October 2025 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN October 2025 38 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE By Capri Stiles T his year’s theme for the American Horse Council’s (AHC) 2025 Issues Forum was “Harnessing the Power of Collaboration”. The equine industry in Pennsylvania needs effective collaboration now more than ever as we navigate increased public scrutiny, tricky new legislation and challenging disease and pest control. Working together allows horse owners and businesses to communicate more effectively, increase availability of resources and address the complex challenges associated with changes in laws and regulations. Important takeaways from the forum included the increased need for facilities and horse owners in Pennsylvania to participate in the United Horse Coalition’s Equine Welfare Data Collective program. These important equine related surveys help collect, analyze and report data on at-risk equines and associated services within the Commonwealth. The United Horse Coalition is committed to educating current and prospective horse owners on how to own responsibly, reducing the number of at-risk horses in transition from professional athletes to recreational mounts, equine estate planning education and comprehensive resources on finding the right horse. The Coalition also provides information on behavioral training assistance, hay and feed assistance and equine disaster services among a vast array of other equine resources. The network is only as strong as the number of participants. The Pennsylvania Equine Council (PEC) implores all horse owners and industries in Pennsylvania to increase their support and awareness of this vital equine resource. Another key takeaway from the forum was the importance of consensus driven policy development. Pennsylvania horse owner’s membership in the PEC is needed to strengthen true representation and functional positions on key issues shaping the future landscape of what matters most in equine-related discussions in our state. Important topics in Pennsylvania will be how to safely share the woods with hunters and other recreational users, navigating the impact of consumer fireworks, and how the Horse Protection Act will affect Pennsylvania’s equine industry. Globally, the PEC works with the American Horse Council to stay abreast of workforce and labor issues, regulations impacting imports and over 100 other legislative issues and 75 regulatory challenges across 12 different agencies that may impact the equine industries in our nation. The impact of disease and pest mitigation across the nation was another important topic at the forum. The AHC Health Committee highlighted disease mitigation from USDA regarding the New World Screwworm (NWS) and what’s being done to protect the United States from this deadly pest. Screwworms infect open wounds on warm-blooded mammals. Regular inspection of wounds, use of insect repellents and maintaining clean environments are key to early detection and mitigation. Anyone suspecting a screwworm infection should contact their state veterinarian immediately. According to the Equine Disease Communication Center, Currently NWS is considered to be a foreign animal disease (FAD) in the United States. Suspected cases must be reported to state and federal animal health officials who complete the investigation and establish the appropriate diagnostic testing, treatment and biosecurity protocols. It is imperative due to the abundance of inter-state movement of horses, that all horse owners increase their awareness of the signs and symptoms of the NWS. As the President of the Pennsylvania Equine Council, it was my privilege to attend the issues forum to foster the PEC’s continued commitment to all horse owners in the state. Watch for announcements related to the PEC’s Annual Issues Forum and plan to attend in person, so you can help “Harness the Power of Collaboration” for the horse in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Equine Council Newsletter • OCTOBER 2025 Horse SKIP’S TIPS Tips for Highlining I n my opinion, there is no more secure and safe way to contain a horse while primitive camping. But it must be done correctly. That means a high line at least 7 feet high and tight (No sagging) and the tie ropes, when hanging loose, should be a minimum of 1 foot off the ground. A neck strap to keep the halter in place is also a wise choice. HORSES AND HISTORY OF THE WISSAHICKON – OCTOBER 4! By Nancy Peter A Have you ever encountered horses, horseback riders, or horse-drawn carriages in the Wissahickon Valley? Would you like to know where the horses live, who owns them, and how they are cared for? Are you also curious about their heights, weights, ages, lifespans, and breeds? Or why some have 4 metal shoes, some have 2 metal shoes, some have no shoes, and some wear rubber or plastic boots? Lastly, are you interested in the rich connection between horses and history in Fairmount Park? “Horses and History” is a FREE event that will be offered from 12 to 3 PM on Saturday, October 4, 2025. It will be held at the Monastery Stables, located at 1000 Kitchens Lane. All are welcome to visit this West Mt. Airy barn for an afternoon of grooming lessons, horseback riding demonstrations, inside-the barn tours, historic tours of the Monastery complex, a bake sale, opportunities to meet and pet the horses, and more. For additional details or information, visit the Monastery Stables website at