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: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.