Unwanted Horses?

This article came in the AQHA weekly newsletter that I subscribe to. This applies to the U.S., not Canada, as we don't have a drought and still have horse processing plants here. However, I believe it is the horse breeder's responsibility to not flood the market with colts, however good they might be. My original dream was to have a dozen mares and sell foals every year; that has changed to a more realistic 2 mares, whose foals I am able to find a ready market for, as well as standing Beamer to the public.
I think this state of affairs in the States is going to have the long term effect of making it difficult for the average family to own a horse for their children, and that is a very sad thing.

HOLY ROAD APPLES! We certainly touched a nerve last week when we asked you how the downturn in the economy is affecting you and your horses!
A summary of your comments tells us that your income is unchanged, prices for everything – except horses – have climbed, you're reducing horse numbers, not rebreeding mares, reducing or eliminating any horse-related travel and laying low to wait this thing out. And you're not one bit happy about it!
Besides telling of horses selling for as little as $5 a head, several readers even mentioned that they've seen horses that have been turned loose on government-owned land.
"Many horses in our area have been turned loose, due to the rise in hay and feed prices," writes Kristy White of Lawton, Michigan, who has taken in destitute equids. "Unfortunately, I cannot feed all that show up."
A LIST OF OTHER OPTIONS:
The Unwanted Horse Coalition has a growing list of facilities and programs that will accept horses. More than 125 facilities are currently listed by state, and the coalition asks any facility or program that wants to be listed to sign on to the UHC Web site and complete a brief questionnaire. Articles in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times have reported on an apparent increase in the number of unwanted horses.
Regional newspapers and television stations have also reported that state agencies and horse rescue groups are seeing a growing number of horses that can no longer be cared for by their owners. Some of the reports suggest that rescue groups are about to be overwhelmed and may have to start turning horses away.
"There's no way that the rescue places can take all the unwanted horses," writes Jan Corum of Lafayette, Indiana.
The articles suggest several reasons for this worsening problem. They include over-breeding, the downturn in the economy, sharply rising costs of hay and the drought that has affected many parts of the United States.
"The drought in our area made hay short, increasing prices from $4 a square bale or $35 a round to as much as $12 for a square bale and $70 a round," wrote Jane Felchuk of North Judson, Indiana.
HORSE EXPORTS TO MEXICO RISING
In 2007, nearly 45,000 horses had been transported to Mexico for slaughter, compared to 10,783 in 2006, according to an American Veterinary Medical Association press release. Economists also say the costs of euthanasia and carcass disposal, and the closing of the nation’s three slaughter facilities, which removed the price floor on the value of horses, are also having an effect on the horse industry.
"I have a friend who wants to file a class-action suit against People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other animal rights groups that have been the cause of closing the slaughter plants," Jan wrote in her e-mail. "I'm not so sure that she does not have the right idea."
Whatever the causes, and they probably include all of these factors, this is not an optimistic forecast for the industry or these horses, says Dr. Tom Lenz, chairman of the Unwanted Horse Coalition and a veterinarian from Missouri.
UHC, which operates under the auspices of the American Horse Council, includes more than 20 national organizations and was created to educate horse owners and potential horse owners about what it means to own responsibly. AQHA is a member of this group.
Rescue efforts are important, but individual horse owners have a responsibility to do what they can for their horses.
UHC has materials that will help horse owners consider alternatives for their horses. The materials suggest options an individual can take now and in the future so the number of unwanted horses does not increase.
The UHC brochure, "The Problem of Unwanted Horses," explains the coalition and its activities. The handbook, "Own Responsibly: Guidance for Current and Potential Horse Owners," addresses basic horse care; the responsibilities of horse ownership; options for owners with unwanted horses; programs that extend the useful life of horses such as retraining, second careers, therapeutic riding programs and retirement facilities; questions to ask when trying to place a horse; euthanasia; and the tax ramifications of donating your horse to a charitable organization.