.

I stood by that fence for a long time, and I silently promised the horses that it would be a painless and gentle departure. If it was all I could do for them, I prayed that it would be enough.

This edition of Vet Adventures appeared in the October 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Vet Adventures: Reflecting on Horses’ Past Lives appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

There is strength in numbers, but when it comes to helping horses in need, reliable numbers have been hard to come by—until recently, that is. The Equine Welfare Data Collective (EWDC) was launched in 2018 and has been working hard to gather data on equine rescue and welfare organizations nationwide and the horses and owners they are helping. With this information, funding, programs, and support can be directed to where they will help the most.

The EWDC issued its fourth report in February of 2022, analyzing data collected in 2020.

“With each report published by the EWDC, information critical to helping owners and equines in need spreads throughout the community,” writes EWDC Program Manager Emily Stearns as an introduction. “As our knowledge base grows, so too does the power of welfare organizations and the industry to assist those reaching out for help.”

Harnessing the Power of Data

The EWDC was created by the United Horse Coalition (UHC), a program of the American Horse Council (AHC) Foundation that works to provide information about responsible horse ownership and the issues surrounding at-risk horses. Funding and support for the EWDC comes from the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), including its Right Horse program, and The Foundation for the Horse (formerly the AAEP Foundation).

“This group of agencies recognized the power of data and how it can vastly shift the dialogue around an issue and drive positive change,” explains AHC President Julie Broadway.

“Understanding the landscape of horses going into shelters and rescues around the country is vital for us [as funders] to be able to support these groups,” says Emily Weiss, Ph.D., vice president of ASPCA equine welfare.

Knowing the Numbers

Prior to the EWDC, there was very limited data specifically related to horses in need.

“In our inaugural press release in 2018, we opened by saying, ‘Do you know how many equines there are in shelters, rescues, and sanctuaries across the country? How about the number of equines adopted last year? Neither do we!’” Broadway recalls.

There was interest in helping these horses from organizations and industry leaders, but many questions about how to help without knowing the numbers.

“Before the EWDC, we could only guess and suggest programming changes based on what we perceived was happening anecdotally,” says Ashley Harkins, UHC director. “The EWDC has been a game-changer in that we now have the factual data to work off of and can really identify and elevate programs that target and address the root of what needs to change to help at-risk horses.”

Gathering the Data

The EWDC uses surveys to collect national data on equines at risk and in transition from 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescues, sanctuaries, adoption centers, and organizations involved in equine welfare.

Data collected includes intakes and outcomes for horses coming into the custody of rescues—where they’re coming from, how long they stay, and how they’re leaving. The surveys also look at the use of safety net services—people asking for help feeding their horses, getting vet care for their horses, assistance with euthanasia, behavioral training—anything a welfare organization could help with outside of taking custody of the animal.

Also included are direct placement programs—organizations that help facilitate horses transitioning from one owner to another, without taking physical custody of the animal. The EWDC is also gathering demographic profiles of the organizations surveyed, such as size and location.

Data analysis is published biannually and is freely available.

Capacity to Help

Capacity to help horses in need is the top number everyone wants to know, says Stearns. Length of stay is also identified in the EWDC Fourth Report as a critical data point to understanding the current annual national capacity for assisting at-risk equines and those in transition in the custody of equine welfare organizations. A preliminary number estimates around 200 to 300 days as the average length of stay for horses at a rescue or adoption facility.

“What we were able to come up with was a daily capacity: how many stalls exist, on a given day, for horses in rescue,” says Stearns. “And that number hovers around 47,000. People get worried that capacity is limited, but what we can do with this knowledge now is direct programming in ways to increase capacity through decreasing length of stay.”

Knowing that there’s a high level of potential support eliminates the idea that there is no place for horses to go, and that there’s a large “unwanted horse” challenge, according to Weiss.

“We have the places,” she says. “Now we have to invest in those groups to help them continue to professionalize, continue to grow the adoption message, and eliminate stigmas.”

Providing Support

Another telling number from the EWDC is where horses are coming from, with 77 percent of equines entering the custody of EWDC participants coming from a combination of owner surrenders and law enforcement confiscations. Owner finances are the most commonly reported reason for surrender, followed by owner health.

“Looking at the intake by percentage, owner support is going to be really impactful,” says Stearns, noting that this is where safety net programs, such as hay and feed banks or assistance with veterinary care, could make a difference in helping owners who want to keep their horse.

The number of surrenders attributed to owner health also prompted the UHC to take action through education.

