The threat of communicable disease in horses is very real. To name just a few examples, it’s not uncommon to use public water troughs on trail rides or to share one rag to wipe the nose of every horse from one barn before they walk into the show ring.

Though “routine,” each of these practices—and many others—invite the spread of disease, potentially between hundreds of horses.

Though horses are often in the company of others and don’t become ill, what happens when a horse comes down with an infectious disease? How are horse owners alerted, especially if their horse may have been in contact with the sick horse? How do they know what information is real and what has been blown out of proportion? Most importantly, how do owners learn how to keep their horses safe?

These questions and others were the impetus behind the creation of the Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC). Similar to how the Weather Channel broadcasts weather alerts, the EDCC alerts horse owners to infectious diseases that are reported in North America.

The Cutting Show in Utah

In 2011, a cutting horse show in Ogden, Utah, experienced a significant equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) outbreak. With no means of organized information dissemination, rumors about the situation escalated rapidly, causing a state of near panic in some owners.

In total, over 2,000 horses were potentially exposed to the disease on 242 premises in 19 states. At the outbreak’s conclusion, 90 horses tested positive for the EHV-1 or equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM), another name for the neurologic disease associated with an EHV infection. Fifty-four of the 90 had been at the Ogden event. Thirteen horses died or were euthanized.

During the outbreak, Facebook and X (then called Twitter) lit up with rumors, causing heightened anxiety over horse health and spurring the cancellation of equine events across the country, even though most events had no connection with any horses that attended the Ogden event.

Seventeen of the confirmed EHV-1 and EHM cases were in California; show organizers opted to cancel 142 of the 530 sanctioned shows that were to be held in the state that year. The economic impact of those cancellations was significant and would be felt for years.

Creating the Equine Disease Communications Center

It became clear that a unified industry response plan to disease outbreaks was needed—one that not only allowed for the dissemination of legitimate data, but that also provided vetted information on how to prevent disease transmission and how to handle disease outbreaks.

The American Horse Council, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) all collaborated to fundraise and launch the Equine Disease Communications Center, which went live in 2015.

Nathaniel “Nat” White, DVM, DACVS, professor emeritus of equine surgery at the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., and director of the EDCC, organized the working model and gave the EDCC its moniker. In 2023, White won the Equine Industry Vision Award for this work at the American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference in Tempe, Ariz.

According to White, it was anything but a one-man show. State veterinarians, veterinary practices, horse-owner organizations (like breed and discipline associations), and individual donors helped—and continue to do so.

“Similar to the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], the EDCC seeks information about disease outbreaks, posts messages, and informs the equine industry about confirmed diseases, their location, and if there are potential risks to other horses,” White explains.

How It Works

Unlike a phone number or website where anyone can submit leads on suspected illness, the EDCC allows only specific people to report disease: an attending veterinarian or a state or federal official.

The veterinarian or official submits a confirmed or suspected disease through the EDCC website, which records the information in the database. The database then generates an alert, which is posted to the EDCC website and Facebook page.

Anyone who has become an alert subscriber via the EDCC website is also emailed. The reported disease is linked to an EDCC disease page, which has information describing the disease, the diagnosis and the treatment, says White. Downloadable disease fact sheets are also available.

All information regarding disease outbreak mitigation and how to handle an affected horse is reviewed for accuracy by the AAEP Infectious Disease Committee, which is populated by subject matter experts.

Reportable Diseases

Though the veterinarian or official can report a confirmed case of any equine disease to the EDCC, reporting of infectious diseases is of the most importance, says Katie Flynn, BVMS, the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s senior staff veterinarian. A confirmed “reportable” disease is submitted to the EDCC by the state veterinarian, who is made aware of a confirmed diagnosis by the testing laboratory.

A reportable disease is one that is deemed to have a potential for significant impact on the equine industry, both on the health of the United States equine population and economically. When a reportable disease is diagnosed, the veterinarian or laboratory employee is required to report the disease to state or national veterinary health officials.

