Recently, President Trump ordered a government wide freeze on all new federal regulations pending review. This order has put an indefinite hold on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) final regulations governing enforcement of the Horse Protection Act (HPA).
On January 13, 2017, USDA announced a final HPA rule. However, the final rule was not published in the Federal Register before President Trump issued his order to all federal agencies to withdrawal all regulations that had not yet been published pending review. The final rule would have made several major changes to current HPA regulations with the goal of ending soring.
It will now be up to the Trump administration to decide whether or not to finalize the HPA rule. There is no timeline for review of the rule and the new administration could decide to issue a final rule at any time or withdrawal the rule completely. The HPA enforcement program will continue to operate under the current HPA regulations.
America’s horses need your help. Over 100,000 horses each year are shipped across the border and are brutally slaughtered. The threat of slaughter for America’s wild horses is real. The SAFE Act would protect America’s horses by banning horse slaughter in the U.S. and prohibiting the transport of American horses to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. It was reintroduced with bipartisan support in the House of Representatives last week. Your support is needed for this important legislation. The lives of hundreds of thousands of horses — both domestic and wild — are at stake, so please take action today!
As I steal a few moments to send out a quick update, Matt and I are on our way back to South Dakota. The good news is that we are delivering 4 horses to their new homes before we go back. We placed 2 last week and are so happy as we cannot afford to “rescue & not rehome”. lol However, we need help badly with the ongoing expenses involved in this operation and for the special needs kids who are landing at Chilly Pepper – Miracle Mustang.
We are spending about $300 per month for milk powder per baby, and we currently have six on “liquid gold”. So that is roughly $1800 just for milk, and then we are going through about 4 bags? of milk pellets at roughly $100 each bag. These kids were a bit behind so they are taking extra. Add to that the enormous amounts of hay they are consuming and their bedding and their Mare and Foal Pellets, we are easily spending thousands on just the 6 babies alone. The good news is that they are doing better and better every day.
We spent $1100+ on the last kids that came home to get them vetted and their lil hoofers done. This does not include Coggins or Health Certs etc. or to even get them home. As we are taking on several blind horses that have no where else to go, (including Frosty – the blind black stallion), we need to add additional shelter and make the pen for Shadow and the new blind kids larger than originally planned.
This is Matt’s 5th trip to SD, my 4th (as I lived there for several months) and as it is approximately 1100 miles each way, well that adds up quickly. It costs roughly $900 per trip, and that is just for fuel, motel and an oil change etc. Normally we wouldn’t drive this far over and over but this was a situation God clearly put in front of us. It is and has been exhausting, but knowing at least 270 are in (or will be lol ) in loving homes, it is worth it.
SITUATION UPDATE: Matt and I have more horses to pick up that were already in the 270 number. We are picking up for another sanctuary who agreed to take the horses and they need to go through our place for vetting and hoof care etc. We are responsible for all the preliminary care and then the sanctuary will be giving them a life long home for the rest of their lives. So we need funds for those 10 also. We also need to pick up our stallions and a couple other special needs kids. They were supposed to be picked up a long time ago, but due to the weather and an emergency pick up from CA, this is the soonest we could get back.
So we really need help so we can continue helping the horses in what ever way we are needed.
COURT DATE – The State is trying to remove the horses from ISPMB. If this happens, they have asked Fleet of Angels to be responsible for finding them safe homes and to take on all responsibility of their care.
If this happens, we will need to continue to load, sort and help these horses find a safe place to land.
If this does not happen, I have been told that the numbers would still need to be reduced, so again, we would most likely need to be on hand to help with placement of the horses who were not staying.
So either Matt and I have 3-4 more trips to secure the horses that are already in the 270 number if nothing changes, or we will be there longer if more horses need to be rounded up and sorted. In any case, we also are incurring added expenses to hire someone to stay at Chilly Pepper and take care of all the horses that are already there.
We want to thank everyone again who has been part of this. Y’all are the ones who make it all possible!!!
If anyone does not receive their end of year tax receipt, please call me at 530 339 1458. For some reason there were a couple of folks whose information did not show up on their credit card donation. * Tax receipts will all be sent out by Jan 30th. Again, you guys are amazing and are so very much appreciated.
There are 100 million working horses, donkeys and mules in the world. They are the tractors, taxis and engines that power developing economies, working in the construction industry, carrying food and water, and transporting goods to market. It’s estimated that each animal can support a family of six, so around 600 million people’s lives are supported by a working equine – 8% of the world’s population. Without healthy working horses, donkeys and mules, they wouldn’t be able to put food on their tables, send their children to school or build better futures for themselves and their families. However, it’s estimated that more than half of these animals suffer from exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition as a result of excessive workloads and limited animal health services
Brooke is an international charity that protects and improves the lives of working equines. The UK based charity works to deliver significant and lasting change, even in some of the world’s most challenging areas. Their teams concentrate on training and support for owners of owners and handlers, as well as local vets, farriers, harness makers and animal traders to improve standards of care. They operate in 11 different countries, and fund small projects in others. Brooke also conducts research, and works with policy makers to make overarching changes to the way governments tackle working equine welfare.
