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Unwanted Horse Coalition Year in Review

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The Unwanted Horse Coalition has been operating for over 7 years under the auspices of the American Horse Council and is under the direction of Ericka Caslin. Its mission is to reduce the number of unwanted horses and to improve their welfare through education and the efforts of organizations committed to the health, safety, and responsible care and disposition of these horses. Through the UHC website, strong committees, educational materials (brochures, flyers, handbooks, surveys, and books), hands-on projects directly benefitting horses and horse owners, and a constant e-news summary, the UHC’s mission continues to hold fast.

The UHC has been working on many different projects in 2013. In 2014 we will continue to improve and build upon our current programs while brainstorming new ideas and forming new, important partnerships that will help the welfare of unwanted horses. We will also continue to educate the public about unwanted horses, owning responsibly, and breeding responsibly.

For questions about the UHC or how you can get involved, contact UHC Director, Ericka Caslin, at ecaslin@horsecouncil.org or call the office at 202-296-4031.

A Glimpse of 2013 for the Unwanted Horse Coalition:

  • The UHC’s Operation Gelding Program continues to be an industry role model for castration clinics and castration clinic grant programs. The program has aided in the castration of 849 stallions in 28 states since its inception in September 2010. Thanks to the AAEP Foundation, the USEF, and Zoetis, we have been able to fund the program through the fall.
  • The UHC is a partner in The Equine Network’s A Home for Every Horse program (AHFEH). AHFEH is a universal website where rescues may list their horses available for adoption. The service is free and available to all 501 (c)(3) registered facilities (www.ahomeforeveryhorse.com) The website was launched in November, 2011. Current program stats: more than 1,000 adoptable horses are currently listed on the website and there are more than 500 rescues participating. AHFEH sponsor, Purina, gave over $150,000 worth of free feed to participating rescues. Weatherbeeta, another sponsor of AHFEH, has a special AHFEH blanket and is donating them to rescue horses in need.  AHFEH Facebook page currently has over 8,000 ‘likes’.
  • The UHC is still distributing Dr. Jennifer Williams’ book How to Start and Run a Rescue. The book is $20, which includes shipping and all proceeds go to our Operation Gelding grant program. This book is an indispensable resource that offers practical and insightful advice to those who are interested in starting a rescue or those who may already have a rescue, but may need help improving upon their business. The book covers topics such as formation of a nonprofit, fundraising, public relations and marketing, networking, formulating policies, successful bookkeeping, and much more. Dr. Williams discusses the complex issues involved in founding a rescue, long-term management, and improving upon a currently existing rescue.
  • The UHC website (www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org) still provides information for horse owners and lovers alike. We currently have a list of over 700 facilities that accept horses listed on our site, all categorized by state. We also have a growing directory of resources for horse owners in need. We have lists of available grants, haybanks/feedbanks, castration clinics, vaccination and veterinary grant programs, free equine classified websites, and more.
  • The UHC has a variety of materials at the public’s disposal from brochures and flyers, to surveys and handbooks. These materials are all available for free download on the UHC website. If you’d like any of these materials in hard copy, contact UHC director, Ericka Caslin at ecaslin@horsecouncil.org or call the office at 202-296-4031.
  • The UHC committee chairs will begin to discuss updating UHC materials, hosting UHC webinars, and UHC regional meetings. To stay up to date on UHC news and information, join the UHC Media Roundup by e-mailing ecaslin@horsecouncil.org and requesting to join our e-mail list.

Unwanted Horse Coalition
1616 H Street, NW • 7th Floor • Washington, DC 20006

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Equine Assisted Therapy, EQUUS Foundation, Rescue/Protection Sources

EQUUS Foundation Joins UHC and Teams Up with R.O.A.R. Campaign

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Washington, DC – September 13, 2012 – The Unwanted Horse Coalition [UHC] welcomes its newest member, The EQUUS Foundation.

The EQUUS Foundation is a 501c3 national charitable foundation that is dedicated to improving the quality of life of horses, promoting the use of horses to enrich the lives of those in need, and educating the public about the horse’s unique ability to empower, teach and heal.