The list of reportable disease varies by state and may include:

◆ Equine Herpesvirus-1 neurologic (Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy)

◆ Equine Herpesvirus -1 abortion

◆ Equine influenza, Streptococcus equi (strangles)

◆ Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)

◆ West Nile virus (WNV)

◆ Equine infectious anemia (EIA)

◆ Equine piroplasmosis (EP)

◆ Equine viral arteritis (EVA)

◆ Rabies

◆ Vesicular stomatitis (VS)

Many veterinarians, state horse councils and other horse-health organizations rely on the EDCC to inform horse owners of disease outbreaks. The alerts are posted in real time—the same day they are reported.

However, this doesn’t mean that the alert comes out the day the horse becomes ill; the alert is posted the day the veterinarian receives positive confirmation that the horse is ill with a specific disease.

The alert system can provide information about disease risk to horses at a specific location or at the location where the horses intend to travel, like to a horse show or trail ride.

“As the Equine Health and Biosecurity Veterinarian for the USEF, I encourage all horse show managers to visit this site frequently to keep informed of disease occurrences in the area,” says Flynn. “[This way] they can be prepared to implement stricter biosecurity measures, such as requiring shorter-dated health certificates or mandating temperature-taking for horses at their event.”

The EDCC alert system isn’t just for equine event managers or those who travel with their horses.

“This is also a beneficial tool for boarding facility managers,” says Flynn. “If a disease is detected in the geographic area of their facility, they can implement enhanced biosecurity measures, such as requiring every horse to have its temperature taken twice daily to quickly identify and isolate any potential sick horses to protect the rest of the herd.”

But Is It Working?

Though the EDCC is working as intended (as a warning system that can help prevent the spread of infectious equine diseases), more reporting of diseases is necessary. Submission of any disease to the EDCC is voluntary—whether it’s considered reportable or not.

“Reporting to the EDCC is voluntary, but strongly encouraged as a means for increasing awareness of equine infection diseases in the U.S.,” says Flynn. “Horse owners want to know if there is disease in the area that could put their horse at risk, so it’s important for horse owners to support and encourage reporting of equine infectious diseases cases by their veterinarian to the EDCC.”

The EDCC is a unique resource that serves to protect horses and the horse industry. All horse owners should sign up for EDCC alerts so they can be informed and aware of possible infectious disease in their area.

“Vigilance is necessary to ensure we’re adequately prepared for the storm—horse health, weather, or otherwise,” says White.

You can do your part by promoting the EDCC “as the trusted, accurate and verified disease alerts and biosecurity information,” says Flynn.

There is no fee associated with the use of the EDCC. However, donations to keep the service going are welcomed—and necessary.

Learn more at equinediseasecc.org.

This article about the Equine Disease Communications Center appeared in the September 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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How Equine Nonprofits Have Gotten Creative

In December 2023, the Heart of Phoenix Equine Rescue of West Virginia came up with a creative plan to appeal to existing donors and attract new ones without breaking the contributor bank.

The campaign asked donors to send the organization a Christmas card containing between $1 and $5. In response, photos of all the cards and the collective amount of the donations they contained were to be posted on the organization’s website.

As of press time, the rescue had received dozens of cards in the days leading up to Christmas, with more pouring in.

“They have been coming in every day, and they all contained between $1 and $5,” says Suzanna Johnson, Heart of Phoenix education officer. “This was a way to appeal to people who don’t have a lot of money, but everybody likes to send Christmas cards.”

Covid and Inflation

According to the website of the RKD Group, Dallas-based consultants who use data-driven strategies to help animal welfare nonprofits find connections with donors, 2023 donation revenue is down over the past 12 to 18 months largely because givers have been hard hit by inflation.

Meanwhile, the organization predicts that continued inflation and rising interest rates will stifle efforts to attract new donors this spring.

That’s not news to Grace Purdom, president of the California-based Hope 4 Horses.

“We have been in the horse business a long time, both the nonprofit and for-profit parts,” says Purdom, whose husband Scott is a trainer and clinician. “We’ve traveled all over the country and seen horse rescue after horse rescue close—not just in the east, but in the west, too.”

According to Purdom, some of those organizations folded after Covid-connected business grants dried up.

“Some never came back,” she says.

More recently, as financial support has deteriorated, the cost of keeping horses has escalated.