“This really impressed upon us the importance of getting owners to think, ‘What happens to my horse if something happens to me?’” says Harkins. “If we can address the source of why these horses are ending up at risk, through teaching horse owners about responsible horse ownership and responsible options, hopefully we can prevent them from having to enter the equine welfare system altogether.”

Seeing Results

Over 80 percent of all horses in shelters get adopted into a new home, according to reported outcomes in 2020. More good news is that organizations reporting for 2020 were able to fulfill over 75 percent of equine rehoming assistance requests.

While the perception has long been that rescue facilities are overflowing, Stearns says that is not the case nationwide, now that we are seeing the bigger picture on capacity.

“While some organizations do report at above 100 percent of their capacity during some sessions, nationally we’re not full, we’re not overflowing, and there’s room to be moving horses from region to region,” she says.

Based on this information, Stearns observes that rescue and adoption organizations have increased their networking. The ASPCA has also worked to increase networking between organizations for transport of horses between regions through their Horse Adoption Express program.

“We’re starting to see what the story is nationally,” says Weiss. “If we look at the data that has been reported [so far], we know there is capacity at shelters and rescues, and there are places for horses to go. We are starting to understand what kind of support there is and will be for horses who could stay home. We’re getting an understanding of the types of horses that are coming in, and where there might be opportunity for funding to help shift the trajectory.”

The horse industry is taking note as well. When the pandemic happened, Stearns reports that the UHC received an increased volume of inquiries from people and equine industry partners wondering how they could support horse owners and how rescues could support horse owners.

“As a horse person—not just as someone who has this job in the horse industry, but as a horse person—it’s nice to see the industry start to get on board and really understand that it’s going to take everybody from all aspects to build programs and creative solutions and get the information to owners,” says Stearns.

Thanks to data from the EWDC, we now know more than ever about horses in need in the U.S.—we have the numbers. To Weiss, each one of those numbers represents a soft muzzle, making it incredibly powerful information.

To learn more, visit the EDWC website. If you or someone you know needs assistance, visit the EDWC equine resource database.

This article about how the Equine Welfare Data Collective has helped horse rescue efforts appeared in the September 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post The Equine Welfare Data Collective’s Effect on Horse Rescue appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

I’ve been privileged to provide vet care for many horseback outfitters, guest ranches and dude ranches throughout the course of my 22-year career, and I can attest that the majority take excellent care of their animals. They provide high-quality feed, stay on top of preventive care for each horse, and have the vet out promptly when an animal is sick or hurt. These horsemen and horsewomen develop a strong bond and partnership with their horses and mules. They’ll always put the needs of their working animals first, and I am proud to be their veterinarian.

The Dark Side

But there are some businesses out there that represent the dark side of the horse industry. These places spend little to nothing on their horses’ care. They ignore injuries and ailments, overwork their animals, underfeed the herd, and send visibly lame and sick horses on long trail rides. The property is usually filthy and run-down, and the staff are unkempt and unfriendly.

In the staff’s defense, they’re not treated much better than the horses. They’re also overworked, grossly underpaid, and depend mainly on tips from the guests to pay their bills.

There’s always an owner somewhere making a darn good living off their shoddy business. They usually live in a different state, own multiple dude outfits or horse-leasing businesses, and if they’re ever on-site (which is rare), you’ll recognize them by their fancy new diesel trucks, expensive clothing, and complete disregard for the law.

Although there are cruelty laws in place, they’re often vaguely worded and leave large, clumsy loopholes for owners like these to take advantage of when it comes to horse care. There’s occasionally a day of reckoning for some of these outfits, but it’s the horses who ultimately pay the price. And there’s always a very long line of complicit people who help the owners by remaining silent when they should be reporting the situation.

Law Enforcement Case

One day, I was visiting such a place at the request of a law enforcement officer who had received complaints from the public, and it was not a happy visit. The horses were overcrowded and packed into small pens. The few feeders that contained hay were populated by the stronger, healthier animals while the weaker and lower-ranked horses eyed the sparse hay from a safe distance.

Judging by the protruding ribs and bleeding injuries on the horses who weren’t at the feeders, it was sadly obvious who was getting the lion’s share of the calories and who was not. And horses are not kind to one another when competing for resources.

As I walked through the herd of horses with the police officer, more and more injuries became apparent. There were bleeding legs, infected cuts and scrapes, and dozens of horses had horribly overgrown hooves and limped painfully around the pens. Ancient, skeletal horses with bulging, arthritic joints stood quietly in the background.

