Volume of unwanted horses a cause for serious concern

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Unwanted Horse Coalition
is asking breed registries, equine organizations, state associations and individual horse owners and service providers to spread the word to “own responsibly.”
That was the message delivered by coalition representatives Katy Carter, coordinator, Sally Baker of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and Kristin Hix of The Jockey Club, at a recent American Horse Council’s Forum in Lexington, Ky.
Coalition. The Unwanted Horse Coalition is a broad alliance of equine organizations that have joined together under the American Horse Council to reduce the numbers of unwanted horses and help horse owners understand the various options, services and help available to them when they are considering what to do with a horse they can no longer care for.
“Spreading the word is the next important step for the coalition,” said veterinarian Tom Lenz, a council chairman.
“Until enough organizations and people understand and appreciate their responsibilities to the horses, we will not find an effective solution to the problem of unwanted horses,” Lenz said.
Materials. At the issues forum, the coalition representatives reviewed the various materials available to equine organizations and individuals. The list includes a brochure, a comprehensive handbook, Own Responsibly flyers, filler ads for publications, window decals and lapel pins.
The coalition’s Web site at www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org includes information on the issue of unwanted horses along with an expanding resource section dedicated to educational materials and news articles.