Horse Illustrated Magazine

The Right Horse Initiative has helped more than 2,600 equines find loving homes in its first year as an official program of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), and it celebrates its first anniversary as a program of the ASPCA. Established in 2016, The Right Horse Initiative merged with the ASPCA last November and remains focused on massively increasing the number of successful horse adoptions in the U.S. and improving the number of positive outcomes for horses in transition as they move from one home, career, or owner to the next.

The Right Horse Initiative is a collective of industry professionals and equine welfare advocates working together to improve the lives of horses in transition through a dialogue of kindness and respect. Through collaboration with over 80 industry and adoption partners, The Right Horse is able to innovate new and better adoption standards and practices. Together, the goal is to shatter the stigma and reframe the conversation around equine adoption in order to massively increase horse adoption in the United States.

“In just one year, the ASPCA’s Right Horse Initiative has made a tremendous impact in the effort to help at-risk horses by bringing together leading voices from the equine community to focus on our shared cause,” said ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker. “This kind of collaboration is critical to ensuring horses in transition are protected and find lifesaving opportunities in new homes and careers nationwide.”

Through its online adoption platform, My Right Horse, the Initiative has helped its adoption partners connect with compassionate individuals across the country who are stepping up to provide loving homes for horses in transition. As shelters and rescues face new challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Right Horse partner organizations continue to work swiftly to match the horses in their care with foster and adoptive families, working to place 20% more horses in 2020 compared to the previous year.

“Despite challenges resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, adoption and industry partners of the Right Horse Initiative have made incredible strides in their respective communities and corners of the equine industry by helping thousands of horses find homes, providing critical resources and raising awareness of equine adoption,” said Dr. Emily Weiss, Vice President of ASPCA Equine Welfare. “The power of the Right Horse Initiative lies in our partners, and together, we will continue to improve the lives of countless more horses.”

In addition to adoption partners, The Right Horse Initiative hosts a collective of over 50 industry professionals and advocates working together to reframe the conversation around equine adoption. In 2020, The Right Horse welcomed 11 new industry collaborators, including the Compton Cowboys, the Parelli Foundation, The Pinto Horse Association and EAGALA. The Initiative, alongside its industry advocates, has launched innovative programming, such as high-visibility training programs, which are focused on supporting horses in transition to more efficiently transition horses into their next career.

To further foster these dynamic collaborations, The Right Horse also hosted its first-ever virtual Summit in September 2020, which hosted nearly 200 industry pioneers and leaders in equine welfare and offered a highly interactive and dynamic online experience. It was an opportunity to celebrate the collective work being done to shatter stigmas about horses in transition and massively increase equine adoption.

To foster or adopt an equine, please visit www.myrighthorse.org and access tools here to advocate for horses in need of homes. For more information about the ASPCA’s efforts to help horses, please visit www.aspca.org.

About the ASPCA

Founded in 1866, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.