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Unwanted Horses

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Posted by J. R. Wise (4.225.5.74) on May 22, 2007 at 11:16:13:

The phrase "Turning a horse out to pasture" once meant giving a horse a well earned rest after many years of service. Unfortunately, some horses are abandoned to a state of neglect in isolated back pastures without adequate food and water, or turned loose in wilderness areas to fend for themselves.

The cost of maintaining a horse is high. Caring for horses is hard work, and takes a certain amount of expertise. People who acquire horses on impulse often have no knowledge of how to safely handle a horse, or how to provide adequate care. In such cases, both horse and owner are liable to be injured.

The impulse buyer may eventually learn the facts of inter-species life - that caring for a one-thousand pound animal requires expensive feed, fencing, farrier care, veterinary attention, and training-and decide that owning horses simply isn't worth the trouble. Lack of planning combined with willful ignorance can lead to equine neglect and abandonment.

An important part of responsible ownership is finding a good home for an unwanted horse. The Unwanted Horse Coalition, a group of horse industry organizations concerned with the problem of unwanted horses, has developed a website with information on retiring and rescuing horses, as well as promoting responsible horse ownership at unwantedhorsecoalition.org.

There are horse rescue organizations, sanctuaries, and retirement facilities in just about every state in the union dedicated to the cause of helping unwanted horses. One that has recently opened is the Kentucky Equine Humane Center near Lexington, Ky. The center hopes to provide a sanctuary for horses of all breeds and disciplines. Though not all horse rescue organizations are able to take in donated horses, listings of horse rescue facilities can be found by going to guidestar.org and typing in the phrase "horse rescue."

Submitted by J.R. Wise, author of "Give a Horse a Second Chance: Adopting and Caring for Rescue Horses", available on Amazon.

Follow Ups:

Re: Unwanted Horses Pat Wolph 10:41:02 07/26/07 (0)
Re: Unwanted Horses Pat Wolph 10:40:15 07/26/07 (0)

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: The phrase "Turning a horse out to pasture" once meant giving a horse a well earned rest after many years of service. Unfortunately, some horses are abandoned to a state of neglect in isolated back pastures without adequate food and water, or turned loose in wilderness areas to fend for themselves. : The cost of maintaining a horse is high. Caring for horses is hard work, and takes a certain amount of expertise. People who acquire horses on impulse often have no knowledge of how to safely handle a horse, or how to provide adequate care. In such cases, both horse and owner are liable to be injured. : The impulse buyer may eventually learn the facts of inter-species life - that caring for a one-thousand pound animal requires expensive feed, fencing, farrier care, veterinary attention, and training-and decide that owning horses simply isn't worth the trouble. Lack of planning combined with willful ignorance can lead to equine neglect and abandonment. : An important part of responsible ownership is finding a good home for an unwanted horse. The Unwanted Horse Coalition, a group of horse industry organizations concerned with the problem of unwanted horses, has developed a website with information on retiring and rescuing horses, as well as promoting responsible horse ownership at unwantedhorsecoalition.org. : There are horse rescue organizations, sanctuaries, and retirement facilities in just about every state in the union dedicated to the cause of helping unwanted horses. One that has recently opened is the Kentucky Equine Humane Center near Lexington, Ky. The center hopes to provide a sanctuary for horses of all breeds and disciplines. Though not all horse rescue organizations are able to take in donated horses, listings of horse rescue facilities can be found by going to guidestar.org and typing in the phrase "horse rescue." : Submitted by J.R. Wise, author of "Give a Horse a Second Chance: Adopting and Caring for Rescue Horses", available on Amazon. :

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