One of the countries that Brooke works in is Kenya, a country with almost 2 million donkeys. Around 50% of people live below the poverty line, so these animals support many people’s lives in both urban and rural areas, transporting food and fuels. Brooke has been working through local partners in the country since 2011, and opened an office in Nairobi in 2013, with programmes stretching from Turkana County in the North to Kajiado in the South. The work focusses on bringing communities together to make donkey welfare a group priority, with a financial focus.
The Kamara Self Help group in a rural location near the town of Molo, Nakuru was set up with Brooke and Farm Systems Kenya (FSK). This group was registered in 2008, with the original aim that group members would help each other through a group micro-credit (“Merry-Go-Round”) scheme. Group savings are lent out to members at low rates of interest, allowing them to buy donkeys and other items. There are around 300 members, organized into four separate groups. Each member in the group has at least two donkeys, and some have up to eight.
FSK members visit the group once a month, implementing training sessions according to a curriculum they have developed. These cover basic animal care, hygiene and first aid as well as handling skills. They also address common myths about how to look after donkeys. For example, people have little knowledge of how to prevent disease, and branding and ear cutting for identification is common.
The members are mostly women who in many cases are the main breadwinners in their family. Although as donkey owners, they are not the worst-off section of society, by UK standards they would be considered very poor. They earn money by collecting firewood from a forest in the area, and then selling it. A timber company fells the trees, allowing the women to harvest the branches for a small monthly fee, which are then carried back by the donkeys. The women have to walk an 18 mile round trip each day that can take up to seven hours, before taking into account the hours of work they need to do when they reach the forest. They do this six days a week, earning up to £3.50 per day for this work.
These earnings cover family expenditure including food, school fees, medical expenses, clothing, savings, and donkey-related expenses including de-worming, hoof trimming and other treatments. They also carry out small scale farming, growing peas, carrots and cabbages to supplement their income. One group member explained that she has just half an acre of land, so the income from her donkey is essential to her family.
In fact, several of the group members explained that the income they get from work with their donkeys was the only thing that allowed them to pay for their children’s education. One said that she had used it to educate her son, who is now studying to be a vet.
According to FSK staff, the women have come a long way in developing their knowledge of donkey welfare and in adopting practices that promote this. They mentioned for instance that group members are now much more likely to seek out professional treatment from vets, and that they have organized themselves to bring all their donkeys together for a day for hoof trimming and de-worming. The meeting was also attended by a farrier and two vets who now work regularly with this group.
Because the donkeys are so essential to people’s livelihoods, groups like this play a vital role in providing a form of insurance to make sure people don’t struggle if a donkey dies or needs medical treatment.
Brooke recently hit a key milestone, now reaching over two million working horses, donkeys and mules each year. In 2016 they also launched a new global strategy to reach even more animals, provide better support for owners, and create lasting change.
On February 13th at 3:00 pm ET, the American Horse Council will host its first quarterly webinar for 2017. The topic will be “Climate Change and Equines.”
“While the cause of climate change is of course a debated subject, there is no debate that climate change effects animals, sometimes drastically,” said AHC President Julie Broadway. “We wanted to educate people on understanding how your horses may be effected by these climate changes, and how you can be better prepared to keep your horses safe and comfortable with these changes.”
David Herring, Director of Communication & Education at the NOAA Climate Program Office will be the featured speaker. Mr. Herring will discuss how they see changes in the weather affecting not only horses themselves, but also the areas in which they live, show, and are ridden. “Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and record-breaking snow and rain have devastated farms around the country recently,” said Mr. Herring. “We want people to be aware of how these potential changes in the climate can drastically affect their animals and their well-being.”
Dr. Karen Davison, Equine Nutritionist and Director of Purina Animal Nutrition’s Equine Technical Services team will give an overview of how horses nutritional needs change with the weather. “It’s important to be able to teach people what we currently know to be the best ways to feed horses,” said Dr. Davison, “With changes in the weather that are sometimes drastic, we are learning and investigating new ways to be able to feed horses better.”
Also being spotlighted will be the Back Country Horsemen of America (BCHA), with Jim McGarvey, Executive Director of BCHA giving an overview of the work that they do. Most recently, the AHC worked with BCHA toward the successful passing of the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act. Finally, AHC’s Director of Health & Regulatory Affairs Cliff Williamson will give a short overview on regulatory issues that the AHC is currently working on.
The webinar is open to both AHC members and non-members—we encourage everyone to attend! To register for the webinar, please click here. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Furst at afurst@horsecouncil.org. We look forward to having you join us for the first of our quarterly webinars!
“You don’t have to be very bright to see if an animal looks like it’s on Death Row,” says Jeremy Hulme, Chief Executive of animal welfare charity SPANA. “If you’re looking at a horse or mule, and it’s head is down, it’s looking thin and its bones are sticking out, it’s obviously not right. If it’s limping, you know it’s got problems.”
