Focus: Arguing about the current system of retiring horses after they make mistakes.

 

1) When riders are put in danger by a horse that acts up it is not uncommon for that horse to immediately be retired to prevent future incidents. This line of thought may seem like the safest option, but in most cases it is unnecessary and extreme.

 

2) Owning a horse is a big responsibility that requires a lot of time, money, and effort to maintain. Any animal that is not trained properly can be dangerous, however there is a big difference between a single mistake that can be avoided with extra training and an animal that is continuously a danger to itself and those around it. I will add statistics on how many horses are retired prematurely not due to injury. I can also find statistics on what happens to retired horses such as how many are neglected, put down, etc.

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There are over 400 horse breeds in the world today. They do not play as big of a role in today’s world as they once did, even so, each breed has a unique specialty that we can still appreciate and utilize for all sorts of jobs and activities.  While shadowing a volunteer at Children's TherAplay for example I learned about Welsh ponies. Welsh Ponies are small and strong. They are known to be friendly and easy to manage, which makes them perfect for new riders and children. Even though we still use horses for things like Hippotherapy, racing, and farming, their uses have been largely taken over by advancements in technology. This has led to a severe decrease in the number of horses our society needs to function. There are not as many horse owners in todays time, but there are still just as many horses. The domesticated horses that do not have homes were deemed unwanted horses in 2005 and have been an ongoing problem for even longer. None of the current solutions being used to deal with these unwanted horses are sufficient to solve this overpopulation problem that plagues the entire trade. 

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Unwanted horses are not dealt with properly in the United States. Unwanted horses can be disowned for reasons such as age, performance, behavior, or even coloring. The problem is that despite the horses not being used, they still cost resources and money to maintain. More often than not these horses do not have the best quality of life and the issue of ethics arises. According to the former president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, Tom Lenz, “the reality for many unwanted horses is that they become a burden and are abused or neglected. For those responsible horse owners who do not want to burden others with the disposition of a horse that is old, lame or no longer useful, the option of euthanasia and carcass disposal is available.” Going the euthanasia or slaughter route is a viable solution that solves a lot of problems; however, it is not a perfect option either and a lot of other issues arise. The United States Humane Society does not agree that slaughter is a good option. According to their website "the USDA [United States Department of Agriculture] documented that 92.3 % of horses sent to slaughter are in good condition and are able to live out a productive life." The issue with euthanasia does not lie in the action itself, but the circumstances surrounding it. Due to over breeding it is far too common of a practice and the Humane Society is concerned about how the horses are treated leading up to death. Greater breeding and slaughter regulations would help lower the number of unwanted horses, but it does not solve the problem entirely either. The University of Minnesota estimates that there are approximately 170, 000 unwanted horse in the United States every year. In order to put a dent in those numbers, we not only need better regulations, but also responsible owners who are willing to put the time and resources into training the vast majority of perfectly functional unwanted horses that were never given a chance. 

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One of the biggest producers of unwanted horses is the racing industry. In the past horses have been used for transportation, farming, carrying heavy loads, and even military power. However, with the rise of machinery during the industrial revolution, horses took a back seat and were almost exclusively used for recreation. One such recreation is racing. Horses have been bred for racing since 16 BC and the sport gained popularity in the United States in the 1800’s thanks to British influences. “Generally, they [Thoroughbreds] race for 2-5 years before retiring” (Gulfam). The horse racing industry is extremely competitive, and this number can be even shorter if the horse does not meet certain standards leading to an early retirement where they are either neglected or put down prematurely. Horses that do meet the industry's harsh standards do not have it any better. Compared to their average life span of 25-30 years, 5 years is very minimal. This pattern of short careers leads to overbreeding to keep up with the constant cycle of new horses racing every year. There are never enough homes to take care of the retired horses and with over 20 years left of their lives they are often sent to slaughterhouses or neglected the same way “defective” horses are.