They closed their eyes and lowered their heads for a face rub when I walked over to examine them. When the horses still trust us after humans have utterly failed them, it kills my soul in ways that I cannot explain.

I could see something odd on one horse’s back. As we got closer, I realized that I was looking at a cantaloupe-sized and partially ruptured abscess where a saddle had rubbed deeply into his flesh. Another nearby horse had an eye that was swollen shut, his face soaked with tears and discharge from the untreated injury.

I gestured to the officer, and we haltered the two horses after taking some pictures and video. The horse winced as I gently probed the enormous abscess on his back and thick pus flowed freely down his side. He was shaking in fear, probably expecting to be saddled and ridden despite his condition.

I ran a hand over his neck and murmured to him, then reached for my medical bag and drew up some pain medication for him and for the horse with the eye injury. I knew I wouldn’t get reimbursed for the medications, but I didn’t care.

Who Pays the Price

“You’re going to file charges, aren’t you?” I asked the officer.

He shrugged. “Oh, we absolutely will, but I can already tell you that nothing will happen. The DA claims that we can’t prove that this owner knows anything about the neglect, and he’s already blaming his staff for everything. They’re filing charges against the staff members, so the owner just drives off in his fancy truck while they take the heat. As usual.”

I exhaled in frustration. “So, nothing changes for the horses? Does he get any sort of follow-up from the department to make sure he cares for these injuries?”

The officer looked sadly at me. “The horses are his property. If the DA won’t charge him with anything, our hands are tied. Yet our department faces the wrath of the public who don’t understand why he gets to keep the horses. They blast us on social media and send us hate mail. And he goes and opens another dude outfit somewhere else, and it begins all over again.”

I looked again at the sad herd standing quietly in their filthy pens and had to fight back tears. I knew that the officer felt the same way.

“How do you keep going?” I asked him. He patted my hand sadly but didn’t answer me.

Need for Change

That night I stayed up until the wee hours looking up every cruelty law and reading every statute related to horse businesses that I could find. By 2 a.m., I’d given up.

Until someone with the know-how and the power to enact a change gets involved, this will indeed happen again and again. Owners need to be held fully responsible for the well-being and care of their animals, and there need to be much higher standards for animal care in operations like these. The laws for horse care need to be crystal clear, and unfortunately they aren’t.

Maybe you’re the one who can help close these loopholes and change the law.

This article about the need for stronger laws to ensure good care of outfitters’ horses appeared in the May 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. This is an edition of Vet Adventures, which appears in each issue. Click here to subscribe!

The post Repercussions Needed for Some Horseback Outfitters appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thursday, President Joe Biden inked the last of five animal protection measures into law in the year-end spending bill to fund the Federal Government for FY2023.  

The FDA Modernization Act 2.0, Reducing Animal Testing Act, and a statutory fix to the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020, were enacted as well as record-breaking funding for enforcement of the Horse Protection Act of 1970. 

Earlier in the month, Biden signed into statute the Big Cat Public Safety Act and Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act in the preceding weeks.  

“Reducing the numbers of animals used in testing, shutting down commercial cub petting operations, halting the use of performance-enhancing drugs in horse racing, and working to combat the massacre of sharks for their fins are good policies for the United States,” said Wayne Pacelle, president at the Center for a Humane Economy.“These laws, individually and collectively, help make our nation more humane when it comes to our treatment of animals.” 

“We applaud President Biden, the White House, and the 117th Congress for enacting the most comprehensive legislative victories for animals of any Congress in history,” said Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action and an eight-time world champion equestrian.“These new policies will revolutionize the pharmaceutical world, end the ridiculous practices of cub petting and shark finning, and better protect our iconic American equines from doping and long-term abuses that have plagued the equine world for half a century.”  

Here is background on the legislative progress: 

FDA Modernization Act and Reducing Animal Testing Act

In December 2022, federal lawmakers passed the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 led by Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C. — including both the original FDA Modernization Act and also the Reducing Animal Testing Act — to eliminate a federal mandate for animal testing for new drugs and for biosimilars. Given that perhaps 75 percent of all animals used in testing are conscripted for drug development, enactment of the measure punctuated the biggest policy win on the issue of animal testing in our nation’s history. On a significant parallel track, Animal Wellness Action succeeded in getting an additional $5 million in new money to support an FDA-wide New Alternative Methods Program to reduce animal testing (total is $12.5 million). The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 promises to reboot a broken drug development paradigm and, if it is vigorously implemented, will deliver safer, more effective, more reliable palliatives and cures to people in need.  

Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act Statutory Repair

Animal Wellness Action, along with The Jockey Club, worked with key lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to amend the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020, amending a provision in the original law that a federal appellate court declared unconstitutional in November and which put the national ban on race-day doping of Thoroughbreds in jeopardy. Performance-enhancing drugs put the animals at risk of breakdowns and other injuries and make the entire industry suspect. Animal Wellness Action launched a new site, www.HISAWatchdog.org, to help facilitate communication and keep a watchful eye on regulators. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y. led this effort in the Congress.  

Big Cat Public Safety Act

President Joe Biden signed the stand-alone Big Cat Public Safety Act, H.R. 263, led by Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., into law on December 21 after a long, 11-year campaign to end the trade in big cats as pets and to shut down commercial cub-petting operations that treat tiger cubs and kittens as props. This bill closes out the cub-petting industry, which breeds tigers and lions to allow patrons to handle cubs for a fee. There are thousands of big cats kept in private hands, and just a decade ago, there were more than 60 cub-petting menageries.  

Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act

Shark fins are off all menus in the United States, with Congress passing the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law in December. This bill was seven years in the works and addresses the global mass killing of as many as 70 million sharks for their fins. Like the ban on the sale of dog and cat meat in the United States, U.S. leadership will be attention-getting throughout the world, including in nations where there is still an appetite for shark fin soup. The effort was led by Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Tex., and Gregario Sablan, D-N.M.I. in the the House and Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V. led the charge to secure this new law.   

Record Breaking Funding for Enforcement of the Horse Protection Act

The latest Congressional spending bill, funding government operations in 2023, includes a record level of $4.1 million to enforce the Horse Protection Act (HPA) of 1970 — that’s $1 million more than the prior year’s record funding level of $3 million. This is consequential because a segment of horse trainers tortures horses to get them to exaggerate their gait and win ribbons at horse shows. With more inspections, Animal Wellness Action should be able to crack down on some level of lawlessness until the 52-year-old law can be upgraded next year. Until the group started pressing for more funding in 2018 when the organization opened shop, the HPA never saw more than $705,000 in funding per year since the HPA was enacted in 1970. Reps. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., and Hal Rogers, R-Ky., as well as retiring Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. were instrumental in securing this funding.  

With the enactment of these new measures, Animal Wellness Action has helped secure a total of 12 new animal protection laws within four years since the organization was formed in 2018. These legislative achievements also include the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act, and Parity in Animal Cruelty Enforcement (PACE) Act, signed into law in 2018; the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act and Rescuing Animals With Rewards (RAWR) Act, enacted in 2019; the original HISA statue in 2020; the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act, in 202l; and the five measures enacted by Biden this month.  

— Edited Press Release

Animal Wellness Action (Action) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty. We champion causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife. We advocate for policies to stop dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty and to confront factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, we promote enacting good public policies and we work to enforce those policies. To enact good laws, we must elect good lawmakers, and that’s why we remind voters which candidates care about our issues and which ones don’t. We believe helping animals helps us all. 

The Animal Wellness Foundation (Foundation) is a Los Angeles-based private charitable organization with a mission of helping animals by making veterinary care available to everyone with a pet, regardless of economic ability. We organize rescue efforts and medical services for dogs and cats in need and help homeless pets find a loving caregiver. We are advocates for getting veterinarians to the front lines of the animal welfare movement; promoting responsible pet ownership; and vaccinating animals against infectious diseases such as distemper. We also support policies that prevent animal cruelty and that alleviate suffering. We believe helping animals helps us all. 

The Center for a Humane Economy is a non-profit organization that focuses on influencing the conduct of corporations to forge a humane economic order. The first organization of its kind in the animal protection movement, the Center encourages businesses to honor their social responsibilities in a culture where consumers, investors, and other key stakeholders abhor cruelty and the degradation of the environment and embrace innovation as a means of eliminating both. 

The post Biden Signs Five Animal Protection Measures into Law   appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

They are known as the Five Freedoms:

1. Freedom from hunger and thirst, by ready access to water and a diet to maintain health and vigour.
2. Freedom from discomfort, by providing an appropriate environment.
3. Freedom from pain, injury and disease, by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.
4. Freedom to express normal behaviour, by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and appropriate company of the animal’s own kind.
5. Freedom from fear and distress, by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering.

Do Our Horses Have Good Lives?