Most savvy travelers are now clued up on how animal experiences, from elephant rides to tiger temples, might be harmful to animals. Less attention is paid, though, to horses, donkeys, mules and camels put to work in the tourism industry, which is why SPANA has launched a Holiday Hooves campaign.
Thousands of animals are used in travel experiences, from camel rides and horse-drawn carriages to mules carrying gear on expeditions. The animals are often essential to their owners’ livelihoods, but in some cases are cruelly treated, neglected or kept in poor conditions.
“We have no problem with animals working, as long as they are looked after well,” says Hulme (pictured, right). “They need to be well fed, well looked after and not cruelly treated.”
Horse trekking is just one popular activity where travelers should look out for the state the animals are in. “If someone knows about horses, they can tell from a distance if the animals look good or not. That’s the critical thing.
“You should only use an animal that looks well fed, healthy, fit and happy. You can often tell by the way it looks at you, whether its ears are sharp, whether its coat is shiny, or whether it looks dull, lethargic, thin and bony. You don’t have to be a vet to know whether an animal looks good or not.”
“Maybe you turn up to a group tour and there are nine horses that look fine and one that doesn’t look well,” Hulme continues. “I know people don’t like to be confrontational, but they should have the confidence to say to their tour guide, “Hey, that horse doesn’t look fit enough to be ridden.”
Hulme also suggests checking out the state of the stables and gear, if possible. “Those things will reflect on the state of the animal itself. It will still be dirty if it’s been lying down in feces at night, or soaking wet if it’s been out in the rain all night. You’ll be able to see that, and you’ll be able to see the quality of the gear, whether the saddle is falling to pieces or the harness is held together with a piece of wire.”
Check out animals’ stables (Dreamstime)
SPANA operate currently in nine countries, including Morocco, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and Jordan, providing free veterinary treatment to working animals, as well as running education, training, outreach projects and emergency treatment in other parts of the world.
It’s not just horses SPANA look out for. “In Petra in Jordan, for example, there are boys that run donkey rides. Some might be fine, but we should be intelligent enough to say: “No, that’s not right for big adults to sit on a little donkey.” We need to have a bit of common sense.”
Children enjoying donkey rides (Dreamstime)
Travelers should also check out the condition of any camels they plan to ride on, Hulme suggests. “I personally love camels, but they need to be looked after like any other animal.”
How do you tell if a camel, famous for looking grumpy, is ‘happy’? “Perhaps you wouldn’t be able to tell if it’s happy or not. But you can see if they are thin, or their humps have disappeared and their ribs are sticking out. The same common sense rules apply. People can see if it can hardly stand.”
Travelers riding a camel (Dreamstime)
On hiking trips and trekking expeditions, horses, mules and other animals are often loaded – or overloaded – with food supplies and travelers’ luggage. At what point does that become a problem?
“Have a look at the animal’s back and sides before they put the stuff on,” Hulme suggests. “You will see if the harness is bad and has been rubbing. Some animals have open wounds, so it’s an easy thing to check. Then check the general condition. You can see whether it’s a really thin animal, or if it looks well fed and strong. That’s important. And when it’s got the stuff loaded on, you can see if they’re hugely overloaded or not.
Tourist taking the easy way uphill (Dreamstime)
“Mules are strong and noble creatures. I’m really fond of them. They can happily carry the weight of a man. If it’s carrying a couple of backpacks, I’m sure they would cope well. But if they’re trying to carry half a ton of cement, that’s different. You can look at how readily they carry the weight. Does the owner keep beating it to make it move? Is it limping? If it is, say something to the owner or your guide.”
According to a SPANA survey, 28 per cent of British adults who’ve been on holiday abroad have taken part in animal activities like camel rides or horse-drawn carriage trips, where they’ve been concerned for the welfare of the animals involved.
SPANA’s produced a Holiday Hooves guide to help people choose responsible animal tour providers and to advise people on what to do if they see animals being mistreated abroad, the campaign backed by Simon Reeve.
Simon Reeves who’s backed the Holiday Hooves campaign (SPANA)
“Traveling around the developing world, I’ve seen for myself how families rely on working animals for their livelihoods,” says Reeve. “But a life of work shouldn’t mean a life of suffering. These animals work hard and they deserve to be treated with respect and compassion.”
The Holiday Hooves campaign, says Reeve, “is about helping holiday-makers to make informed choices, recognize healthy animals and know what to do if they see mistreatment. It’s also about encouraging tour operators, animal owners and governments around the world to take the issue seriously and – with the public’s support – sending a message that only the highest standards of animal health and welfare are acceptable.”
A happy-looking camel? (Dreamstime)
SPANA’S survey also found that over one in five British adults have seen animals being mistreated when on holiday, but over three quarters of them made no attempt to report the incident.
In the countries where they work, Hulme suggests contacting SPANA if they see signs of mistreatment or neglect. Elsewhere, he suggests using positive pressure, that travelers should praise, use, promote and re-use companies they felt treated animals well, and report negative experiences to local tour operators and hotels, so they don’t use the bad companies.
