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.
One of the easiest things to do is fall in love with horses. One might even say it’s “as easy as falling off a horse.” But that would be demeaning a truly remarkable human/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 enthusiastic accomplices in the adventure.
Consider the statistics. In a 2017 study of the impact of horses on the U.S. economy, the American 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 States Department of Agriculture and various breed registries have arrived at similar data.
A Dilemma Desperate for a Solution
Despite the equine’s extraordinary 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 consistent, 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 Animals (ASPCA), one of America’s premier animal welfare organizations. ASPCA, buoyed by the success of that pilot program and the promise of what a geographically larger effort might achieve, announced their intention to “massively 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.” Schulte-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. Increasing adoption takes so many different 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 accepted, including having a sincere desire to increase equine adoptions; willingness to collaborate and work with other like-minded organizations; 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 information and ideas. Schulte-Kappert calls it the “hive mind,” a concept that collaboration among diverse entities can lead to greater collective intelligence. Adoption partners are eligible to apply for grants, and ASPCA helps promote 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 industry partners.” Last year Boehringer Ingelheim donated 300 cases of ulcer guard, 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 to view the challenge facing the adoption partners and the leaders of the Right Horse Initiative. Schulte-Kappert says there’s a robust network of rescues and shelters for horses. “One of the numbers that’s very encouraging is that based on their projections, based on all the shelters in the country, they have the capacity for 47,000 horses. We think the resources are there to help quite a few horses.” Putting that number up against the Arnall Foundation’s estimate of nearly a quarter of a million horses facing the prospect of homelessness might discourage some people.
But Schulte-Kappert is enthusiastic and optimistic about the potential of the Right Horse Initiative. She knows that reframing the issue and recruiting individuals, businesses and non-profit groups that are committed to increasing adoptions and fulfilling the goals of the Right Horse Initiative will change the landscape in ways both profound and mundane. The language of the organization’s “manifesto” is inspiring.
“We are the voice of pragmatism and honesty. Often, a horse is the right horse for right now. We understand that horses have many chapters to their stories, and that’s okay. We meet this challenge without judgment…Every horse is not the right horse for every person. But we believe there is a right horse for every person…this is not just about horses. It’s about celebrating the right match between one right horse and one right human... it’s about doing what is best for our horses and helping the community see the real value of rescuing horses in need. We are good people for good horses.”
Schulte-Kappert does not dwell on the bad things that can happen to horses. Rather, she continues to focus on the possibilities and the promise. For inspiration she turns to the adoption partners. “At any given day they’re doing so many things, and at least one of them has a magical story,” she says. “For individual organizations, they do see horses in some bad situations, but they can lean on each other, too.” The network, the partners, the lofty goals of the Right Horse Initiative are always top of mind for her. “By focusing on the positive, we’re changing the conversation and peoples’ perspectives. Horses don’t need our pity. They just need our help to get to the next point in their lives. Horses are resilient. They find their new person and they flourish.”
Find the horse that’s looking for you at MyRightHorse.org