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The Unwanted Horse
“The unwanted horse” is a term used to describe horses within the domestic equine population that are considered no longer useful or needed, or whose owners are either uninterested or not capable of providing care for them, physically or financially. The unwanted horse is not a new problem. It is a growing concern, however. Some unwanted horses do find new homes; most probably will end up being sent to slaughter; some are humanely euthanatized; others are abandoned and left to die of natural causes.
There is no typical description of an unwanted horse. It may be a perfectly normal, young, healthy horse, purebred with breed registry papers, or it may be a horse that is unsound due to an injury. It may be a horse that has been abused and mistreated, and has behavioral problems as a result. Sometimes horses fall into the unwanted horse category when their owners become ill, lose their jobs, or have some other major life crisis.
Additionally, there are around 10,000 BLM wild horses also that are considered un-adoptable, another 5,000 or so that are awaiting adoption, and yet another 20,000 or more mares and foals that were in the PMU (Pregnant Mare Unine) industry.
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So what happens to all these unwanted horses?
All across the country horse rescues and equine welfare organizations work hard trying to save as many of these animals as they can, struggling to raise money to provide feed and care and to find homes for as many of them as possible. Sometimes, despite their good intentions, well-meaning horse rescuers become overwhelmed by the sheer intensity and cost of caring for these horses. It is estimated that just providing basic care for one horse is roughly $1,800 to $2,400 per year. Caring for a horse with special needs or that requires extensive veterinary care can easily double or triple this figure. Despite the fact that there are numerous horse rescues, they do not begin to meet the needs of the huge number of unwanted horses.
To put it simply, there are way more horses than there are homes for them with responsible, caring owners.
Recently there has been a lot of controversy over legislation concerning slaughterhouses that process horses for human consumption. Many people believe that there should not be any slaughterhouses for horses.
Temple Grandin, PhD, Associate Professor at Colorado State University, argues that there are alternatives that are worse for the horse than slaughter. These include the sale of horses to Mexico or South America, where an already malnourished animal may be subjected to a life pulling a cart or being ridden to death, or when their usefulness is over, shipped back to a slaughterhouse in Texas. Grandin feels that slaughter is a better alternative than abuse, neglect or being worked to death in a state of malnutrition.
Clearly this is an emotional issue that most people would prefer to not even think about, let alone take a stand on. Often when a person does not wish to care for a horse because the horse has reached an age where it is no longer able to perform as it did when it was younger, or developed health problems or been injured, the horse ends up at the local sale barn. Chances are good that this horse will be sold to the killer market. The owner often chooses to ignore this, wanting to believe that the horse will be going to a good home, and is just glad to be relieved of the financial burden and having to care for the horse. Unfortunately, it’s not just old and unsound horses that end up on the truck headed for the slaughterhouse. Grandin did a study in 1999 of 1,000 horses at slaughter plants. Ninety-two percent of these 1,000 horses were brought to kill in acceptable condition.
All those horses slaughtered, because the only market for them was the kill market.
It is estimated that 75,000 to 150,000 horses go to slaughter here in the United States every year. That is an average of 1-2% of the equine population.
Finding The Perfect HorseI recently received a letter over the Internet that addresses important horse buying issues that everyone .....
On April 19, 2005 a group of 30 concerned horse persons representing breed groups, veterinarians, horse rescues and other horse industry professionals gathered in Washington, D.C. for the first Unwanted Horse Summit to address the problem of the unwanted horse. They identified key issues, with the goal being to improve the quality of life and to reduce the numbers of these horses. Issues include standards for rescue/retirement facilities, euthanasia and disposal of carcasses, slaughter, education of horse owners, rehabilitation of horses, and identifying the causes of this problem, such as over-breeding and lack of responsible breeding.
So what can you, as a horse owner or horse lover do?
As with all animal welfare issues, one of the most important things that a person can do is to learn all they can about the problem. If you own a horse, take responsibility for that animal and do everything you possibly can to ensure that it is properly cared for from the time it is born (or you acquire it), throughout its lifetime.
Think long and hard before you breed your mare or stand a stallion at stud. Unless you have a superior quality individual, and have good reason to breed that horse, don’t do it. If you want another horse, there are countless horses out there that need a home.
Quick Check Your Horses HealthDo you check your horse’s general condition on a regular basis? Do you know what to look for to make sure your horses health is where it ..... Learn how to handle and care for your horse, providing the best nutrition, health care and training possible. The goal should be to have a healthy horse that will give you many years of enjoyment. With careful training and handling, your horse will be a pleasure to own and to be around. It is much more likely that a well mannered, well trained, sound, healthy horse will not end up as an unwanted horse if the time comes when you can no longer keep him.
Speak out about the plight of the unwanted horse. Help educate others about this problem. Encourage horse owners to be responsible also.
If you do not own a horse, consider volunteering your time and talents and making financial contributions to horse rescues in your area. This is perhaps one of the most valuable and worthwhile things that you can do to help with the plight of the unwanted horse. Not only will you experience the joy of spending time with these wonderful animals, you will be making their lives better. You can help tremendously by sponsoring a horse.
Most of all, show that you care. Horses deserve a quality life just as much as any other living creature. It may not seem like a big thing to save the life of, or contribute to the well being of one animal, but it is. Working together, we can all help to reduce the plight of the unwanted horse.
How To Groom Your Horse & WhyGrooming means taking care of the physical maintenance of the horse. The sight of a well-groomed horse gives immense pleasure to true .....
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