“The same night we had a board meeting and were told that private funding was down between $30,000 and $40,000, we had just gotten a $25,000 hay bill,” Purdom recalls.

She adds that farrier and veterinarian fees have gone up this year as well.

The rise in operational costs all threaten horses’ chances of getting the rehabilitation and aftercare they need.

“We see horses in need from owner surrenders, and there still is indiscriminate breeding out there,” Purdom says. “There were 140 horses from one animal control [agency] out there—where do you put 140 horses?”

Failure Is Not An Option

As a result, rescues have been forced to re-evaluate their own criteria for helping horses in need.

“It has made us focus more on ‘desperate need’ cases, where in years before we could help before things [got] bad,” explains Heart of Phoenix Founder and Executive director Tinia Creamer. “As it is now, if a horse isn’t in dire shape, donors do not step forward, so we have had to get more creative.”

Altogether, the circumstances have created a perfect storm for equine welfare organizations who have adopted whatever tactic they could to meet the challenges.

Most are taking to social media to share the journeys of individual horses as they transition from rescue through rehabilitation to readiness for adoption. They are also engaging the local and online communities to assume a stake in the organization’s success, and they’re cultivating a pool of volunteers to do everything from handling horses to office work.

Whether the current economic circumstances challenging equine welfare nonprofits will subside any time soon is anybody’s guess. But even if the economic picture changes, Creamer says equine welfare organizations will always be challenged to make the most of existing or potential resources at their disposal because failure is not an option.

“I don’t see the economy improving in the short term, and a rescue has to adapt to the world we have,” says Creamer. “Having said that, we’ve made changes and continue to make them to try to be here next year and the year after. Horses depend on us here, and we owe it to them to be here.”

Successes in the Face of Challenges

We reached out to the ASPCA Right Horse program to ask how their equine adoption partner network has fared despite recent economic conditions, and asked for some suggested action items you can do to help.

◆ Multiple factors are converging simultaneously, impacting shelter and rescues’ ability to provide care. Despite challenges, partner organizations of the ASPCA Right Horse program saw more than a 5 percent increase in adoptions in 2023 compared to 2022.

◆ Data from ASPCA’s adoption site shows there is a demand for adoptable horses, including older horses, as evidenced by more than 2 million page views for adoptable horses in 2023 and over 4,000 adoption inquiries.

◆ Additionally, the ASPCA, alongside a rising number of other animal welfare organizations, are focused on services, including subsidized veterinary care and resources, to help keep equines safely in their homes and out of shelters and rescues.

◆ The ASPCA encourages anyone interested to support their local animal welfare organizations by adopting, volunteering their time, donating supplies, or becoming foster caregivers. To find an organization in your area to support, visit myrighthorse.org.

Equine Nonprofits That Help People

For equine assisted services (EAS) nonprofits, humans depend on the horses, too.

The Connected Horse launched in 2015 as pilot projects at Stanford University and the University of California at Davis. It pairs senior horses, some rescued or surrendered, with people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their caregivers to help them manage stress and navigate the flood of physical and emotional ramifications connected with the conditions.

Through the program, human participants connect with the horses as they brush, walk, and visit with them under the watchful eyes of program personnel.

“The horse is really the teacher,” says Paula Hertel, Connected Horse co-founder.

More than 60 pairs of patients and caregivers connected with equines during the first three years of the university pilot programs. Another 186 people took part in Connect Horse programs at private partner barns, including those that rescue, receive surrenders and place adoptable horses.

According to co-founder Nancy Schier Anzelmo, Connected Horse programs are supported by grants, donations from program participants and their families, and private supporters. And while she admits that the recent economy has affected the fundraising outlook for almost all nonprofits, the mission of equine-focused organizations is critical for the horses and for the humans involved.

“Horses, especially older horses, need purpose just as people do,” she says. “Our country needs to support programs to serve [people] in need right now as well as older horses, or horses who cannot be used for sport anymore. It’s very personal, and making connections in nature and with others is a key to building a community that serves each other.”

Make the Most of Your Donation to Equine Nonprofits

This year a simple trip to the supermarket was an economic shock for many across the country. At the same time, the nonprofit organizations that help horses are experiencing the same trauma every time they order hay, purchase grain, or call for the services of farriers and veterinarians.

