Responsible Horse Ownership

In order to thrive, horses require large amounts of food and water, adequate shelter and competent care and training. Horse owners need to be prepared to commit a great deal of time, energy, skill and money to ensuring their horse has everything he needs to have a happy, healthy life. With proper care, horses can live well into their thirties.

Horses require care and attention, 365 days a year.© istock

When someone decides to become a horse owner they should do so with the intention of providing humane, competent care for their horse for the duration of his life. If a horse owner decides he can no longer care for their horse, he has a variety of humane options available to him.

When deciding to rehome a horse, horse owners should be aware that any time a horse changes hands, they are at risk of ending up at a slaughter plant. Local livestock auctions are frequented by middlemen who are looking to purchase young, healthy horses for foreign owned slaughter plants. If you need to rehome your horse, do not take him to a local livestock auction.

Instead, consider the following options:

• Sell your horse to a properly vetted, private owner. In order to have a successful relationship, horses and owners must be properly matched in regard to temperament and ability. By selling your horse to a carefully screened, private owner you can ensure your horse and his owner are a good match. When selling a horse, it is always good to insert a buy-back clause in the contract, giving you right of first refusal should the new owner decide he can no longer keep your horse.

• Lease your horse to another horse enthusiast. Leasing involves giving someone else access to your horse for riding and companionship for a set period of time. The specific terms of leases vary, but typically involve the lessee paying a portion of the horse's monthly board expenses in exchange for a certain number of days where they can ride or otherwise spend time with the horse. Leasing is a great way to relieve some of the time and financial commitment of horse ownership without giving up ownership of your horse.

• Donate your horse to a therapeutic riding center, park police unit or similar program. There are hundreds of organizations across the country that accept donated horses for use in various programs. Therapeutic riding centers, mounted police units, and university riding programs all accepted donated horses. If you decide to explore this option, use the same careful consideration you would in choosing any home for your horse. Also, be sure to find out what policies they have in place for horses that are retired or, for whatever reason, don't work out in the program.

• Relinquish your horse to a horse rescue or sanctuary. There are hundreds of horse rescue and sanctuary organizations across the United States. Horse rescues take in horses with the intention of rehabilitating them and adopting them out to new homes. Sanctuaries provide a lifetime home for horses. If you decide to donate your horse to a horse rescue or sanctuary be sure to make sure it is a legitimate, well-run organization that is able to properly care for your horse. You can use The HSUS/AWI Guidelines for Operating a Horse Rescue or Retirement Facility to help you evaluate a potential facility.

• If no other option exists, consider humane euthanasia. If your horse has become incapacitated and is too old, lame or ill to recover, humane euthanasia by a licensed veterinarian is your best option. The cost of humane euthanasia and carcass removal is equal to or less than one month's care in most parts of the country and is simply part of responsible horse ownership. You should plan and budget for this expense—if you can't afford to euthanize your horse when the time comes, you cannot afford a horse and should not be a horse owner. See Humane Horse Disposal Options for information in your state.