Equine Summit Addresses Issue of Unwanted Horses

(SANEPR.com) May 29, 2009 -- Denver, May 19, 2009—Though once used solely as work animals, horses now play many roles in people's lives. Whether a horse is considered a companion animal or a high-performance athlete, the one constant is that too many of them become unwanted. Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) took a lead role in identifying why horses are relinquished or abandoned and developing intervention strategies when it hosted the Unwanted Horse Summit in early May.

A major part of the problem is that no one can accurately calculate how many horses—wanted or unwanted—are living in the United States. In addition, no one knows why someone relinquishes a horse, because accurate, comparable and complete data have not been collected and analyzed. MAF hopes to identify risk factors for a horse being relinquished and to help develop intervention strategies.

"Our hope is to utilize scientifically based approaches to determine the magnitude of the unwanted horse problem. If we know why people give up their horses, we can identify measures to keep horses in their homes," said Patricia N. Olson, DVM, PhD, president/CEO of MAF. "A similar approach was used in 1992 to address the issue of unwanted dogs and cats, and the euthanasia numbers decreased an estimated 75 percent from 1985 to 2005 as intervention strategies were put into place."

A scientific advisory group—invited to the summit—will now provide MAF with a research plan to acquire relevant data. The Foundation is committed to advancing equine health and welfare through sound research.

The Unwanted Horse Summit brought together nearly 40 participants from throughout the equine industry, animal welfare community, academic community, government and beyond—all joined in the common interest of trying to solve the unwanted horse problem in a humane and effective way.

About Morris Animal Foundation
Morris Animal Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1948, is dedicated to funding animal health research that protects, treats and cures companion animals, horses and wildlife. MAF has been at the forefront of funding breakthrough research studies benefiting animals on all seven continents. MAF has its headquarters in Denver. Charity Navigator ranks MAF as a four-star charity, the highest rating. MAF is a BBB Wise Giving Alliance Charity Seal Holder. For more information, call 800.243.2345 or visit MorrisAnimalFoundation.org.

Media Contact:
Heidi Jeter
hjeter@MorrisAnimalFoundation.org
800.243.2345