• Ensuring that horses are treated humanely and with dignity.

  • Reducing the number of at-risk horses and working toward eliminating the issue.

  • Raising awareness about the issue of horses at-risk, and its impact on the horse industry.

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Facilitating the exchange of information on adoption, care, and alternative careers.

The United Horse Coalition is committed to helping horses at-risk or in transition by:

Educating current and future horse owners on responsible ownership, proper care and breeding, and options available before a horse reaches a state of becoming at-risk.

Explaining the issue through presentations at industry gatherings, including horse association meetings, conferences, symposiums, and horse fairs

Raising awareness about the issue of horses who are at-risk, and its impact on the horse industry

Reducing the number of at-risk horses and working towards eliminating the problem.

Ensuring that horses are treated humanely and with dignity

Providing information on end-of-life decisions, including veterinary decisions, euthanasia, and disposal

OUR RESOURCES:

Resources for Current Owners:

  • Facilities that accept horses (what to ask before surrendering/retiring a horse.)
  • Feed and Hay Safety Net Programs
  • Castration programs and clinics
  • Funding for Veterinary Care
  • Euthanasia programs and clinics (info on helping to make a euthanasia decision)
  • Racing aftercare, placement, and training.
  • Other programs

Resources for Prospective Owners:

  • Is Horse Ownership right for me?
  • Basic Horse Care and Costs
  • Alternatives to buying a horse
  • Finding “The Right Horse”

Resources for Rescues/Sanctuaries:

  • Guidelines for Rescues
  • Accreditation
  • Match Horses with Adopters
  • Non Profit Management/Fundraising
  • Equine Welfare Grants
  • USTA financial assistance

OUR MISSION:

  • The American Horse Council’s Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC), formed in 2006 to bring attention to the issue and challenges of unwanted horses, will be renamed and rebranded as the United Horse Coalition.
  • The changes reflect the industry’s unity around the importance of aftercare and the progress and extensive resources that have come to fruition since the UHC’s inception. The UHC’s new mission statement reads, “Through industry collaboration, the UHC promotes education and options for at-risk and transitioning horses.”
  • “The industry has responded with significant resources dedicated to aftercare, and so the UHC is poised to move to a new phase by focusing on serving more as a clearing house for education and options available to help at-risk and transitioning horses,” said AHC President Julie Broadway. “The power of the coalition has long been its ability to promote and encourage industry collaboration, so it’s a natural evolution that we now embrace that role more fully given the programs offered by organizations such as Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, The Right Horse, ASPCA, EQUUS Foundation, and Thoroughbred Charities of America, and more locally through state horse councils and others.”
  • UHC Chair Kristen Leshney stated, “The UHC has been very successful in bringing attention to the issue of the unwanted horse, and it has served as a catalyst for aftercare programs at many of its member organizations. The new name and mission statement reflect the next phase of industry collaboration to help transition more horses into their next home.”
  • The UHC will refocus its services by redesigning its website as a single source to help horse owners learn about resources and options available to place horses in need of new homes. The website also will provide information to potential adopters including how to adopt, best practices when adopting, places horse are available for adoption, and owning responsibly.

The UHC is extremely grateful to…