But many of those who are challenged by the economy themselves still want to support horses in need however they can.

Grace Purdom, executive director of Hope 4 Horses, shares her best advice for doing that.

“First, we always recommend that people donate locally,” she says. “Visit a local rescue organization and learn about what that organization does and how it does it.”

For that, Purdom recommends that prospective donors sit in on an orientation session that many organizations host for new volunteers, new donors, and members of the public.

“Operators use orientation sessions to talk about the organization’s mission, its facility, how many horses they have, who they have on staff, and how many volunteers it has,” she says.

Then take a tour of the facility. Horses onsite at effective rescues should appear to be in various stages of rehabilitation and look happy and healthy under the staff’s care.

During the tour, ask the staff guide lots of questions, especially if a horse appears to be thin.

“The staff could say that the horse just arrived 30 days ago and is in rehab,” says Purdom. “The point is to ask open questions and expect honest answers; a legitimate rescue is an open book.”

Finally, do a bit more research before making that donation. First, make sure that the organization is a legitimate 501(c)(3) under federal tax rules. That designation recognizes the organization as a nonprofit, which means it is exempt from federal income tax. As a result, contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible for donors.

Finally, just before writing that donation check, visit charity evaluation websites, such as GuideStar, which allows nonprofits to share information such as address, mission, key leadership, employee identification numbers, tax status and Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax (IRS form 990) forms for three fiscal years.

“No matter how large or small they are, donations are very important to all of us,” says Purdom.

Further Reading: Dealing with Inflation as an Equestrian

This article about the state of equine traffics appeared in the March 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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The arrival of a new foal is the culmination of planning, hopes and dreams—unless something goes wrong.

Only about 5 percent of mares experience foaling difficulties, but it happens. Sometimes a mare dies during or shortly after foaling. Some mares reject their foals, while others don’t produce adequate milk or get seriously injured and can’t care for their babies.

In any of these scenarios, prompt intervention is needed to give the foal its best chance for survival.

Raising a “bottle baby” is certainly possible, but not the best option for a foal, who ideally needs to be raised by a horse to be properly socialized.

Enter the nurse mare.

In the traditional nurse mare business, mares are bred to have a foal each year so they’re available for lease if needed to raise another mare’s foal. When that nurse mare is called into duty, her own foal is left behind to be raised on milk replacer. Often called “throwaway foals,” some of them end up in the slaughter pipeline.

The nurse mare industry has long been a reality, but not one that people spoke of with pride. It’s a tragic irony that a business created to save valuable foals makes orphans out of others.

Using a More Ethical Option

As a young woman, Laura Phoenix worked in the traditional nurse mare business, but grieved over the brutal truth of those foals left behind.

“It was always sad,” she says. “I didn’t like coming home to the orphans.” She later left the business because of that aspect.

Decades later, she learned about the concept of hormonally induced lactation (HIL). With HIL, mares are safely brought into milk production without being pregnant and having a foal.

In 2011, Phoenix gave it a try with two of her mares. After finding demand for the service, she started adding more mares. Today, Phoenix owns and operates Nursemares of the Northeast at her home base in Walton, N.Y., and Nursemares of Kentucky in Paris, Ky.

Raised on a working horse farm in Virginia, Bronwyn Watts became a professional groom, working at the highest levels of eventing competition for years.

She’d worked in the horse industry her whole life, but learned about the traditional nurse mare business by reading an article in 2017. This inspired her to look for a more ethical way to help orphans.

After researching HIL, she got her first two mares and in 2018, launched ColdSpring Nurse Mares, LLC, in Ocala, Fla.

Although their businesses are totally independent, Phoenix and Watts are both driven by the same passion.

How HIL Works

With HIL, mares are given hormones for a short period to mimic late-stage pregnancy and stimulate milk production, explains Alan Riggs, DVM, a veterinarian with Peterson Smith Equine Hospital in Ocala, Fla.

After a brief hormone protocol, the mare has mammary gland development. It typically takes anywhere from five to 10 days for her to come into milk. Hand milking encourages further milk production until a foal is nursing her.

