How do equine rescue and retirement facilities impact the unwanted horse population?
Several excellent equine rescue and retirement facilities operate in the U.S. and play a vital role in providing lifelong care or finding new owners for unwanted horses. Some of these groups are registered as nonprofits and others are privately run by individuals or families. There is no national body that provides oversight or accreditation for these facilities, however. The key issue is the total number of unwanted horses that can be cared for permanently or placed with a new owner by existing facilities. Care capacities typically range from five horses per facility to, in a few cases, a maximum of 1,000 horses. The capacity of most facilities, however, is 30 horses or less. Despite the efforts of these groups to care for unwanted horses, the number of horses exceeds the resources currently available.