Horse trekking in the desert (Dreamstime)
“People should go to the tour operator and say, “I’m really disappointed. We went there to have a ride and the horses looked awful. No one is going to use them, so it’s bad for everybody. It’s bad for the owners who wont get any income. It’s bad for the horses because they don’t get fed properly. It’s bad for you guys because it looks bad that you’ve recommend them.” Tour operators will be able to speak the language and try to get something sorted out.”
Above all, Hulme says, it’s about travelers being aware and using common sense. People shouldn’t be put off or stop taking part in thee kind of experiences, Hulme argues. “We need to realize that a lot of these animals are working in countries, like Egypt, where there’s been a drop in tourism and there’s less money. People there absolutely depend on these animals to make a living. We are absolutely not saying, “Don’t use these animals”. We’re just saying, “Use common sense and use a good company.”
For decades, community groups have enjoyed and worked to protect the cherished wild horses that live in and around the Pine Nut Mountains Herd Management Area (HMA) in northern Nevada. But now the beloved Pine Nut horses are threatened by a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan to round up 500 of 579 of the mustangs living there!
These neighbors and the horses they love need our help today! Please weigh in against a devastating massive roundup and ask BLM to work with the local community to implement a birth control program for humane, in-the-wild management of the Pine Nut wild horses.
Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced final regulations governing enforcement of the Horse Protection Act (HPA). The HPA was passed in 1970 to stop the cruel practice of “soring” horses that was occurring in some sectors of the Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse and Spotted Saddle Horse industry.
The final rule would make several major changes to current HPA regulations with the goal of ending soring. The AHC is currently reviewing the details of the final rule to determine its impact on the horse industry. However, USDA seems to have made several modifications and clarifications to the final rule in accord with the comments submitted by the AHC and others. AHC comments can be found here.
Importantly, the USDA has made changes to the final rule that address horse industry concerns had regarding the proposed rule release last summer. These changes include explicitly limited new prohibitions on pads, wedges, and action devices to “Tennessee Walking Horses and Racking Horses,” and removal of all references to “related breeds that performs with an accentuated gait that raises concerns about soring.” Additionally, USDA has adopted several proposals to make the rule less burdensome for smaller “flat shod” walking horse shows. USDA also has clarified that certain reporting and record keeping requirements apply only to “Tennessee Walking Horse, Racking Horse shows.”
APHIS will license, train, and oversee independent, third party inspectors, known as Horse Protection Inspectors (HPIs), and establish the licensing eligibility requirements to reduce conflicts of interest.
Beginning 30 days after the publication of the final rule, all action devices, except for certain boots, are prohibited on any Tennessee Walking Horse or racking horse at any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction. All pads and wedges are prohibited on any Tennessee Walking Horse or racking horse at any horse show, exhibition, sale, or auction on or after January 1, 2018, unless such horse has been prescribed and is receiving therapeutic, veterinary treatment using pads or wedges. This delayed implementation allows ample time to both gradually reduce the size of pads to minimize any potential physiological stress to the horses and prepare horses to compete in other classes.
Beginning January 1, 2018, management of HPA-covered events must, among other things, submit certain information records to APHIS, provide HPIs with access, space, and facilities to conduct inspections, and have a farrier physically present to assist HPIs at horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions that allow Tennessee Walking Horses or racking horses to participate in therapeutic pads and wedges if more than 150 horses are entered, and have a farrier on call if 150 or fewer horses are entered.
The final rule has not been published in the Federal Register, but USDA has stated they plan to publish it in the next several days.
In its initial assessment of the final rule, the AHC believes USDA has made many of the changes that were necessary to end soring and to fulfill the purpose and intent of the HPA as well as make sure other segments of horse show industry that have no history of soring horses are not unintentionally impacted or burdened by the regulation.
The AHC is continuing to review the proposed rule to determine its impact on the horse industry. After the AHC has had the opportunity to analysis the details of the final rule we will follow up with additional information.
The USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) released the first report from its Equine 2015 study, the Baseline Reference of Equine Health and Management in the United States 2015. The study was postponed because of 2015’s highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak.
Equine 2015 was conducted in 28 states, chosen for study participation based, in part, on the size or density of the states’ equine population. Data collected for the study represented 71.6 percent of equids and 70.9 percent of U.S. operations with five or more equids. This report shares data collected in regards to population estimates, equid health management and healthcare events, disease testing, farm biosecurity protocols, and transportation.
The Equine 2015 Study was designed to provide participants, industry, and animal-health officials with information on the nation’s equine population that will serve as a basis for education, service, and research related to equine health and management, while providing the industry with information regarding trends in the industry for 1998, 2005 and 2015/2016.
The Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (H.R. 113) has been re-introduced by Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). The bill is identical to legislation introduced last Congress and similar to other earlier bills that would in effect prohibit the slaughter of horses in the U.S. and the export of horses for slaughter.
