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There are lots of ways to tackle the unwanted horse problem in America.
But the most important one – the one with the biggest, long-term impact – is also going to be the hardest to accomplish. It will be the most controversial. And it will take the longest to implement. Maybe a generation ... or two.
Because fundamentally it means changing how we view horses. It means no longer looking at horses merely as “livestock,” as a “tool” or an “asset,” as an animal that must be useful for something to have any value to us.
It means looking at horses in a new light – with the same expectations and commitments we give the other animals that enrich our lives. How many of us measure our dog’s value only in terms of its “usefulness”?
This new perspective recognizes that a “horse is for life.” And that’s a really big deal when you consider a horse can live for 30 years.
Making A Commitment
It means if you get a horse, you’ll make a commitment to keep it for the rest of its life ... or you’ll commit to finding a new home for it if your own circumstances change. And if that’s not possible, it means calling your vet and having your horse humanely euthanized, not sending it off to “the sale” and thus the slaughterhouse.
It means recognizing that a horse has intrinsic value as an animal, above and beyond whatever economic value it might also have. It’s no longer just a disposable commodity.
This will require a sweeping cultural change in the horse industry, and a change in mindset for millions of individual horse owners.
Before anyone gets alarmed, this isn’t about “animal rights” or “property rights.”
It’s only about changing how we think about horses.
That’s the new view ... and the long view.
In the meantime, if you want to know what you can do to reduce the number of unwanted horses, please see How You Can Help.
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