Number Of Unwanted, Abandoned Horses Rising

Jan 11, 2023

By Allie Byrd

Problems with the economy, drought, rising costs of hay and increases in the cost of euthanasia and carcass disposal are leading to a nationwide rise in the number of unwanted, neglected or abandoned horses.

With the help of equine associations, veterinarians, breeders, horse owners and related groups, the problem of unwanted horses is being studied through a nationwide initiative by the Unwanted Horse Coalition. Everyone with an interest in the welfare of horses is asked to take a survey at http://survey.ictgroup.com/uhcsurvey/.

The survey is phase I of the study. It will collect information from people most affected by and involved with the issue. This will help researchers learn more about the problem and possible solutions.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners says unwanted horse are "horses which are no longer wanted by their current owner because they are old, injured, sick, unmanageable, fail to meet their owner's expectations, or the owner can no longer afford or is incapable of caring for them."

Source : uga.edu

Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.