This bill cites health concerns as the primary rationale to prohibit the sale or export of horses or horsemeat for human consumption, because they are frequently treated with drugs that pose a serious threat to human health if eaten. The bill would make it illegal under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to knowingly sell or transport horses or parts of horses in interstate or foreign commerce for purposes of human consumption.
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Agriculture.
I am sorry it has taken so long for an update. We had no internet for 11 days, and Matt and I have been working 12 hour+ days to “prep for winter”. As we were never supposed to be in South Dakota even up until Thanksgiving, staying until two days before Christmas really put us extremely far behind.
The babies are improving greatly and enjoying the nursery! We do want to send out a special “Thank You” to Dee Gregory, who was (hopefully still is LOL) our “go to” guy who made it possible for Matt and I to safely leave our rescue. Without him, we would never have been able to “git ‘er done.”
We got an emergency call today. One of the really big trees crashed through and destroyed some of the panel fencing at our place in CA. Thankfully, although DaBubbles panicked and was running around loose, Seanna and Carl were able to lock him up safely in one of the shelters. So now Matt has to postpone his trip back to South Dakota to pick up our stallions and go pick up the remaining horses in CA.
While I was writing this, we were informed that the road between here and our place in CA is shut down as a result of the weather? So hopefully tomorrowhe can pick them up.
Again, never a dull moment or one to rest.
Meanwhile, we are busy at home feeding, working on the nursery, trying to play “catch up”, vetting, getting hoofers trimmed and trying to get more shelter set up for the additional horses that will be coming to Chilly Pepper. We now need to set up an even larger “blind playpen”, as we already have two and more coming.
We are going through hay like crazy and the babies are absolutely loving their milk. Unfortunately with six on milk powder and milk pellets it can be a real damper on the budget. But all of them are doing much better and that is what it is all about.
PHASE 1 of the ISPMB Adoption Campaign has been completed. Thanks to lots of hard work and the amazing love and support y’all have shown, the 270 horses we were allowed to adopt out have been safely loaded and transported with zero injuries.
DUE TO OUR SUCCESS the remaining horses being removed by the County have been offered a chance to avoid auction. We are very happy to have more and more folks stepping up and joining “the team” to make this happens. There are some really amazing folks joining in to ensure this mission will protect any horses the County takes from ISPMB.
We have been asked to continue managing the ground crew and we will need to head back to South Dakota so we can continue sorting and loading any horses who need placement.
This is a statement made by Elaine Nash, Fleet of Angels, who was solely responsible for creating, organizing, and managing a comprehensive national campaign to get the ISPMB horses adopted and in safe homes, at the request of SD state’s attorney, Steve Averly.
“IT’S OFFICIAL. . . .
Two SD State’s Attorneys and the SD Animal Industry Board have officially filed a motion to remove the remaining 540 (+/-) horses from ISPMB in Lantry, SD.
To prevent the auction and possible slaughter of any of the horses, Fleet of Angels has joined forces with Habitat for Horses- an equine rescue in TX, Return to Freedom- a wild horse sanctuary in CA, and numerous other animal welfare organizations who will collaborate with us to insure that every horse is fed during both the legal process and the adoption process, and they will help FOA insure that every adoptable horse is placed in a good home.
Only with the help of hundreds of people- including all of you who make up our ground crew, administrators, adopters, transporters, donors, and other providers, will we be able to protect all of the horses if they are removed from ISPMB. If the ISPMB horses are entrusted to us to place, it will be a massive, difficult, hugely expensive job, and we will need everyone’s help to be successful.
We’re already at work raising funds for this effort because we’ve agreed to pay the counties all they’re owed to date, plus we have to cover the cost of hay for the horses during this process in order to save them from auction. We will be counting on you to contribute to this effort, and participate in any way you can. We can do it. We must do it. We will do it!”
2016 has been an Incredible Year for All About Equine Animal Rescue, Inc. (AAE) and we have YOU to thank for it! Let’s take some time to reflect on this past year and to Thank you!
In 2016 AAE, was able to take in 29 horses with your support. We also placed 29 horses with their forever homes! That means in 2016 our intake to adoption ratio was 100%! That’s incredible!
over 27,500 hours caring for our horses and making this world a better place for horses! 2016 was also a year of top honors, recognition and awards! GFAS Verification from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. What an honor! Finalist for ASPCA’s National Help a Horse Day 2016, receiving a $10,000 grant. 2nd Year in a row! KCRA A-List 2016 Finalist in the Best Local Charity category. We made the Top 5 out of 146 other nonprofits! Awarded “Top-Rated 2016” from GreatNonProfits.com. 3rd year in a row!
We had great events this year! Record number of supporters came to our ASPCA Help A Horse Day Celebration, helping us show the nation our dedication to saving horses and educating the community. Boots and Bling SOLD OUT to over 300 guests! Thank you to everyone that came out. It was a fun night and we hope to see you again at Boots and Bling 2017, April 22, 2017. Tickets will go on sale soon. It’s All About EqWINE SOLD OUT to over 200 guests! Thank you to everyone that braved the wind and rain to support us! It was a great night! A BIG Thank You to all our event Sponsors!!