The Foundation provides financial support through grants to horse related charities across the United States, operating a network of equine organizations and equine enthusiasts providing scholarships to reward volunteer service on behalf of horses, and conducting information outreach to educate the public about horses.

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Rescue/Protection Sources

“Unwanted Horse” Producer Pfizer Sponsors Teleconference to Promote Compromised GAO Report

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June 19, 2011 – Chicago (EWA) – A long overdue Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the effect of closing the US horse slaughter plants is scheduled for release on Wednesday, June 22. Although the report’s contents are to be kept confidential until released, slaughter supporters have been indicating for months that they were leaked the report and have now orchestrated an “Unwanted Horse” teleconference late in the day of the release, presumably to promote the report’s findings.

The teleconference, called “Ask a Vet” is being presented by The Horse, the magazine of the American Veterinary Medical Association, a long term supporter of horse slaughter, and features veterinarian Tom Lenz, the former Chair of the American Horse Council’s “Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC)”. The UHC, supposedly founded to propose solutions to the excess horse problem, has instead concentrated on promoting the phrase “unwanted horse” to take the focus off of overproduction, which slaughter actually encourages, and imply slaughter horses are somehow unusable except as meat.

Pfizer Pharmaceuticals sponsoring a teleconference on solutions to the “unwanted horse” problem is beyond brazen. Pfizer owns Wythe Pharmaceuticals, the producer of a line of hormone replacement therapy drugs made from pregnant mare urine and is one of the largest producers of excess, poorly bred and untrained foals in North America.

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Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Unwanted Horse Coalition Media Roundup – May 9, 2011

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Unwanted Horse Coalition’s Operation Gelding Clinics Helps over 245 Stallions across the Country
The Unwanted Horse Coalition’s (UHC) Operation Gelding program has aided in gelding 246 stallions to date. The program, which was launched in late August 2010 with the help of seed money from the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation and the UHC, is designed to offer funding assistance to organizations, associations, and events that wish to conduct a public gelding clinic under the name and guidelines of Operation Gelding.
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Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance Launches New Database
The new Equidopt database has been launched by the Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance (CUHA) and allows people interested in adopting a horse to search an online database  of horses that are available from equine rescues in Colorado by criteria like breed, age, gender, discipline and region.
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Contributors/Press, Rescue/Protection Sources

Unwanted Horse Coalition Media Roundup

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November 3, 2010 – Edition 14 – This Unwanted Horse Coalition news summary is provided as an educational service to those interested in the issue of the unwanted horse. The articles do not reflect the opinions of the Unwanted Horse Coalition or any of its employees. The listing of events does not constitute an endorsement of a particular event. If you see an article or event that may be appropriate for inclusion in Media Roundup, please e-mail it to ecaslin@horsecouncil.org.

Unwanted Horse Coalition’s Operation Gelding Clinics Taking Place across the U.S.
The Unwanted Horse Coalition’s (UHC) Operation Gelding program is off to a successful start. The program, which was launched in August 2010 with the help of seed money from the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation and the UHC, is designed to offer funding assistance to organizations, associations, and events that wish to conduct a public gelding clinic under the name and guidelines of Operation Gelding. An organization that has completed an Operation Gelding clinic will receive funding of $50 per horse, $1,000 maximum, to aid in the costs associated with the clinic.
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Increased Relief for Kentucky Horse Owners on the Way

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According to a recent report, one out of every ten work-eligible Kentuckians is unemployed.  In response to the significant increase in jobless horse owners, the Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) has modified eligibility requirements for their Equine Safety Net program.

Started in April 2007, Equine Safety Net provides feed for horses owned by individuals who have recently lost a job or suffered an injury which prevents them from working.

Through the Equine Safety Net program, KHC provides hay and grain for up to two horses for thirty days for approved applicants.  Historically Equine Safety Net supported the care of horses whose owners suffered a job loss or injury within 90 days of application.

Because of recent eligibility changes, now the program is available to those with a verifiable change in work status within six months and recipients may, for the first time, apply for a 30 day extension of Safety Net support.

Continue reading Increased Relief for Kentucky Horse Owners on the Way →