Certainly, there are many horses who are having wonderful life experiences with their human guardians. Unfortunately, there are also horses who suffer great harm for our pleasure.

This leads us to the question of ethics and welfare implications of some horse care and training practices. That’s a controversial topic to be sure, one we will thank the British Animal Welfare Council for taking on.

If you’re looking to improve equine welfare, The Five Freedoms is an excellent place to start.

1. Freedom from hunger and thirst, by ready access to water and a diet to maintain health and vigour.

If your horse’s water is clean, at a drinkable temperature (not too cold, frozen, nor too hot), and always accessible, that need is being well met.

What does your horse nutritionally need though to “maintain health and vigor?” 24/7 access to good-quality forage is a practical first step. Horses are meant to eat 16-18 hours every day, and periods of starvation can cause physical and mental upset.

Welfare Bonus Tip: Grass and/or hay don’t always provide all the nutrients your horse needs. Seek the help of a qualified equine nutritionist to make sure your horse’s diet is up to snuff.

2. Freedom from discomfort, by providing an appropriate environment.

There are several factors to consider when it comes to your horse’s living space. Some of the must-haves for equine welfare are safe construction, good ventilation, comfortable footing, and shelter from inclement weather.

Welfare Bonus Tip: Provide a soft, quiet area that’s large enough for your horse to lie down flat on his side with his legs fully extended to achieve deep, restorative sleep.

3. Freedom from pain, injury, and disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

There are quite a few ways we can reduce our horse’s chance of injury and illness. A safe environment, balanced diet, and medical intervention when necessary are obvious choices.

What’s not always on our radar are the effects we have when we work with and exercise our horse. Unhealthy patterns of movement can cause chronic discomfort, soft tissue, and joint damage, as well as emotional distress.

Welfare Bonus Tips: Use properly fitting tack; have your saddle assessed by a fitter to verify that it’s not causing damage or discomfort.

Exercise your horse in a manner that is reasonable for his age and physical fitness. Follow the principles of healthy biomechanics (relaxation, equal weight distribution from front-to-back, skeletal alignment) when you’re working with your horse on the ground or under saddle.

4. Freedom to express normal behaviour, by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and appropriate company of the animal’s own kind.

Every horse is hard-wired to move at will, investigate the environment, seek social interactions, roll, buck, run, play, rest, and eat.

Those who are deprived of these choices are more likely to develop depression, anxiety, aggression, digestive disorders, stereotypies, and unpredictable behavior.

Welfare Bonus Tips: While 24/7 turn out with friends is the ideal, it’s not always possible in the modern world. If your horse spends extended periods of time in a stall, make sure there’s always hay available (see “Feeding the Stall-Bound Horse,” pg. 10).

Provide enrichment toys that reward his efforts with yummy treats. Use massage to improve comfort, circulation, and soft tissue health.

5. Freedom from fear and distress, by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering.

When you show your horse that cooperating with you is fun, interesting, and rewarding, his confidence and enthusiasm soars.

When we teach a horse that cooperation is compulsory and there are negative consequences for less-than-immediate compliance, the fear center in his brain is activated, stress hormones are released into the body, and quality of life plummets. Repetitive exposure to stressful situations can make horses insecure, hypervigilant, shut-down, and over reactive.

Welfare Bonus Tip: Choose training and handling methods that are calm, encouraging, and promote positive emotional responses.

When you follow The Five Freedoms, you can rest easy knowing your horse is living the great life he deserves.

This article about the Five Freedoms and equine welfare originally appeared in the July 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post The Five Freedoms and Equine Welfare appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

But sometimes, when the shine wears off and you’ve settled into your normal routine, you realize that perfect-for-you horse is no longer the steed of your dreams. How do you come to terms with selling a horse you waited so long to find?

Hindsight 20/20

Samantha Whited was a barrel racer looking for the perfect horse to take her to the next level when she came across an ad that made her heart skip a beat: A gorgeous, jet-black Quarter Horse gelding, Dash, who was also a finished barrel horse.

Whited bought the gelding, excited for all the adventures she was planning with her new partner. A lifelong horsewoman, she wasn’t just interested in the accolades the two could rack up; she also loved spending time with Dash and creating a partnership and connection. Though they were the perfect fit on the ground, the translation of that trust to under-saddle work just never came, no matter how hard Whited tried.

For seven years, she tried, trained, struggled and experimented with Dash to find something that would make the two of them click. She even went on a TV show with the gelding seeking the root cause of their issues. But nothing worked.