Thank you for your generosity and kindness in supporting us! We’ve reached our year end goal of $15,000 for our year end campaign to restore our Veterinary Fund!
This proud stallion we call Zeus was photographed living wild and free five years ago in the Wyoming’s Great Divide Basin Herd Management Area. He was leading his family to water… standing guard over his mares and youngsters as they drank.
Is Zeus still free? We don’t know. But he has a right to be. One of our toughest fights yet has been for the rights of wild horses to live wild and free in this area of land known as the Wyoming Checkerboard. This year, we delivered two important legal blows to the BLM’s plans to wipe out wild horses from this area to appease powerful ranching interests.
But the fight goes on. In 2017, the BLM will attempt to change land use plans to “zero out” (eliminate all wild horses from) the Wyoming Checkerboard.
Is Zeus still free? We don’t know. But he has a right to be.
One of our toughest fights yet has been for the rights of wild horses to live wild and free in this area of land known as the Wyoming Checkerboard. This year, we delivered two important legal blows to the BLM’s plans to wipe out wild horses from this area to appease powerful ranching interests. But the fight goes on. In 2017, the BLM will attempt to change land use plans to “zero out” (eliminate all wild horses from) the Wyoming Checkerboard.
Please help stop this from happening.
Our legal team is ready to defend Wyoming’s wild horses from the BLM’s latest maneuvers to wipe them out. We’re also expanding our lobbying presence on Capitol Hill and continuing to build our grassroots army… With you help, the power of the people and the law of the land will prevail.
Zeus is a reason to give. The future of wild horses like Zeus depends on you.
The following is an announcement from the UHC Roundup.
The Media Roundup is now the UHC Roundup, a publication with a new name and a broader scope. In addition to news articles and events, the UHC Roundup highlights member programs and success stories spanning all breeds, disciplines, and regions, plus it has a new photo feature and a link to the UHC Blog.
If you wish to share your story of unwanted horses becoming wanted again, contact the UHC at uhc@horsecouncil.org.
Happy New Year! As the calendar turns to 2017, some scheduling changes are happening at the UHC. Please note that staff will be available to respond to inquiries via phone on Tuesdays only, and by email on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays each week. Our office hours may have shortened, but the UHC programs and services will not change.
The albino donkeys on Asinara Island. The animals will often seek shade among the derelict buildings during sunny days. Photo: Dirk Hartung CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The gene mutation responsible for albinism in donkeys on the Italian island of Asinara has been identified by researchers.
A unique albino donkey sub-population lives on Asinara, which was closed to the public in 1885 to become an Italian quarantine site and later a prison colony. The 52 square kilometre island, northwest of Sardinia, is now a national park.
The 100 to 120 albino animals live with coloured − usually grey − donkeys on the island. They interbreed, with no estimate available on the size of the hybrid population.
Luca Fontanesi and his University of Bologna colleagues, in a short communication in the journal Animal Genetics, said the origin of the island’s white donkeys was uncertain and based only on legends. It was possible, they said, that they dated back to before the closure of the island to the public in the late 1800s.
There has been no direct human intervention in the management of the donkeys for more than a century.
The researchers delved into the genetic basis of the donkeys’ albinism, with the animals displaying a completely white coat colour, a lack of pigmentation in the skin, hair, eyelashes and eyebrows, and eyes that are light blue.
These donkeys have poor sight and during sunny days will shelter inside the unused buildings of the prisoner colony.
The study team suspected a mutation in the TYR gene was responsible for the albinism and they were proven correct after analysing data from genetic sequencing of seven Asinara albino donkeys and six coloured donkeys.
They found what is known as a missense mutation, in which a change codes for a different amino acid. In this case it affected copper binding, ultimately resulting in a lack of pigmentation.
The findings were confirmed in genetic testing of further donkeys. In all, 82 were tested.
The study team said the isolation of the population and high inbreeding might be behind the increased frequency of the TYR mutation.
They said the identification of the cause of albinism in the donkeys added a new natural animal model for this particular form of the condition in humans.
Utzeri, V. J., Bertolini, F., Ribani, A., Schiavo, G., Dall’Olio, S. and Fontanesi, L. (2016), The albinism of the feral Asinara white donkeys (Equus asinus) is determined by a missense mutation in a highly conserved position of the tyrosinase (TYR) gene deduced protein. Anim Genet, 47: 120–124. doi:10.1111/age.12386
Those of you who know me know that I am rarely at a lack for words. I’ve got a big yap. The overwhelming response to my request to raise $20,000. for the rescue however, has left me pretty much speechless. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and a profound sense of well-being for the animals in my care. I send a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who helped to make this happen.
This has been a good year at Save Your Ass. Mostly happy endings, with a few not so happy, but that is to be expected. I have averaged 35 adoptions every year the rescue has been in operation. One year it was 32, last year it was 37, and this year I am at 39 adoptions with two adoptions in the works!!