“Once the mares come into milk, they are milked at least twice a day to keep up the milk production. This is done until a foal is on them. It’s completely safe for the mare and safe for the foals,” notes Riggs, who specializes in reproduction.

Each mare is different, and the protocol can be adjusted for each individual.

“With [HIL], lactation can be timed to when the mares will be needed,” he adds. “By far the biggest benefit is not having a foal that becomes an orphan.”

Phoenix and Watts each have their own unique protocols they’ve developed over time and personal experience.

“The mares have 21 days of hormonal support protocol, and then they’re treated just like any other mare,” says Phoenix. “They dry up after weaning just like a mare who’s had her own foal.”

Because one never knows when a nurse mare will be needed, Phoenix and Watts both keep mares ready in different stages of protocol throughout foaling season.

Bonding with the Foal

The traditional nurse mare leaves her own foal at home, and must often be sedated, blindfolded, hobbled and forced to accept the orphan foal. That trauma is never part of the process with HIL nurse mares and proper pairing.

But just having a lactating mare doesn’t ensure success. The strategy is pairing the right mare with the orphaned foal so they can bond quickly and thrive together.

“There’s a lot of misconception that any lactating mare will make a nurse mare,” says Watts. “It’s a very delicate situation. You have to really know the mare and know what you’re doing bonding mare and foal.”

Great care goes into matching mare and foal, taking into consideration size, personality, history, and health of the foal.

If the foal is having health issues on top of being orphaned, it takes just the right nurse mare to fill the spot. Sometimes the foal is sick and already in the clinic. This situation requires a mare who is not only going to bond with the baby, but whose personality can handle the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) setting.

The mare is hauled to the foal’s location. Every effort is made to ensure that conditions are optimal for bonding. The less distraction, the better. A team of two people is optimal: one to safely handle the foal and one to handle the mare.

The mare is brought into the stall with the foal and the handlers stay in place until the foal is nursing, which helps cement the bond.

“The bonding process is dictated by the mare,” says Phoenix. “Safety is the No. 1 thing, so we take every precaution.”

Pairing can take only minutes with very young foals but can take a little longer if the orphan is older when he loses his biological mother.

What Makes a Good Nurse Mare

What makes a good nurse mare? For starters, she must previously have had her own foals and proven to be a doting mother with good milk production.

Personality is a crucial factor. Nurse mares are sent to both small farms and large breeding operations. Either way, they need to be easy to catch and handle.

Vices like stall walking or weaving will disqualify a mare, as will aggression or serious lameness issues, such as laminitis.

“If a mare is cribber, that’s not a deal breaker if she’s a good mom, but she will wear a crib collar,” says Phoenix.

Since most nurse mares are on the older side, averaging late teens to 20s, age isn’t a negative factor, providing the mare is healthy.

Both Phoenix, who has 220 mares, and Watts, who has 80, have built their herds through donations. Mares often come from clients who want their retired broodmares to have great homes.

Although many are retired Thoroughbreds, there are plenty of other breeds in the mix, including warmbloods, Quarter Horses, Appaloosas, Arabians, Standardbreds, and draft crosses.

For most nurse mares, raising orphans is their third career.

“In the beginning, we said we were saving a life,” says Phoenix. “However, we quickly realized we’re saving three: the unwanted broodmare, the client foal, and the throwaway foal.”

Situations with Unusual Orphans

Not every client who calls needs a nurse mare for a horse foal. On occasion, baby equines of different species need a mom.

In 2023, Nursemares of Kentucky came to the rescue when a zebra foal lost its mother. In addition to their dramatic stripes, zebras don’t vocalize like horses, so it required just the right nurse mare to adopt this unusual newborn.

“The client was licensed to have exotic animals, but they didn’t have the facilities to keep them in for bonding, so they brought the zebra foal to us,” says Phoenix, who had prepped two mares for the unlikely orphan.

The first mare took to the zebra immediately and the two were able to return to the owner’s farm within four days.

ColdSpring Nurse Mares has provided nurse mares for three donkey foals. One of these was a Poitou, a rare long-haired French donkey breed that is considered endangered.

