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Equine vet addresses unwanted horse problem at MU forumSoaring costs of feed and fuel, over breeding and the closure of U.S. horse slaughter facilities have revealed the extent of a serious problem facing the equine industry: the growing number of unwanted and discarded horses in the United States. "Unwanted horses don't just come from one breed or one sex--it's all the horses and all the breeds. So it's everybody's issue," said veterinarian Tom Lenz, chairman of the Unwanted Horse Coalition and past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. He discussed the problem and possible solutions at a recent talk on the University of Missouri campus. Until 2001, many people in the horse industry were unaware of a problem, Lenz said. The hoof-and-mouth epidemic in Europe changed this by increasing demand for horse meat in the United States, which focused broader attention on the practice of horse slaughter, he said. "The non-horse-owning public and animal-rights groups started pressuring Congress to make it illegal to process horses for human consumption--and for the first time, the horse industry saw there was a problem with unwanted horses," he said. Before lobbying efforts put slaughter in the spotlight, many horse owners had no idea what happened to horses sold at sale barns, Lenz said. "People always knew the horses went somewhere. But I think the average person who unloaded a horse didn't give it much thought." The issue is now the center of a heated debate. It is impossible to talk about unwanted horses without discussing horses sent to slaughter, Lenz said. "You can't separate the two issues. Horses sent to slaughter have little or no value, for whatever reason, so they epitomize the unwanted horse." Horses used to be processed at plants in Texas and Illinois, but state laws closed the plants in 2007, ending domestic horse slaughter. This has led to an increase in the number of unwanted horses across the United States, said Dee Cooper, MU Extension livestock specialist in Callaway County and program organizer. "This topic is very important for everyone to be aware of." Now, thousands of horses are shipped to slaughter facilities in Canada and Mexico. A push for the federal government to outlaw that could close even this option to horse owners, resulting in more horses that end up neglected, abandoned or left to starve, Lenz said. While Lenz does not oppose slaughter, he said it is not the ideal solution. There are other options to consider before slaughter. "You can change a horse's occupation--give it to a rescue, lease it or put it up for adoption. Or train it for a different use," he said. "I've got a quarter horse that was trained to be a racing horse, but he was too quiet. So I use him for trail riding and cattle, and he's perfect." Unwanted horses can be donated to equine colleges, research institutions, therapeutic riding programs, horse retirement facilities or police forces, Lenz said. If these options won't work, euthanasia is the next-best option. It's a hard decision for a horse owner, but when done properly, euthanasia is more humane than letting a horse suffer or shipping it to a foreign processing plant with unknown care standards, Lenz said. Veterinarians can euthanize a horse for a fee of about $66 plus carcass-disposal costs. "A good death occurs with minimum pain at a time in a horse's life that will prevent unnecessary pain and suffering," he said. Responsible horse ownership is crucial to addressing unwanted horses, Lenz said. Careless breeding has led to a glut of horses that is now severely taxing available sanctuary and financial resources. "I've heard hundreds of people say, 'I'm going to breed what's-her-name and see what I get.' But what if you don't get what you want?" Lenz said. "We need to be aware of how our actions affect the welfare of our horses. Pause and consider the consequences before you breed." Discarded horses become unwanted for a variety of reasons. "Generally, these horses are incurably lame, have behavioral problems, or fail to meet their owner's expectations because they're not pretty or fast enough, they're too old, the wrong color, or they cost too much to take care of," Lenz said. The unwanted horse problem will never be eliminated, but it can be eased if the entire equine industry takes responsibility and acts, he said. "I don't care if you breed the best in your breed, you'll produce horses that don't look good, aren't fast or get injured. But we can minimize the problem by adopting rather than buying, and euthanizing rather than abandoning." For more information about the Unwanted Horse Coalition, see http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org. 10/27/08 Date: 10/17/08 Advertisement
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