March 2021 Issue

Page 6 March 2021 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian. BLACK’S LIVESTOCK -The Next Pasture - Where the grass is always green, lush & stirrup high Individual Horse & Pet Cremation Standard Mortality 24 hour service available John E. Black: 610.220.5262 Matthew Hoffman: 610.656.3258 Office: 610.584.4482 Fax: 610.584.9111 BLACK’S LIVESTOCK P.O. Box 662 Skippack, PA 19472 www.nextpasture.com By Suzanne Bush One of the easiest things to do is fall in love with horses. One might even say it’s “as easy as fall- ing off a horse.” But that would be demeaning a truly remarkable hu- man/animal connection. The idea of having a horse of one’s own—a partner for adventures on the trails, a teammate in the show ring, a non-judgmental pal who is always glad to see you. Thousands of girls and boys and men and women succumb to that wholesome idea every year. And their parents—and often spouses, too—are enthusias- tic accomplices in the adventure. Consider the statistics. In a 2017 study of the impact of horses on the U.S. economy, the Amer- ican Horse Council Foundation counted more than a million horse owners—with many individuals owning more than one horse. The United States Pony Club has 150 clubs in 19 regions in the country, with nearly 7,000 youth members. According to The Equestrian Channel, there are more than nine million horses in the U.S. The data are somewhat squishy, largely since surveys of horse ownership are voluntary, and since one need not have any special license or permit to own a horse. But other organizations, such as the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the United Right Horse Initiative: Horses Flourish When They Find the Right Person States Department of Agriculture and various breed registries have arrived at similar data. A Dilemma Desperate for a Solution Despite the equine’s extraor- dinary capacity to inspire love, not every horse is in a secure, nurturing, loving home. That stubborn reality has vexed the equine industry for years, as the unfortunate horses without con- sistent, compassionate care were once referred to as “unwanted” horses, or horses headed for the auction-to-slaughter pipeline. This dilemma was in desperate need of reframing, and the Arnall Foundation’s WaterShed Animal Fund did just that. Estimating that nearly a quarter of a million horses annually were homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless, in 2016 the WaterShed Animal Fund launched an initiative in Oklahoma “to create solutions that provide a new purpose for at-risk horses.” They collaborated with several stakeholders in their pilot program, among them the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to An- imals (ASPCA), one of America’s premier animal welfare organi- zations. ASPCA, buoyed by the success of that pilot program and the promise of what a geographi- cally larger effort might achieve, announced their intention to “mas- sively increase horse adoption in the United States.” Suddenly these horses were viewed through a different lens. “What we found there is the top several reasons people look to rehome their horse have nothing to do with the horse,” explains Christie Schulte-Kappert. “It’s very powerful in that we shift this dialog to say there’s nothing wrong with these horses.” Schul- te-Kappert is the Program Director for the Right Horse Initiative (www.therighthorse.org) which in 2019 became an official program under the ASPCA’s umbrella. Diverse Partners, One Focus “Since the beginning we’ve focused on collaboration. Increas- ing adoption takes so many differ- ent players. It involves so many people,” Schulte-Kappert explains. There are industry partners, such as the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Vet New Bolton Center, Boehringer Ingelheim, the Equus Foundation, Absorbine, Zoetis and other organizations focused on equine health and welfare. And, Schulte-Kappert says, at the heart of the effort, there are adoption partners. “Adoption partners are the ones who directly take in horses from a variety of situations. They’re actually taking the horses, getting them ready for their new homes and adopting them out.” The collaboration and its clear mission continue to attract more support. “Last year we added 15 new industry partners, and now we’re over 50 industry partners. We also added nine new adoption partners.” She said they increased their adoptions by more than 20 per cent over 2019. “We can say that in 2020 our partners helped over 3500 horses find homes.” Schulte-Kappert says that they look for adoption partners that are philosophically aligned. Each potential partner signs a “Warm-up Ring” Agreement, which lays out criteria for an organization to be ac- cepted, including having a sincere desire to increase equine adoptions; willingness to collaborate and work with other like-minded organiza- tions; and participation in Equine Welfare Collective Data surveys twice a year. “What our partners share is they’re dedicated to long- term systemic change.” Practically, that means that adoption partners share informa- tion and ideas. Schulte-Kappert calls it the “hive mind,” a concept that collaboration among di- verse entities can lead to greater collective intelligence. Adoption partners are eligible to apply for grants, and ASPCA helps pro- mote their horses. “It’s a matter of getting the right people to see the horses and adopt them.” Additionally, she says, “we facilitate support from our indus- try partners.” Last year Boeh- ringer Ingelheim donated 300 cases of UlcerGuard, and Zoetis donated 1500 doses of Core EQ Innovator Vaccine. A Challenge and an Opportunity The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu reportedly said that “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” And that is one way (Continued on page 31) Brittney Caflisch and her adopted thoroughbred named Balance Due. Brittney adopted Balance Due from New Vocations Racehorse Adoption’s Louisiana facility. Photo courtesy of ASPCA