“I loved that horse and he loved me—we had an amazing relationship out of the saddle,” says Whited. But after years of riding him, she knew something had to give. “I finally realized that this was an incredible horse that I was holding back from reaching his full potential. So the decision was made to let him move on to a more confident and better-suited rider for his ultimate success.”

Once the decision was made that it was time to consider selling her horse, there was no relief—just sadness. One thing that helped assuage Whited’s anxiety about finding Dash a good home was placing him on a lease-to-own trial.

“This made me feel like I had control if things didn’t work out,” she explains.

This arrangement comforted her; she knew she was sending her beloved friend to someone who would watch over his wellbeing. Whited remains in contact with Dash’s new owner.

“He seems so happy with a person better suited to his natural demeanor,” she reports.
Looking back, Whited says she should have made the decision to sell Dash much earlier, but admitting her “dream horse” wasn’t for her took a lot longer to work through.

“Selling a horse is a responsibility I don’t take lightly, but if you can put the horse in someone else’s hands where things fit more naturally, everyone is happier in the end—especially the horse,” she concludes.

Soundness Challenges

Growing up in a decidedly non-horsey family, Lydia Davis took every opportunity she could to ride, finally purchasing her first horse during her senior year of college.

“I was pretty particular about what I was looking for,” Davis explains. “I was specifically seeking a young, registered Quarter Horse with no pre-existing injuries.”

Davis ended up purchasing Invy’s Little Star in 2011, with hopes that they could dabble in everything from western events and trail riding to eventing.

“I wanted to learn with her,” Davis explains.

After a decade together, however, Davis’s dreams of having a horse to go on adventures with were coming to a halt, as Invy was having ongoing soundness issues. Working in the nonprofit world, Davis’s ability to afford intense management strategies was limited.

“Ultimately, I decided that I needed to rehome her because her soundness issues were becoming too financially costly to manage and were inhibiting her from performing physically at the level I sought.”

It’s important to note that Invy stayed sound in lighter work and enjoyed having a job. The decision to find her a more suitable home wasn’t one Davis took lightly; she considered selling the mare for over four years before finally making the decision that was best for both of them.

“Although she was (and still is) a very special horse to me, our paths were simply moving in different directions,” Davis explains.

Davis enlisted the services of the Re-Ride Quarter Horse Adoption Program, which placed Invy with the Miami University equestrian program in Oxford, Ohio.

“Once I ultimately decided to part with Invy, it was certainly heartbreaking, but there was a sense of peace about the decision as well,” Davis shares. “I had wrestled with what to do and wondered what the best decision for her was for so long that making a decision—albeit a really tough one—brought me solace.”

Davis remains in contact with the staff at Miami and is updated regularly on how the mare is doing.

Selling a Horse: The Hardest Choice of All

Unfortunately, some perfect horse finds turn into nightmares. Horses can become so quirky—or outright dangerous—that rehoming them would be too fraught with danger for both the horse and his new owner.

These horses can be the ultimate test of a horse owner’s mental fortitude. Though making the decision to rehome a horse can be stressful, making the decision to euthanize one instead of selling or rehoming brings with it an intense rollercoaster of emotions.

Often horse owners in this situation beat themselves up, wondering what they could have done differently or what other methods exist to try to “fix” the horse.

Hannah Smith grew up spending hours on end at the farm where she took lessons. A true barn rat, she particularly enjoyed shadowing the veterinarians and farriers who came to the farm.

“I’m thankful they actually let me be annoying because they nurtured my love for horse health early on,” says Smith, who obtained an equine science degree and is now an assistant broodmare manager on a prominent Thoroughbred breeding farm.

Once settled on the farm, a coworker told her about a retired racehorse named Heavy in need of a job. Having broken and trained multiple horses, Hannah was excited to get back in the saddle with one of her own.

At first, Smith enjoyed working with the gelding, beginning to teach him the ropes of his new career as a jumper. He was kind, sweet and willing. She became more enamored with his personality during every ride.

“When things went wrong, it took me by surprise,” she explains. “During a routine mounting, something we had done a million times before with no problems, Heavy lost his mind.” With one leg in the stirrup and no way to scramble aboard or dismount rapidly, the event landed Smith in the emergency room with a fractured neck and back (C2 and L1), a potentially devastating injury.

“I’m lucky to be walking, much less riding again,” says Smith. “I was baffled by what happened. While I was recovering for three months, Heavy sat in a field. When I was cleared by my doctors, I decided to completely start him over to see if I had missed a step and if that was causing the issues. We started with groundwork and then prepared to transition to riding again. Up to that point, everything had gone perfectly; he was a gentleman for each of our sessions.