MonasteryStables.org, o r email Nancy.Peter@verizon.n et . In the event of rain, the event will be cancelled – so please check the website or phone Nancy Peter at 215-760-5308. PRESIDE E SAGE By C tiles T his year’s theme for th American Ho se Council’s (AHC) 2025 Issues For m was “Harnes ing th Power of Collaboration”. The equin industry in Pennsylvania eeds eff ctiv collaboration n w more than ver as we navigate i cre s d public scrutiny, tri ky ew legislation and challenging disease and p st control. Working together allows horse own rs and businesses to communicate more effectively, increase availability of res urces and a dress the complex challenges ssociated wi h changes in laws and regulations. Important takeaways from the forum included the increased ne d for facilities and hor e owners in Pen sylvania to participate in the United Horse Coalition’s Equine Welfare D ta Collective program. These important equine r lated surveys h lp collect, an lyze and report data on at-risk equines and associated s rvices within the Commonwealth. The United Horse Coalition is c mmitted to educating current and prospective horse owners n how to n responsibly, reducing the number of at-risk horse in t ansitio from professional thlet s to recreational mou ts, eq ine estat pl nning education and comprehensive resources n findi g the right horse. The Coalit on also provide inf rmation on behavioral training assistance, hay and feed assistance and equi e disaster servic s among a vast array of othe equin source . The network is only as strong as the number of participants. The Pennsylvania Equine Council (PEC) implores all h se owners a d industrie in Pennsylvania to increase thei support and aw reness of this vital equine r source. Another key tak away from the forum was the importance of consensus driv n policy developm nt. P nsylvani horse owner’s embersh p in the PEC is needed to strength n true representation nd functional positi s on key i sues shaping the futur landscape f what matters most in equine-related discussions in our state. I portant top cs i Pennsylvania will be how to safely share the ods wit hunters and other recreational users, navigating the i pact of consumer fireworks, and how the Horse Pro ection Act ill affect Pennsylvania’s equine industry. Globally, the PEC works ith the American Horse Council to st y abreast of workforce and labor issues, regulations impacting imports and ve 100 other legislative issues and 75 regulatory challenges across 12 different gencies that may impact the quine ndustries in our nation. e impact of di se and pest mitigation across the nation was nother impor ant topic at the forum. The AHC Health Committee ighlighte di ase mitigation from USDA regarding the New World cre worm (NWS) and what’s being done to protect the United tates from this eadly pest. Screwworms infect open wounds on arm-bloo ed ammals. Regular inspectio of wounds, use of insect rep llents and maintaining clean environm n s are key to early d tectio and mitigatio . Anyone suspe ting a screwworm infection should con act their state veter narian immediately. cording o the Equin Disease Communica ion Center, Currently S is considered to be a foreign animal disease (FAD) in the nited S ates. Suspected cases must be report d to state and federal animal health officials who complet the investigation nd establis the ap ropri te diagnostic esting, reatment and iosecurity protocols. It is imp rative due to the abundance of inter-s ate mov ment of horses, t at all horse owners increase their areness of the sig s and sy ptoms of the NWS. s the President of the Pennsylvan a Eq i e Council, it was y pr vil ge to attend the issues f rum to foster the PEC’s continued co itment to all hors own r in the state. Watch for nouncements r lated to the PEC’s Annual Issues Forum and lan to attend in pers n, so you can help “Harness the Power of ollaboration” for the hors i Pen sylvania. Pennsylvani Equine Council sle ter • OCTOBER 2025 rse SKIP’S TIPS Tips for Highlining I n my pinion, there is no more secure and s fe way o contain a orse while pr mitive camping. Bu it must be done correctly. That means a high line at least 7 feet high and tight (No sagging) and he ti rop s, whe hanging loose, should be a inimum of 1 foot off the ground. A neck strap to keep the halter in place is lso a wis choice. HORSES AND HISTORY OF THE WIS A I – OCT BER 4! By Nancy Peter A Have you ever encountered horses, horseback riders, or horse- carriages in the W ssahickon Valley? Would you like to know w t e horses live, who owns them, and how they are cared for? Are y curious abo t their heig ts, weights, age lif spans, and breeds? Or w e have 4 metal shoes, some have 2 metal shoe , some have no shoes, a e wear rubber o plastic boots? Las ly, re ou interest d in the rich co i n between horses and history in Fairmount Park? “Horses and History” is a FREE event that will be offered from 12 to on Saturday, October 4, 2025. It will be held at the Monastery Stables, l t d at 1000 Kitchens Lane. All r welcom t visit th s West Mt. Airy bar afternoon o g o min lesso s, h rseback riding demonstrations, insi e barn tours, hist ric tours of the Monastery complex, a b ke sale, op ities to meet and pet he horses, and more. For additional etails or informati n, v sit the Monastery Stables websi MonasteryStables.org, or email Nancy.Peter@verizon.net. In the vent i , the event will be cancell d – so please check the website or phone Nanc r at 215-760-5308.