MINNESOTA’S
UNWANTED HORSE
TRACY A. TURNER, DVM, MS,
Dipl.ACVS
Vice President, MN Horse Council
Board of Directors, MN Horse Expo
THE PROBLEM
 ESTIMATED 9.2
MILLION HORSES
IN THE U.S.
 1997: 155,000 IN MN
 1997: MN RANKED
9th IN HORSES
 2009: ESTIMATE >
200,000 HORSES
THE PROBLEM
 THE AMERICAN
HORSE COUNCIL
ESTIMATES 1-1.5% ARE
UNWANTED = 92,000138,000/yr
 MN ESTIMATE =
2,000-3,000/yr
 COST =$1900/yr
 MN INVESTMENT =
$3.8-$5.7 MILLION/yr
 CURRENTLY 8 EQUINE
RESCUES IN MN
WHY DO HORSES BECOME
UNWANTED
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
 MN REQUIRES:
Horses be provided with food of
sufficient quantity and quality to
allow for normal growth or
maintenance
Horses be provided with clean,
potable water in sufficient quantity
Horses be provided with shelter
from adverse weather conditions
Horses be provided with a clean
environment and enough space for
periodic exercise
Horses have their hooves properly
trimmed to prevent lameness
Horses be transported safely
 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
EXTENSION ESTIMATES
COSTS OF OWNING 1
HEALTHY HORSE = $6500/yr
WHY DO HORSES BECOME
UNWANTED
 Horses that are old
 Horses that are incurably
lame
WHY DO HORSES BECOME
UNWANTED
 Horses with behavioral problems
 Horses that are dangerous
 Un-adoptable feral horses
WHY DO HORSES BECOME
UNWANTED
 Horses that fail to meet owner’s
expectations
 Unattractive
 Not athletic
 Unmarketable
 Wrong color (no color)
 Cost too much to care for
 Normal, healthy horses of various
ages and breeds
WHY DO HORSES BECOME
UNWANTED
 CHILDREN (or adults)
BECOME
DISINTERESTED
 DIVORCE
 JOB LOSS
 THE HOUSING AND
MORTGAGE CRISIS
HAVE ALSO
EXACERBATED THE
PROBLEM
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE
HORSES?
 CHANGE OF
OCCUPATION
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE
HORSES?
 RESCUE/RETIREMENT
FACILITY
 ADOPTION
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE
HORSES?
 DONATING TO
THERAPEUTIC RIDING
PROGRAM
 DONATE TO
TEACHING/RESEARCH
INSTITUTION
 EUTHANASIA
 ABUSE/ NEGLECT/
ABANDONMENT
 EUTHANASIA AT
PROCESSING PLANT
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE
HORSES
 EUTHANASIA
>>>>DISPOSAL
 THE LEGAL OPTIONS
FOR HORSE
CARCASSES IN MN:
 BURIAL
 COMPOSTING
 CREMATION
 RENDERING
 FUR FARM USE AND
PET FOOD
MINNESOTA HORSE COUNCIL
 BECAME THE
FIRST STATE
HORSE COUNCIL
TO JOIN THE
UNWANTED HORSE
COALITION
THE UNWANTED HORSE
COALITION
A BROAD ALLIANCE OF
EQUINE
ORGANIAZATIONS THAT
HAVE JOINED
TOGETHER UNDER THE
AMERICAN HORSE
COUNCIL TO RAISE
AWARENESS OF THE
UNWANTED HORSE
ISSUE AND ITS
CONSEQUENCES TO
HORSES AND THE
INDUSTRY
THE UNWANTED HORSE
COALITION
GOALS
MISSION
TO REDUCE THE NUMBER  REDUCE THE NUMBER OF
UNWANTED HORSES
OF UNWANTED HORSES
 RAISE AWARENESS OF THE
AND TO IMPROVE THEIR
ISSUE AND ITS
WELFARE THROUGH
CONSEQUENCES
EDUCATION AND THE
 EDUCATE HORSE OWNERS
EFFORTS OF
AND POTENTIAL OWNERS
ORGANIZATIONS
 FACILITATE THE
EXCHANGE OF
COMMITTED TO THE
INFORMATION
HEALTH, SAFETY, AND
 HIGHLIGHT
RESPONSIBLE CARE AND
“ALTERNATIVE CAREERS”
DISPOSITION OF THE
AVAILABLE TO HORSES
HORSE
 PROVIDE INFORMATION
ON END-OF-LIFE
DECISIONS
MINNESOTA HORSE
COUNCIL
Minnesota Horse Council
Position on the
Transportation and
Processing of Horses




ADVOCATES THE HUMANE
TREATMENT OF ALL HORSES
BELIEVES THAT THE PROCESSING OF
UNWANTED HORSES IS NECESSARY
RECOGNIZES THAT THE SLAUGHTER
OF HORSES PROVIDES A HUMANE
ALTERNATIVE FOR THE HORSE WITH
CHRONIC DISCOMFORT AND PAIN, OR
INADEQUATE CARE AND
ABANDONMENT
HORSES DESTINED FOR PROCESSING
MUST:
 BE TREATED HUMANELY AND
WITH DIGNITY
 BE TRANSPORTED ACCORDING TO
THE USDA GUIDELINES
 BE EUTHANIZED IN A HUMANE
MANNER IN ACCORDANCE WITH
GUIDELINES ESTABLISHED BY THE
AVMA
MINNESOTA HORSE
COUNCIL
 MARCH 2009 PASSED A
RESOLUTION TO
CERTIFY MINNESOTA
RESCUES
 501 c 3 NON-PROFIT
 MEET or EXCEED THE
AAEP “CARE
GUIDELINES FOR
RESCUES AND
RETIREMENT
FACILITIES”
MINNESOTA HORSE
COUNCIL
 THE UNWANTED
HORSE IS THE
SINGLE BIGGEST
WELFARE ISSUE
FACING THE
HORSE INDUSTRY
TODAY
 1 STALLION CAN BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR
OVER 100 FOALS IN
A SINGLE YEAR
THE GELDING PROJECT
“HELPING THE UNWANTED HORSE 1
STALLION AT A TIME”

Education Earns Stallions to
Geldings
1. Get an official voucher
2. Attend 8 horse health
educational sessions
3. Contact a participating
veterinarian to arrange
castration of the stallion
EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS:
 General Horse Care
 Reproduction
 Nutrition
 Facilities/Manure
Management
 Equine Dentistry
 Vaccinations and/or Deworming
 Horse Behavior
 Lecture on the Unwanted
Horse or volunteer 2 hours
at a Horse Rescue
THE GELDING PROJECT II
September 26, 2009
Washington County Fairgrounds
 MHC certified rescues can
bring colts and stallions for
free castration
 Performed by University of
Minnesota Veterinary
students under the supervision
of Minnesota Association of
Equine Practitioners
 The first of a series of clinics
to be held around the state
QUESTIONS?
Contact
Dr. Tracy Turner, MHC