“But the second my foot went in the stirrup to mount the first time, I saw his eye change. I will never forget the feeling of being 9 feet in the air and thinking, ‘You got lucky once, you won’t get lucky again,’ and thinking this was where it ended for me,” she says. That time, Smith was hospitalized with a broken pelvis.

Searching for Answers

“I had him scoped and evaluated by vets and he was deemed healthy and happy—multiple times,” she says. The clean bill of health left Smith with no explanation of why Heavy would explode when she went to mount. Broken once again, Smith was left disheartened and confused. She began weighing her options.

“How could I live with myself if I sold him, even with everything fully disclosed, and he hurt someone else with no warning?” she asks.

Not everyone has the financial means to turn out a horse for the next 20 years, and there was no guarantee that whatever Heavy was experiencing wouldn’t eventually trickle down into behavior issues on the ground.

“I spent six months pondering the decision I ultimately made,” Smith says. “After consulting with multiple vets, my trainer and many friends I trusted, I made the gut-wrenching decision to put him down. While it took six months to decide, it took six seconds to see the relief in his eye and feel the weight literally lift off my shoulders. It wasn’t easy, but I loved that horse and I wanted him to always be safe and loved.”

For Smith, it was the right decision.

“It’s not an easy situation, but what is best for the horse will always be the right answer,” she says. Smith feels the decision to euthanize a horse is complicated, and because everyone’s situation is different, there’s not one right answer.

Likewise, selling a horse you thought was Mr. Right can be deeply distressing; it can feel like all of your dreams are lost and make you question your abilities, both as a rider and an owner. But horse owners are a tenacious bunch. Concluding that a new home or euthanasia is best for the horse can feel like admitting defeat, but it’s important to remember it isn’t. You’re offering the horse a great kindness by finding the best situation for his physical and emotional needs.

This article about selling your “perfect” horse appeared in the July 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Selling Your “Perfect” Horse appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

A Pakistani man pours jet-black lumps of coal into oversized sacks strapped to the back of his little white donkey as they prepare to haul coal out of a mine. He shares how much he depends on his equine partner: “If I lose my donkey, I lose everything.”

“The only thing that matters to me is that my animals have enough food for the summer; that season is hard and it’s extremely difficult to find food for them,” says Elba.

A family in Kenya keeps a small male donkey. He hauls water, food, and supplies and helps them till the soil. Without him, the family will be severely challenged, and they don’t have the money to purchase another equine.

They wake one morning to find their donkey gone—likely stolen to be slaughtered for his hide, which will be traded on the black market in Asia. The family is devastated beyond words.

These and hundreds of thousands of similar stories are a way of life in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. While working equines in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe are more of a novelty than the norm today, there are still many areas of the world in which humans rely heavily on their four-legged helpers to earn a subsistence living.

An estimated 100 million working horses, donkeys, and mules around the world support approximately 600 million people. These animals toil under the harshest conditions in some of the poorest countries on the planet. The international equine charity, Brooke, and its affiliate organizations including Brooke USA, have been helping these hard-working animals—and the humans that depend on them—for over 80 years.

The Origin of Brooke and Welfare for Working Horses

Brooke, which is based in Great Britain, is now the leading global welfare organization for working horses. It was established due to the efforts of the charity’s namesake, Dorothy Brooke.

In 1930, her husband, British Army Major General Geoffrey Brooke, was sent for duty in Egypt. She accompanied him, and they arrived in Cairo to find hundreds of ex-military horses from the British, Australian and American Armies had been left behind after World War I. These working horses had been sold to locals and were enduring incredibly difficult working conditions, with most being of advanced age, emaciated and infirm.

Brooke set out to buy back these working horses so that they could be either rehabilitated or humanely euthanized, depending on the individual horse’s best interest. In 1931, she raised the equivalent of 20,000 British pounds in today’s money (about $28,000 USD) through public fundraising spurred by writing a letter to the editor of The Morning Post in London (now The Daily Telegraph). By 1934, she had purchased the freedom of 5,000 ex-war horses.

Realizing that there were still thousands of other working horses, donkeys, and mules in Egypt, that same year she established Old War Horse Memorial Hospital in Cairo (later called the Brooke Hospital for Animals), with the promise of free veterinary care. Brooke also worked to establish shade shelters and watering stations for Cairo’s working animals, and by 1938, the hospital also had a motorized equine ambulance.

