Welcome back. In this lesson we'll talk about the problem of the unwanted horse. This is one of the major issues affecting the welfare of horses in the United States and beyond. We'll discuss why horses become unwanted, what efforts are being made to address the issue and the special consideration of the rescue horse. By the end of this lesson, you should be able to describe the complexities of the unwanted horse issue in the United States. Let's start with the factors that contribute to the problem. In most parts of the world, horses are considered to be a form of property and their care is governed by local customs and laws relating to animal welfare. In some countries, there is little to no regulation overseeing equine welfare. And if laws do exist, they are not monitored or enforced. The ASPCA, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, was founded in 1866 in response to the need to regulate the activity of carriage horses in New York City. So much of the animal welfare movement in the United States had it's start with working horses which by 1920 numbered over 25 million and were absolutely crucial to the economy and national defense of the United States of America. The total number of horses in the United States is on the decline per recent reports. In 1920, when horses still served as the primary source of transportation, there were 25 million horses in the USA compared to the approximate 9 million we have today. In the early 20th century, societal familiarity with the horse was at an all time high. Recent surveys indicate however, that the primary horse owner these days is a female between the ages of 45-60 with an average of 1-3 horses. These horses are almost exclusively used for recreation or sports and are centered in suburban and rural areas, a relatively higher plus capital income. Two thirds of horse owners have incomes well above the median for the United States. In 2009, the unwanted horse coalition estimated that there were 170,000 unwanted horses in the United States. The definition of an unwanted horse, is a horse that was no longer wanted by the owner because they are old, sick, unmanageable or failed to meet the owner's expectations. The coalition's assessment reported the primary reasons given for the unwanted horse status were; 81 percent were unable to afford the horse, 40 percent of the horses were deemed too old and 27 percent were deemed unmanageable. Today, it is estimated that approximately 100,000 horses per year in the United States are categorized as unwanted. There are a number of reasons for this. A major one being the costs associated with keeping a horse. Because the costs associated with feeding and caring for horses can be high, many horses wind up being passed along for a variety of reasons especially if they can no longer perform their intended job. An example would be a competitive jumper who has arthritis to the point where he can no longer jump. Another reason a horse may become unwanted is that the horse's behavior renders them unsuitable for a particular owner. An example of this would be a person whose lack of horsemanship education or whose compromised health, means they can't cope with an active young horse in need of training. Another factor contributing to the problem of unwanted horses in high numbers in this country was the economic downturn of 2008. Owners that had horses they no longer needed or wanted may have had a harder time selling or finding homes for those horses during that period. During that time, existing rescue organizations became overwhelmed and many other well-intentioned rescues cropped up that did not have the financial viability to remain successful. In the United States the failure rate among animal sanctuaries of all types is in excess of 70 percent and the average lifespan of a rescue is about three years. To address this problem, in 2009, the Center for Equine Health at UC Davis developed a set of standards for rescue operations to help them remain viable and provide appropriate care for the horses. You can download these guidelines using the link in the resources section. The banning of equine slaughter in this country was another factor overwhelming rescues capacity for the unwanted horse and the ban has had many unintended consequences affecting equine welfare. The issue of horse slaughter in the USA is a contentious one. All slaughter of horses in the USA was banned in 2007 through an indirect discontinuation of funding for horse meat in slaughterhouse inspections. Funding for inspection of horse meat and for shipping and export has not been restored. Ten percent of all horse meat produced prior to that time was delivered to zoos to feed carnivores and the remaining 90 percent was exported overseas for human consumption. On the one hand, many horse lovers believe that the horse has no place in the food chain or suffering the uncertainties of a slaughter plant. The three main arguments against slaughter include concerns about humane management and mechanical euthanasia of horses in an industrial scale slaughterhouse, safety of the meat in horses not raised for food consumption, since long term medication use poses a human health threat and the third and final concern among some more affluent societies is concern about the appropriateness of consuming a companion animal. On the other hand, when the option to slaughter locally is denied, then horses are often shipped across borders. For instance, horses are shipped from the United States to Mexico and Canada for slaughter. In 2007, the export of horses to Canada increased by 140 percent and to Mexico by 600 percent. There are an estimated 120,000 horses exported for slaughter each year with 80,000 shipped to Mexico and 40,000 to Canada. Without falling under US regulations, transportation and slaughtering at remote facilities is now out of the control of the US and the horses may suffer inhumane circumstances. After the slaughter ban in 2007, reports of abuse, neglect and abandonment rose significantly especially in the economic downturn of 2008. The question is, which option is more humane? Do we slaughter in the US under strict regulations or do we ban slaughter in the US and allow transportation across borders? This is a difficult and contentious discussion that will no doubt go on for some period of time. Most humane organizations oppose horse slaughter. However, the American Quarter Horse Association, the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association support the humane slaughter of horses, as they feel that banning slaughter has created a decline in equine welfare as a whole. There are a couple of other important factors that we should take a moment to consider when discussing the issue of unwanted horses. The first is the fact that horses unlike other companion animals, are very long lived. While a dog may need care and a home for 12 to 18 years, horses with current preventative medicine and nutrition may live as long as 35 to 40 years. This makes the planning and operation of sanctuaries and rescues very difficult. Second, there has been a dramatic increase in fertility due to modern veterinary advances in Theriault genealogy or reproductive science particularly in the quarter horse and various warm blood breeds. Assisted reproduction, such as artificial insemination, In Vitro fertilization or XE, embryo transfer and other techniques now allow a stallion to breed hundreds of mares rather than a few dozen. This has increased not only the number of young horses but increased the incidence of inherited bone development diseases making some horses unserviceable and unwanted. It is notable however that in the economic downturn of 2008, the amount of equine reproduction conducted in the country went down significantly. Horses who do arrive at rescues often have physical and mental issues that limit their ride-ability or home ability. The horses at rescue farms and sanctuaries may arrive with untreated chronic diseases or geriatric special considerations. They may have trouble integrating into the existing herd. There will be a need for appropriate exercise, environmental enrichment and socialization with other horses and humans. This is labor intensive and requires financial and technical resources. It is important that rescue organisations have a good working relationship with their veterinarian and qualified horse trainers to manage existing issues in an economical and humane way. The Center for Equine Health Guide to Equine Rescues again provides an overview of how to assess rescue horses and provides a list of resources. There are many successes however. The racing industry has done a very good job of funding thoroughbred rescues and horses who are no longer suitable for racing due to age or injury can go on to be excellent riding or companion horses. The role of horses is gradually changing and expanding in many societies and equines especially geriatric horses in rescue situations can make excellent horses to foster the human-animal bond. There is strong evidence that horses can have a significant impact on the welfare of humans suffering from PTSD, physical or mental handicaps, self-confidence issues and even neurodegenerative or cognitive issues. It is exciting to consider this new therapeutic role of the horse in our society and the possibility that a larger segment of our society will again become familiar with the horse. Volunteering at a local equine rescue is a great way to develop the horse skills and knowledge and can improve the outreach and funding capabilities of the organization. Check out the resource section for information on how to get started as a volunteer. Taking this course for instance, is a great way to become a valuable asset to a rescue organization. The topic of the unwanted horse and solutions to this problem will continue to be one of the most challenging issues facing the horse industry probably for years to come. Courses like this help raise awareness of the problem and no matter which side of an issue you fall on, only through increased awareness will we be able to reach solutions. In our next lesson, we'll look at the international welfare concerns and initiative for those horses, mules and donkeys who continue to serve as working animals in many corners of the world. See you soon.