I am amazed and grateful for the many people interested in giving loving, caring homes to these animals. I’ve had a lot of owner surrenders this year. We are all getting older and our donkeys live for a long time. Both are good things! Caring for large animals in the winter months especially, can be difficult. I am glad that our adoption contract states that animals must come back here if they can no longer be kept for any reason. I am happy to provide that safety net for the animals and their caregivers.
Every year I do this I meet more and more wonderful, compassionate, committed people. I have made some great new friends via the long ears this year and am grateful for that as well.
Thank you very, very much on behalf of all of us at Save Your Ass Long Ear Rescue for continuing to make what we do possible. We could not do it without you.
I wish each and every one of you a peace filled, happy and healthy New Year.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has published a proposed rule regarding withholding requirements on pari-mutuel winnings. The proposed rule would make changes to withholding requirements that are more accurate and reflect the current state of wagering in the horse racing industry. These changes, if made final, will be of great benefit to horse players and the racing industry.
Specifically, the proposed rule would define “amount of the wager” as the total amount wagered by a bettor into a specific pari-mutuel pool on a single ticket for purposes of determining whether wagering proceeds are subject to 25% withholding on winnings of $5,000 or more and are at least 300 times as large as the amount wagered.
Currently, the IRS does not recognize the total amount wagered on an exotic bet with “boxes,” “wheels,” and “keys,” when determining whether the 300:1 ratio has been met and 25% withholding is triggered, only the cost of the individual winning bet. This greatly increases the number of winning bets that are subject to withholding and does not accurately reflect the actual amount bet and the actual amount won.
The American Horse Council and the National Thoroughbred Racing Association have requested the IRS make the proposed change for many years.
Assume an individual decided to make a Trifecta wager (selecting the first-, second-, and third-place finishers in a race, in exact order). To improve his or her chances of winning, the individual selects a group of seven horses in the race and requests a “Trifecta box.” By boxing the bet, a bettor wins if any three of the seven horses finishes one-two-three (in any order). A seven- horse Trifecta box involves 210 different mathematical combinations. If the bettor bets $20 on each combination, the total amount wagered is $4,200 ($20 x 210). After the race, the bettor holds a winning ticket that pays $6,100 (which is odds of 304-to-1 under the current regulations which limit the amount wagered to only the single $20 combination).
In accordance with the current rules, the racetrack would withhold $1,520 because the rules treat the $20 paid for the one winning combination as the only amount wagered. The withholding is computed as follows:
$6,100 Winnings ($20) Amount wagered
$6,080 Proceeds from the wager x 25% Automatic withholding
$1,520 Withholding tax
The individual, however, has really only won $1,900 ($6,100 winnings less $4,200 wagered). Consequently, after the withholding tax is taken out, the person is left with a net of only $380, making the withholding rate 80 percent of the actual winnings.
Example under Proposed Change
The pay-off computations for the winning Trifecta outlined in the example above are changed by defining the “amount of the wager” as the actual dollars wagered by that individual into the Trifecta pool for that race. The wager in this scenario results in no withholding as the twin tests of winnings of more than $5,000 and odds of at least 300-to-1 or more are not met:
$6,100 Winnings $4,200 Amount wagered
$1,900 Proceeds from the wager
In this example, the proceeds from the wager of $1,900 is less than the $5,000 threshold and is far less than 300 times the amount wagered of $4,200.
This proposed change will obviously be of benefit to individuals who bet on horse races and the racing industry in general.
Wild horses and burros are under attack every day. We are fighting for them every day, and we want to show you every day this week exactly what we are fighting for.
This valiant wild Wyoming stallion fought off five younger stallions to defend his beautiful snow-white mare, so heavily in foal she could barely move. Moments after the battle, he returned to his mare’s side and allowed her to rest her head on his back in the warm sun.
Chivalry is not dead, but these wild horses and their way of life could be if we are not successful in stopping the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from wiping out wild horses in the Wyoming Checkerboard to appease powerful ranching interests.
This year, we stopped a huge BLM helicopter roundup in this area. We scored two important legal victories that put the brakes… at least for now… on the BLM’s plan to eradicate wild horses from the Checkerboard. But the fight for the future of Wyoming’s wild herds goes on.
We call this beautiful stallion Galahad and his mare, Snow White. They are a reason to give. Their future depends on you.
In Freedom,
Suzanne Roy, Executive Director
P.S. Today, you can double your impact for wild horses like Galahad and Snow White! Your year-end donation will be matched…so please give as generously as you can. Thank you!
Four charities joined forces to promote global working equid welfare standards adopted this year by the World Organization for Animal Health. Photo: iStock
Four charities joined forces to promote global working equid welfare standards adopted this year by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
The standards—which entitle working donkeys, horses, and mules to basic needs such as food, water, and shelter—have been welcomed as a milestone in improving equine welfare. However, they are not the law. To help governments implement the standards, technical experts from The Donkey Sanctuary, The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA), World Horse Welfare, and the Brooke Action for Working Horses and Donkeys had a joint poster displayed at the 4th OIE Global Conference on Animal Welfare in Mexico. The event, which took place Dec. 6-8, hosted policymakers from 180 member states around the globe.