Over the next 80-plus years, Brooke expanded their mission to many other countries and opened more hospitals and shelters, although they do not set up traditional clinics now. Today they continue to provide training and support to animal owners and equine industry service providers.

Additionally, Brooke and Brooke USA assist during national disasters such as floods, droughts, earthquakes, and wildfires. In 2016, Brooke passed the milestone of reaching two million working equines thus far.

They have also expanded into university research and community projects, as well as working to influence governmental policy. In the summer of 2019, Brooke was officially recognized by the United Nations as an accredited UN Environment Program.

Helping Working Horses and Their People

The overriding principle that guides Brooke and Brooke USA charitable work is to teach the people in a particular country the value of keeping horses healthy, and to help those human caretakers understand that healthy horses work better, live longer, and thus can support their humans in a more sustainable way.

This often requires doing away with traditional practices, which are ineffective and occasionally cruel, and unlocking the underlying human compassion for horses that can be lost in the difficulty of subsistence living and geopolitical struggles.

Rather than just handing out money and leaving an area, Brooke provides education, supplies, and assistance not only to working horse owners, but also to locally based veterinarians, paraveterinary workers (veterinary technicians), farriers, feed suppliers, and those who make and repair tack and horse-drawn vehicles.

By utilizing these in-country professionals, who are known by the local population, positive change in creating welfare for working horses is more likely to take hold and last in the lives of at-risk animals and their owners. It’s a win-win for everyone; not only do the equine owners earn a better living and the horses lead happier lives, but industry service providers learn new, valuable skills. Brooke has also learned that targeting education about animal care toward women and children in a community is an effective tool.

The Launch of Brooke USA

In 2008, Brooke USA was originally chartered as American Friends of the Brooke and then relaunched in 2015 as Brooke USA. With their main offices in Lexington, KY., Brooke USA’s mission is to help working horses in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, and the Caribbean.

Katherine Kaneb, current Brooke USA Board of Directors Chair, feels it is their responsibility to make sure funds received from donors are put to good use, and explains they are careful in the selection of programs to fund.

“We know that healthy, cared-for equines lead to a better life for humans,” says Kaneb. “In addition to our ability to initiate and fund our own programming and advocacy efforts within the Americas, our business model focuses on granting funds to nonprofit organizations that are already making a difference so we can magnify their impact, or supporting nonprofits that present us unique, well thought-out programs that creatively reach underserved communities.”

One current project is fundraising to purchase small plots of land in Nicaragua that will serve as training units for forage production and storage. In addition to work in other countries, Brooke USA has recently worked in the U.S. on COVID-19 relief funding and helped with natural disasters in Texas and on the West Coast.

How to Help Provide Welfare for Working Horses

If your interest is piqued and you’d like to find ways to further Brooke USA’s mission, here are some ways you can help:

◆ Donate to the cause. Donations to recognize a loved one, favorite equine, or business are a fulfilling way to gift and give back at the same time.
◆ Host a fundraiser. Brooke USA will provide brochures, donation boxes and ideas for hosting an event.
◆ Spread the word in the equestrian community and beyond.
◆ Be an advocate for Brooke USA’s mission to legislators.
◆ Teach humane treatment and welfare for all living creatures to the next generation.

Notable Ambassadors A number of top equestrians from many disciplines work as Brooke USA ambassadors, advocating welfare for working horses. Three shared why they decided to join: Olympic dressage rider Allison Brock, champion show jumper Hannah Selleck, and five-star eventer Allison Springer. Brock rode the stallion Rosevelt on the bronze medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team in 2016. “I became involved with Brooke USA through my employers, who are huge contributors and advocates of Brooke USA. It’s a charity that any equestrian can get behind wholeheartedly, because when you take care of donkeys, you take care of people.” Selleck, who competes in top-level jumping and breeds sport horses, shares her story. “I was introduced to Brooke USA by a friend, and I immediately fell in love with the mission of helping working equines in the developing world and the people who depend on them. More importantly, I thought I could help by bringing awareness to their projects.” Springer, who with long-time partner Arthur served as an alternate for the U.S. Eventing Team for the 2012 London Olympic Games, also believes deeply in Brooke USA’s mission. “I joined forces with Brooke USA as a celebrity bartender for an event at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in 2017. This gave me an opportunity to learn more about the mission. Many of my friends are deeply involved too. I was very honored when asked to become a Brooke USA ambassador.

 

This article about welfare for working horses appeared in the July 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Brooke USA: Welfare for Working Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.