MINNESOTA’S UNWANTED HORSE TRACY A. TURNER, DVM, MS, Dipl.ACVS Vice President, MN Horse Council Board of Directors, MN Horse Expo.
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MINNESOTA’SUNWANTED HORSE
TRACY A. TURNER, DVM, MS, Dipl.ACVS
Vice President, MN Horse CouncilBoard of Directors, MN Horse Expo
THE PROBLEM
ESTIMATED 9.2 MILLION HORSES
IN THE U.S. 1997: 155,000 IN MN 1997: MN RANKED
9th IN HORSES 2009: ESTIMATE >
200,000 HORSES
THE PROBLEM
THE AMERICAN HORSE COUNCIL
ESTIMATES 1-1.5% ARE UNWANTED = 92,000-
138,000/yr MN ESTIMATE =
2,000-3,000/yr COST =$1900/yr
MN INVESTMENT = $3.8-$5.7 MILLION/yr
CURRENTLY 8 EQUINE RESCUES IN MN
WHY DO HORSES BECOME UNWANTED
MN REQUIRES:1. Horses be provided with food of
sufficient quantity and quality to allow for normal growth or maintenance
2. Horses be provided with clean, potable water in sufficient quantity
3. Horses be provided with shelter from adverse weather conditions
4. Horses be provided with a clean environment and enough space for periodic exercise
5. Horses have their hooves properly trimmed to prevent lameness
6. Horses be transported safely
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION ESTIMATES COSTS OF OWNING 1 HEALTHY HORSE
= $6500/yr
WHY DO HORSES BECOME UNWANTED
Horses that are old Horses that are incurably
lame
WHY DO HORSES BECOME UNWANTED
Horses with behavioral problems Horses that are dangerous Un-adoptable feral horses
WHY DO HORSES BECOME UNWANTED
Horses that fail to meet owner’s expectations Unattractive Not athletic Unmarketable Wrong color (no color)
Cost too much to care for Normal, healthy horses of various
ages and breeds
WHY DO HORSES BECOME UNWANTED
CHILDREN (or adults) BECOME
DISINTERESTED DIVORCE JOB LOSS
THE HOUSING AND MORTGAGE CRISIS
HAVE ALSO EXACERBATED THE
PROBLEM
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE HORSES?
CHANGE OF OCCUPATION
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE HORSES?
RESCUE/RETIREMENT FACILITY
ADOPTION
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE HORSES?
DONATING TO THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAM
DONATE TO TEACHING/RESEARCH INSTITUTION
EUTHANASIA ABUSE/ NEGLECT/
ABANDONMENT EUTHANASIA AT
PROCESSING PLANT
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE HORSES
EUTHANASIA >>>>DISPOSAL
THE LEGAL OPTIONS FOR HORSE
CARCASSES IN MN: BURIAL
COMPOSTING CREMATION RENDERING
FUR FARM USE AND PET FOOD
MINNESOTA HORSE COUNCIL
BECAME THE FIRST STATE
HORSE COUNCIL TO JOIN THE
UNWANTED HORSE COALITION
THE UNWANTED HORSE COALITION
A BROAD ALLIANCE OF EQUINE
ORGANIAZATIONS THAT HAVE JOINED
TOGETHER UNDER THE AMERICAN HORSE COUNCIL TO RAISE
AWARENESS OF THE UNWANTED HORSE
ISSUE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES TO
HORSES AND THE INDUSTRY
THE UNWANTED HORSE COALITION
MISSIONTO 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 THE
HORSE
GOALS REDUCE THE NUMBER OF
UNWANTED HORSES RAISE AWARENESS OF THE
ISSUE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
EDUCATE HORSE OWNERS AND POTENTIAL OWNERS FACILITATE THE
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION
HIGHLIGHT “ALTERNATIVE CAREERS” AVAILABLE TO
HORSES PROVIDE INFORMATION ON
END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS
MINNESOTA HORSE COUNCIL
Minnesota Horse Council Position on the
Transportation and Processing of Horses
ADVOCATES THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF ALL HORSES
BELIEVES THAT THE PROCESSING OF UNWANTED HORSES IS NECESSARY
RECOGNIZES THAT THE SLAUGHTER OF HORSES PROVIDES A HUMANE ALTERNATIVE FOR THE HORSE WITH CHRONIC DISCOMFORT AND PAIN, OR INADEQUATE CARE AND ABANDONMENT
HORSES DESTINED FOR PROCESSING MUST: BE TREATED HUMANELY AND
WITH DIGNITY BE TRANSPORTED ACCORDING TO
THE USDA GUIDELINES BE EUTHANIZED IN A HUMANE
MANNER IN ACCORDANCE WITH GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE AVMA
MINNESOTA HORSE COUNCIL
MARCH 2009 PASSED A RESOLUTION TO
CERTIFY MINNESOTA RESCUES
501 c 3 NON-PROFIT MEET or EXCEED THE
AAEP “CARE GUIDELINES FOR
RESCUES AND RETIREMENT FACILITIES”
MINNESOTA HORSE COUNCIL
THE UNWANTED HORSE IS THE
SINGLE BIGGEST WELFARE ISSUE
FACING THE HORSE INDUSTRY
TODAY 1 STALLION CAN
BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OVER 100
FOALS IN A SINGLE YEAR
THE GELDING PROJECT“HELPING THE UNWANTED HORSE 1
STALLION AT A TIME”
Education Earns Stallions to Geldings
1. Get an official voucher2. Attend 8 horse health
educational sessions3. Contact a participating
veterinarian to arrange castration of the stallion
EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS: General Horse Care Reproduction Nutrition Facilities/Manure
Management Equine Dentistry Vaccinations and/or De-
worming Horse Behavior Lecture on the Unwanted
Horse or volunteer 2 hours at a Horse Rescue
THE GELDING PROJECT II
September 26, 2009
Washington County Fairgrounds MHC certified rescues can
bring colts and stallions for free castration
Performed by University of Minnesota Veterinary students under the supervision of Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners
The first of a series of clinics to be held around the state
QUESTIONS?Contact
Dr. Tracy Turner, MHC
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