The EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) came together in 2009 to establish the Humanitarian Award to recognize the accomplishments of an individual or group of individuals in improving the health and welfare of the horse and promoting and expanding the general public’s appreciation and respect of the diverse role of horses.
Brooke USA received the EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award at the virtual USEF Pegasus and Horse of the Year Awards Celebration on Saturday evening, January 17, 2021. Brooke USA, the sister organization to Brooke and a leading funder of its work in the developing world, is best known for improving and advocating for the welfare of working horses, donkeys, and mules and the people they serve throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and the Caribbean by raising funds and responsibly directing them to the areas of greatest need. Less widely known is Brooke USA’s commitment to America’s horses.
The Work of Brooke USA Worldwide
Over 100 million working horses, donkeys, and mules provide invaluable support to daily life for an estimated 600 million people (eight percent of the world’s population) in some of the poorest places in the world through haulage, transportation, and production.
Healthy working horses, donkeys, and mules help to put food on their tables, send their children to school, and build better futures for themselves and their families.
Brooke USA strategically invests in solution-oriented, community-based partner organizations that address the root causes of problems affecting vulnerable communities around the globe.
Working directly with animals, owners, health services agencies, and governments, Brooke USA supports growths in infrastructure, education, veterinary care, and funding for projects and causes positively benefitting and sustaining working humans and animals in the developing world.
The Work of Brooke USA in the US
Sadly, in the United States, many of America’s horses who empower and heal us face an uncertain future. Tens of thousands become at-risk for abuse and neglect each year. Over 65,000 were shipped across our borders to be slaughtered in 2019.
Since 2016, Brooke USA has stepped up to fund US-based organizations during natural disasters and other emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic was no exception. Brooke USA came to the rescue in the United States by supporting the relief efforts of national equine welfare organizations, including the EQUUS Foundation, the Foundation for the Horse, the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), and the Humane Society of the United States. Brooke USA also supported the disaster relief efforts of the United States Equestrian Foundation and the Equestrian Aid Foundation as well as other regionally based organizations.
“Brooke USA is thrilled to be recognized for our work in the United States. We have been building up our support of US-based organizations over the past few years, and COVID-19 made our national emergency our very own priority. To date, we have delivered micro-grants 24 fellow nonprofits. It has been about supporting day-to-day operations, providing feed, ensuring vet care, and helping owners. We thank the EQUUS Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation for the honor of serving as the 2020 the EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award recipient,” said John Nicholson, Immediate Past Chair of Brooke USA.
“During this time of extreme hardship, one thing is certain. We are grateful to our first responders and to the individuals and organizations that rise above their own priorities to work for the common good. Brooke USA is one such organization and is most deserving to be recognized as the recipient of the Humanitarian Award,” said Lynn Coakley, EQUUS Foundation President.
To learn more about the EQUUS Foundation and their mission, please visit www.equusfoundation.org.