May 2021 Issue

Page 8 May 2021 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN By Suzanne Bush The ASPCA is promising to make a lot of noise throughout May, all on behalf of adoptable horses living in foster care, on res- cue farms and in shelters. The orga- nization’s first-ever Adopt a Horse Month will leverage the full weight of the nation’s first humane society against the stigma and the miscon- ceptions about equine adoption. ASPCA’s Right Horse Initiative is coordinating the nationwide pro- motion, which launched formally on April 26, a date designated as Help a Horse Day. Before there was The Right Horse Initiative, there was a commitment from the Arnall Foundation’s WaterShed Animal Fund to “create solutions that provide a new purpose for at-risk horses.” ASPCA was among the stakeholders participating in the Arnall Foundation’s 2016 pilot program in Oklahoma City, and soon afterward announced their intention to “massively increase Moolah, an OTTB suitable as a companion horse only, is a featured horse at Lollypop Farm in Fairport, NY. The farm is one of more than 170 across the country participating in the ASPCA’s Adopt a Horse Month in May. Photo credit: Paige Engard ASPCA Dedicates the Month of May to Horses in Need of Homes horse adoption in the United States.” In 2019 The Right Horse Initiative became an official program under the ASPCA’s nationwide umbrella. Last year Right Horse Initia- tive partners found new homes for 3,500 horses. And now a new facet of the program seeks to amplify this success. This innovative month- long promotion aimed at supporting the efforts of animal welfare orga- nizations throughout the country offers them critical tools, such as: access toASPCA’s national plat- form to showcase adoptable horses and galvanize community support and the My Right Horse adoption website; access to industry experts; opportunities to collaborate with equine groups near and far. More than 170 organizations across the country have registered to participate in Adopt a Horse Month, according to Alexandra Garza, ASPCA’s Manager of Me- dia and Communications. Lollypop Farm, Humane Society of Greater Rochester (NY) is one of them. Creative Solutions Supporting the Promotion “We have so many different types of animals here,” Ashley Zeh says. “We have cats, dogs, pigs, goats. Adopt a Horse Month is important because it’s a chance to rally the community, to make sure the horses stay in the spot- light.” Zeh is Director of Com- munications for Lollypop Farm, which is located in Fairport, NY. She says they are promoting Adopt a Horse Month through social media and their network of supporters and friends. “Our equine community expands past Rochester,” she says. “We get people from Syracuse and Buffa- lo for our fund-raising trail rides. Our footprint for equine events is much larger.” Joanna Dychton, Lollypop’s Farm Director says they’ve created special programs in the past with Help a Horse day as the center- piece. “When we’ve embraced Just four days after organiz- ers canceled the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, US Equestrian announced that as of May 3, licensed competitions were permitted to welcome a limited number of spectators back to their competitions. Spectators will be allowed on competition grounds under the following capacity restric- tions:  Outdoor Venues: A max- imum of 40% of the ticketed spectator capacity for competi- tions that operate with a ticketed gate, OR a maximum of 400 spectators for competitions that do not ticket spectators, which- ever is greater.  Indoor Venues: A maxi- mum of 30% of the ticketed spec- tator capacity for competitions that operate with a ticketed gate, OR a maximum of 300 spectators for competitions that do not ticket spectators, whichever is greater.  For venues that consist of both outdoor and indoor compo- nents, the above capacity restric- tions apply accordingly. Sponsors, participants, com- petition staff, support personnel, volunteers, and service providers USEF Allows Limited Spectators are not included in the spectator capacity numbers. Spectators will be required to wear face masks, social distance, and wash hands frequently. Because of the requirement to socially distance, some venues or situations might not accom- modate the maximum allowable number of spectators. Additionally, USEF has expanded the definition of sponsors to include individual persons or business entities that have an agreement in place with the competition to provide goods, services, or financial support integral to its sustainability. The next day DHSCF updat- ed its cancellation announcement to report that the USEF move would not alter their decision, which it says was embraced by the local community. The release said there was not enough time to re- sume preparations. “The DHSCF and its storied history is uniquely tied to our location, varied par- ticipants and spectator base for a successful event. After countless conversations representing multi- ple perspectives, the decision will remain the same for the integrity of the event,” it concluded. (Continued on page 27)