Watts says her nurse mare who raised the Poitou donkey foal was known for her powerful mothering instincts and had even nursed a calf.

Lease Arrangements for Nurse Mares

Nurse mares are leased for a flat fee plus delivery charge, which varies depending on distance. Between Phoenix and Watts, their nurse mares have been sent to clients in the entire eastern half of the U.S. and beyond.

Foal owners lease the mare for as many months as needed to nurse the baby. During that time, the lessee is responsible for all mare care (feed, hoof care and deworming), as well as shipping the mare home after weaning.

In the traditional nurse mare business, the lessee is required to breed the mare back, but obviously, this isn’t required with HIL nurse mares.

“What these mares do is so special,” says Watts. “We’re giving these older broodmares a job they love to do, helping an orphan foal, and not contributing to the population of unwanted horses. You can’t go wrong with this.”

Phoenix agrees.

“Even with us putting out this many mares, I’m still shocked to find out so many people don’t know about this option,” she says. “These nurse mares are heaven sent. When we can fill that need without having an unwanted foal, everybody feels good at the end of the day.”

This article about the improving practices of the nurse mare industry appeared in the March 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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The history of the horse slaughter industry in the United States is a long one, dating back to the 1900s, when wild horses were routinely rounded up off the range and sold for dog food. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 stopped that practice, but the business of slaughtering horses for human consumption has continued. While wild horses are protected by law from being sold for slaughter, auctions around the country continue to be dumping grounds for unwanted horses who are sold for to be killed for their meat.

In 2007, the end of federal funding for the inspection of equine slaughter facilities in the U.S. resulted in the closure of the three facilities that still operated within the States. It did not make horse slaughter illegal, however, and since that time, thousands of American horses have been shipped to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada.

“The horse slaughter industry not only exploits horses who endure grueling journeys to slaughter plants and an inhumane death, it also harms the broader equine community, including horse owners, riders and rescues, who fear that their horses will end up in the slaughter pipeline despite their best efforts to keep them safe,” says Nancy Perry, senior vice president of Government Relations for the ASPCA. 

“Approximately 75 percent of horse owners surveyed at the ASPCA’s Equine Transition and Adoption Center admit that the threat of horse slaughter played a primary role in delaying relinquishment and seeking care,” says Perry. “Euthanasia by a veterinarian, a service we provide to horses who need it, is a humane and pragmatic part of horse care; slaughter is neither.”

New Legislation

Since 2007, horse advocates have lobbied for legislation to make it illegal for horses in the U.S. to be sold for slaughter. Each time, the legislation has died in Congress. But the newest bill to be introduced, the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act, is giving hope to the horse welfare community.

“The SAFE Act was introduced by a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers, and if passed, this legislation would permanently protect American horses from commercial slaughter,” says Perry. “This bipartisan bill has garnered support from more than half of the U.S. House of Representatives, a critical benchmark that means this legislation would pass if brought to the floor for a vote.”

While the SAFE Act can advance through Congress on its own, legislators have an opportunity to include this critical language in the Farm Bill, which would be a monumental victory for horses, according to Perry. Both the House and Senate still have the opportunity to add the SAFE Act to their respective Farm Bill versions and support its inclusion in negotiations.

The SAFE Act would expand the Dog and Cat Meat Prohibition Act, which passed as part of the 2018 Farm Bill, to include equines, prohibiting the commercial slaughter of horses in the U.S. and ending their export for that purpose abroad.

“The horse slaughter industry incentivizes poor treatment, fraud and other predatory behavior,” says Perry. “At auctions, kill buyers acquire horses that may otherwise have had a safe place to land by actively outbidding people and adoption organizations who would offer the horses good homes. These kill buyers also often pose as good homes to well-intentioned owners looking to rehome their beloved equine partner, acquiring the horses and later selling the animals to slaughterhouses in Canada and Mexico.”

