Celebrate National Horse Protection Day Every March 1
March 1 is National Horse Protection Day
Cats and dogs aren’t the only animals people sometimes neglect and abuse. Horses often suffer the same fate. Spreading awareness of this problem and promoting ways to stop it is the purpose of National Horse Protection Day.
Unfortunately, ending the problem is not exactly easy. There are not nearly as many unwanted horses as there are other animals. But horses are harder to keep. They need more space and cost more money than a cat, dog or other small animal.
You just can’t keep a horse in an apartment (even if it allows pets) or a small suburban yard.
But even people with enough room may end up being surprised at the cost. They find they can’t afford the food or the vet bills. So they either do the best they can or leave the horse to fend for itself.
Both options often end with sick, malnourished horses.
And many unwanted horses end up being sold for slaughter. Although the United States hasn’t slaughtered horses since 2007, horses do get shipped to Mexico and Canada for slaughter.
Some people know they’re selling their animals to be used for food. Others sell at auction, not realizing that the buyers will be sending the horses to slaughter.
Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this unofficial but worthy holiday.
Observing National Horse Protection Day
If you have the time, money and know-how to care for a horse, and you want to, by all means adopt a horse and give it a good home for life. Just make sure you really do know what you’re getting into. You don’t want to add to the problem!
For the rest of us, there are still ways to help
If there’s a horse rescue or sanctuary near you, consider volunteering. The animals will get love and attention, and horse-lovers can get their horsie fix. It’s a win-win!
Don’t have time to volunteer, or there’s no rescue near you? Donate money or supplies. Contact the rescue or check their website to find out what they need most. Many will have wishlists on their sites.
If you’re not sure if there’s a rescue near you, head to your favorite search engine. Search for “horse rescue [your state]” or “equine rescue [your state].” Of course, replace [your state] with the name of your state!
Even if you can’t donate or volunteer, everyone can help spread the word. Share the news of National Horse Protection Day. Follow horse rescues on social media and share their posts about horses in need.
Get your community involved. Have a fundraiser to benefit a local horse rescue.
Educate the community about horse slaughter and the problem of horses in need of homes.
Check out the Equine Rescue website. This horse rescue and sanctuary in New York shares lots of information on horse abuse & rescue, slaughter, and more.
Spread the word about the United Horse Coalition, whose mission is “to reduce the number of unwanted horses and to improve their welfare …” The website offers information on owning horses and how to give up a horse responsibly, among other things.
Looking for more ideas? The National Horse Protection Day website offers a list of ways to help the horses (it’s about 1/2-way down the page).
Will you be helping to protect horses for this day? How?
[…] National Horse Protection Day: Help spread awareness of horse slaughter & abuse, and learn how to stop it. […]
[…] National Horse Protection Day: This day is about stopping the abuse & neglect of horses. Often neglect happens when either the owner just doesn’t care or didn’t realize how much effort and money it takes to care for a horse and gets overwhelmed. Either way the horse suffers. […]