The charities used the posted to promote their message of collaboration and how they can offer assistance to help implement the standards by assessing welfare; equipping service providers like farriers, saddlers, and veterinarians; and helping develop tertiary education.
“This is a great opportunity to work together as a sector to improve the welfare of millions of working equids,” said Karen O’Malley, BSc, World Horse Welfare head of international program development. “The OIE standard is a positive and important step in helping working equids to become visible to policymakers and we will continue to support national government initiatives to make this standard a reality in many countries around the world.”
Karen Reed, BVetMed, MSc, MRCVS, head of animal welfare capacity at the Brooke agreed: “Brooke supported the OIE in developing the working equine welfare standards, and we were delighted to see them adopted. Of course, the challenge now is to implement them. We’re pleased to be working with likeminded organizations to support the OIE and their member states to make this happen. As well as working with policymakers, it’s very important to work directly with the communities that rely on horses, donkeys, and mules, and empower local vets and farriers. We specialize in building capacity so that these people can become self-sufficient animal welfare advocates.”
Added Stephen Blakeway, BA, VetMB, MSc, PGCE, MRCVS, director of international operations at The Donkey Sanctuary, “There is no longer any excuse for donkeys, mules, and horses to be invisible. Now we can all align our work to the standards and provide strong case studies showing how improved welfare benefits donkeys and people socially and economically.”
Francesca Compostella, DVM, MRCVS, director of veterinary programs at SPANA, added, “We’re pleased to be working in partnership with other organizations to assist the OIE in implementing the working equine standards. This document represents a momentous milestone that gives international recognition to the working horses, donkeys, and mules that play a fundamental role in guaranteeing the livelihoods of millions of families worldwide. With close collaboration and cooperation, we look forward to working with policymakers, equine owning communities, vets, and other professionals to facilitate the successful implementation of such standards. Thanks to the OIE, we now have an invaluable tool to achieve widespread, lasting change to the welfare of working equids around the world.”
In a groundbreaking move, Australian racing authorities have declared a nation-wide ban on the use of whips in harness racing.
Harness Racing Australia (HRA) announced Dec. 10 that no whip use will be tolerated on any of its tracks as of September 2017, making it the second country worldwide to ban whips in harness racing (Norway was the first to implement a ban).
However, an important distinction is that the Norwegian ban came down from a government decision, where as in Australia, the interdiction results from a decision by the national racing authority itself, a leading equitation scientist said.
“In Norway, the move was triggered by animal welfare legislation, but the HRA announcement represents the first time a racing authority has taken the lead and voluntarily walked away from the whip,” said Paul McGreevy, BVSc, PhD, MRCVS, MACVS (Animal Welfare), professor of animal behavior and animal welfare science at the University of Sydney.
Starting Sept. 1, 2017, HRA will no longer allow whips in racing or training, a decision that “was not taken lightly, but was made on our own initiative because we believe it is the right decision at the right time,” said HRA Chairman Geoff Want.
“We have been moving down this path for six years by limiting (whip) use with a strong focus on health and welfare of horses,” he said. “We see the ban as a vital way of demonstrating our responsibility as an industry, and to earning and maintaining the social acceptance and sustainability of harness racing.”
Their thought processes included a recognition of the fact that whips have not actually made horses run faster, McGreevy added. “The HRA announcement is a win for the sport and for horse welfare. It comes as industry figures show that, even though whip use has been increasingly limited, race times have been improving,” he stated in an online commentary.
This could be related to simple basics of equitation science—negative reinforcement and habituation, he told The Horse. If horses are whipped, then go faster, then are whipped again, they could quickly learn that going faster doesn’t make the whipping stop.
“The decision is welcome news,” McGreevy said. “The HRA has recognized that you can—and should—have an even playing field without whipping tired horses in the name of sport.
“This is the prime example of what can be achieved for animal welfare when the industry wakes up and smells the coffee and works with welfare organizations to arrive at decisions that are good for both the industry and animal welfare.”
While the decision is a victory for trotting and pacing horses in Australia, whips remain allowed in Thoroughbred racing, McGreevy added. But, he added, “the Thoroughbred racing industry is presumably feeling a lot more pressure than it did before because of this groundbreaking gesture in the name of animal welfare.”
The following is an announcement from the American Horse Council.
looked after well,” says Hulme (pictured, right). “They need to be well fed, well looked after and not cruelly treated.”
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These neighbors and the horses they love need our help today! Please weigh in against a devastating massive roundup and ask BLM to work with the local community to implement a birth control program for humane, in-the-wild management of the Pine Nut wild horses.
In a groundbreaking move, Australian racing authorities have declared a nation-wide ban on the use of whips in harness racing.