Widespread Support of the SAFE Act

Over the past two years, support for the SAFE Act within the equine community has grown. The Thoroughbred racing industry has come out in strong favor of the bill. The Jockey Club, the 130-year-old North American registry for Thoroughbreds, recently released a statement in support of the bill, which includes the following:

“The Jockey Club is unequivocally opposed to the slaughter or processing of Thoroughbreds for consumption by humans or animals. This includes the sale and/or transportation of Thoroughbreds for slaughter. (…) The Jockey Club Is a supporting member of the Final Stretch Alliance to End Horse Slaughter and supports passage of the Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act, which would permanently ban horse slaughter in the U.S. and end the export of American horses for slaughter abroad.”

Other horse industry organizations and individuals that formed the Final Stretch Alliance include the U.S. Trotting Association, New York Racing Association, Maryland Horse Council, Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, Humane Society of the United States, ASPCA, and several Hall of Fame Thoroughbred jockeys and trainers. The group sent an open letter in December 2023 to the House and Senate Agriculture Committee leaders, urging them to include the SAFE Act in the Farm Bill.

“I am in favor of the SAFE Act, and I hope the members of Congress will invest in the emotional wellbeing of horses as companion animals,” says Jennifer Merlo, DVM, a veterinarian in North Carolina and the director of Veterinary affairs for Fear Free, LLC.

“The conditions that horses face, both on a production farm and within slaughterhouses, are stressful, frightening, and cruel,” says Merlo. “Horses provide us with numerous benefits through the human-animal bond, and they deserve a humane and compassionate end to their life. The conditions horses experience in foreign slaughterhouses are anything but compassionate. I urge Congress to consider passing this Act to safeguard the lives of these majestic creatures.”

This article about the SAFE Act appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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If you’re looking for a job working at a riding stable, you’re in luck. There are countless openings for stable help and qualified instructors across the country—it’s a job-seeker’s market right now due to working shortages affecting riding stables. The United States is not alone in its struggle to keep a full workforce; the UK’s Horse and Hound magazine reports that a number of riding schools have decreased offerings due to a shortage of workers, horses and funds. The recent headline: “Looking for Work? Canada’s Horse Industry Has Endless Opportunities” from the American Horse Publications newsgroup describes worker shortages in Canada.

But why the shortage? Can it be solved? And how will it affect the future sustainability of riding stables?

Shortage of Young Workers

Colleges with equine programs receive requests for graduates by riding stables. Marny Mansfield from SUNY Cobleskill indicates that “on the average, I receive one request a week for either barn help or a therapeutic horsemanship instructor. There is an unmet demand, since most of my students get swept up after their internship.”

The same has also been said by many equine vet practices looking for recent graduates to add to their staff. Younger people value their time and question if the longer hours and hard work of a stable or veterinarian job meets their need for work-life balance.

In addition to the decreased supply of workers, stable employers report a decrease in the knowledge and skill level of applicants. Where do potential workers obtain the needed knowledge and skill sets?

Years ago, many kids would be a “barn rat”—someone who would spend long hours working at a stable in exchange for saddle time. That option is less available today. Robin Brueckmann, dressage professional and a former barn rat, extolls the value of that immersive experience and points to the German saying, One only learns riding by sweeping.

Kids also gain equine knowledge and skills by participating in 4-H, Pony Club, camps, et cetera. If there are fewer qualified staff available, who will train the next generation?

Creative Solutions for Riding Stables

Equine Affaire in Massachusetts in November 2023 provided hope, however. A large number of youth were in attendance and clearly articulated that they wanted to continue to work with horses.

A few indicated that they would pursue a non-horse career to afford horses as a hobby. Teachers described equine classes that have been added to their high school curricula, along with kids participating in Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) riding programs.

Creativity is the key to possible solutions. Work-to-ride programming, like the old barn rat programs, are popular.

One such program is offered by Kim Gundersen at Equine Journey in Lakeville, Mass. The average age of kids in Gundersen’s program is 7 to 12—before they tend to lose interest or take up other activities.

Interestingly, there is a resurgence of adults over the age of 35 that participate in the work-to-ride program. Participants gain knowledge and skills, and Gundersen gains assistance in caring for the horses.

“The world is different now,” she says. “I don’t know where the teenagers are, but I wish they’d come back to the barn.”

Hours, Pay, and Benefits

Stable owners need to have business management skills to help make sound decisions. Kris Young of Touchstone Farm in Lyndeborough, N.H., says that flexibility is needed to meet the needs of workers.

