THE UNWANTED HORSE AND H.R. 503/S. 727:

AN EQUINE VETERINARY PERSPECTIVE

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to equine veterinary medicine and is a leading medical authority on the health and welfare of the horse.  The AAEP is comprised of nearly 10,000 veterinarians and veterinary medical students who dedicate their life's work to caring for the horse. The AAEP brings together all of its assets from veterinary medical practice, academia, regulatory medicine and research in the pursuit of one mission – to protect the health and welfare of the horse. 

The Unwanted Horse and H.R. 503/S. 727

Guided by this dedication to equine welfare, the AAEP is actively involved in the issues that surround the care of unwanted horses in the United States.  The AAEP evaluates all legislative efforts, such as H.R. 503 and S. 727, based on the legislation’s ability to serve the health and welfare of the horse.  The intent of H.R. 503/S. 727 – also known as the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of 2009 – is to ban the transportation and sale of horses for processing for human consumption.  The AAEP believes horse processing is symptomatic of larger problems affecting the welfare of our nation’s horses.

Unwanted horses represent a group of horses within the domestic equine population that are no longer needed or useful, or their owners are no longer interested in or capable of providing financial or physical care.  Many of these horses are infirm and some are dangerous.  Currently, there is a lack of comprehensive information regarding the total number of unwanted horses in the U.S; however, it is widely believed that many unwanted horses are sent to a processing facility.  Other horses are euthanized by a veterinarian and disposed of through rendering, and some less fortunate are abandoned and left to die of malnourishment and/or starvation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that 102,260 horses were euthanized for processing in this country alone in 2006, the last year that the U.S. horse processing plants were open for an entire fiscal year.  The total number of U.S. origin horses processed in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, increased from 138,206 in 2006 to 140,911 in 2007.  Presently the processing plants are closed in the U.S. and the only option for many of today’s unwanted horses remains processing at a facility in Mexico or Canada.  Since the 2007 U.S. plant closures, the number of horses being abused, neglected and abandoned, according to many reports, has increased.  In the state of Colorado alone, equine cruelty investigations increased by 40 percent in 2007, according to the Colorado Unwanted Horse Alliance’s “Colorado Unwanted Horse Environmental Assessment” of 2008.

U.S. horse trade has experienced a significant shift since the closure of the domestic horse processing facilities.  USDA estimates that U.S. exports of horses to Mexico for processing increased from 11,080 head in 2006 to 58,731 in 2008, a 430 percent increase, and exports to Canada rose from 24,866 head in 2006 to 49,895 head in 2008, a 100 percent increase.

The AAEP believes that horse processing is not the ideal solution for addressing the large number of unwanted horses in the U.S.  However, if a horse owner is unable or unwilling to provide humane care and no one is able to assume the responsibility, euthanasia at a processing facility in a manner designated as humane by the American Veterinary Medical Association is an acceptable alternative to a life of suffering, inadequate care or abandonment.

AAEP Concerns Regarding H.R. 503/S. 727

H.R. 503/S. 727 and its supporters are well intentioned, but passage of this legislation without adequate funding or infrastructure in place to care for unwanted horses will create a series of negative and harmful consequences.  Therefore, the AAEP opposes H.R. 503 and S. 727.

The AAEP’s chief concerns regarding H.R. 503/S. 727 are:

·      Long-term placement of affected horses.   H.R. 503 and S. 727 fail to address how and where unwanted horses will be placed and cared for.  If H.R. 503 and S. 727 are passed, tens of thousands of U.S. horses will need to be placed in alternative homes, or be euthanized and disposed of properly.  While there are equine rescue and retirement facilities that provide homes for unwanted horses, their capacities range from five horses to, in a few cases, a maximum of 1,000 horses.  The average capacity at most facilities, however, is approximately 30 horses or less. Thus, based on 2007 total processing figures, in the first year alone of a processing or transportation for processing ban, assuming an average capacity of 30 horses per facility, approximately 4,697 equine rescue facilities would be needed.  The likelihood of such increased and enhanced efforts based on the personnel, space (acreage and water), facilities and finances to support such efforts is unrealistic.  

·      Funding of care for unwanted horses.  H.R. 503/S.727 does not the address the funding required to care for, euthanize or dispose of tens of thousands of horses per year.  Assuming an average cost of $6 per day to provide a horse’s basic needs (food, water, shelter, land and basic health care), the funding needed per year, per horse, is approximately $2,300.         

Current Legislative Status

H.R. 503 was introduced on January 14, 2009 by Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. This bill was first introduced in 2008 as H.R. 6598.

S. 727 was introduced on March 26, 2009 by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and was referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. 

Address the Root Cause, Not the Symptom

The equine industry must work together to address the core issues that contribute to the unwanted horse population in the U.S.  To mobilize key stakeholders, the AAEP sponsored an Unwanted Horse Summit in 2005 to begin generating far-reaching and practical solutions.  Action plans were developed to proactively address such issues as increased long-term care options and funding, responsible ownership, conditions of sale and transport, and increased euthanasia options for unwanted horses.  The Unwanted Horse Coalition was initiated in 2006 as a result of the Unwanted Horse Summit and now operates under the umbrella of the American Horse Council.  The mission of the Coalition is to explore ways 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 of the horse. Owner education is a focal point. The UHC also offers an online directory of facilities in the U.S. that provide placement options for unwanted horses.

For more information,  please contact Keith Kleine, AAEP director of industry relations, at kkleine@aaep.org or (800) 443-0177.  For additional resources on unwanted horses, please visit www.aaep.org/current_issues.htm.  

The American Association of Equine Practitioners, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit organization dedicated to the health and welfare of the horse. Currently, the AAEP reaches more than 5 million horse owners through its nearly 10,000 members worldwide and is actively involved in ethics issues, practice management, research and continuing education in the equine veterinary profession and horse industry.