JAVMA
Equine welfare experts are working to prevent and prepare for a potential surge in horse surrenders because of COVID-19–related financial challenges.
Portrait woman and horse outdoors. Woman hugging a horse
One of the goals of the United Horse Coalition is to help at-risk horses. In recent efforts, the coalition has released an Equine Resource Database for horse owners to find help. (Courtesy of the United Horse Coalition)
“Horses are expensive, there is no polite way to say it,” said Emily Stearns, the program manager of the Equine Welfare Data Collective, a program created by the United Horse Coalition to collect data and track equine welfare trends. “If people are losing their jobs, they’re at risk of downsizing and not being able to house their horse.”