To increase worker supply, the horse industry must promote why a position at a riding stable is a sound career choice. Kitty Stalsburg, executive director and instructor at High Hopes therapeutic riding center in Old Lyme, Conn., indicates that the horse industry tends to be myopic and needs to look outside of the box for solutions.

The pay scale also needs to be competitive. Stable owners must not overwork their staff. If four staff are required to run the stable, but only two are hired, the temptation to overwork and burn out the two is high.

Stable managers need to support their staff and provide additional incentives, such as benefits, time off, education, and other perks. Stable owners should be ready to step in and continue training employees to fill the knowledge gaps. Home-grown instructors can provide solutions.

Focusing on the benefits of the horse and human connection can be a powerful selling point. Following the work of organizations, such as Horses and Humans Research Foundation, which supports research and provides webinars about why horse connections are powerful, can provide sound, useful data.

Key Takeaway

With high overhead, lots of hard work, and a decreasing work force, there is a concern for the future of stables and horseback riding as we know it. So why work in this industry?

“I love the connection with the horses and how I feel around them, and I love sharing it with others,” says Gundersen.

A youngster puts it in more current terms: “A horse connection is chill!”

The working shortages across our riding stables are a troubling phenomenon, so put on your thinking cap to help our industry find creative solutions.

This article about the worker shortage affecting riding stables appeared in the March 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Riding Stables in a Crisis Due to Worker Shortages appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Horse owners who live in the United States, are 18 years of age and older, and currently own or manage at least one horse are invited to complete the survey. The survey, conducted every three years, will gauge participation trends and management practices in the U.S. equine industry, identify critical issues facing the equine industry as perceived by those who own or manage horses, and better understand issues on horse health.

The survey is sponsored by Zoetis™ and will launch in early 2025. Information will be available on the AHP and member media channels. For more information, visit www.americanhorsepubs.org.

The purpose of the AHP Equine Industry Survey is to gauge participation trends and management practices in the U.S. equine industry. In addition, it seeks to gather information regarding the most important issues facing the industry.

Those eligible to participate in the survey are men and women, 18 years of age and older, who currently own or manage at least one horse and live in the United States. This survey is anonymous. No one, not even members of the research team, will be able to associate information with responses. When the survey results are tallied, only aggregated results will be presented.

The survey is being conducted for American Horse Publications (AHP). AHP is a nonprofit association that promotes excellence in equine media; members include equine-related publishing media, media professionals, students, organizations, and businesses. Dr. C. Jill Stowe is providing consulting services for data collection and analysis to the AHP; Dr. Stowe is currently a professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky. Zoetis, Dr. Stowe, and American Horse Publications have partnered on all six surveys in 2009-2020, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2025.

The final report and survey supplemental data are only available to the sponsor and the current members of American Horse Publications.

Results of previous surveys are also available to current AHP members on request. Contact Amy Sales at amy.sales@easterassociates.com.

— Edited Press Release | Source: American Horse Publications

The post AHP Equine Industry Survey Returns in 2025 appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Charlottesville, Va.— American Horse Publications (AHP) is excited to announce Dallas, Texas as the destination for its 2025 Equine Media Conference, to be held May 15-17, 2025, at the Doubletree Galleria Dallas.

“The board of directors of AHP is really excited about next year’s venue,” explained AHP president Barrie Reightler. “We are ready to jump into planning our 2025 annual conference and bring our members together for a classic AHP experience.”

This “members only” AHP event features three days of educational sessions and unique opportunities to build industry relationships.

“The AHP conference never disappoints,” said past attendee and sponsor Rebecca Didier of Trafalgar Square Books. “Providing valuable networking opportunities and continuing to grow our businesses and careers ensures a thriving equine media industry and a positive, supportive community we can learn from and enjoy. It is absolutely worth being a member and attending the conference.”

Information about the schedule, speakers, and registration details will be available in early 2025. In the meantime, current AHP members are encouraged to save the date, and prospective members involved in equine content creation, publishing, and marketing are invited to join AHP to gain access to this valuable experience and many other member benefits. Learn more here.

—Edited Press Release | Source: American Horse Publications

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