Check out this great idea: Gelding Clinics to be held to reduce the number of stallions out there. I know that many people want to point fingers at the ‘big breeders’ but there is also truth in the fact that there are large groups of mixed horses out there in pastures. Mare, foals, stallions etc all living unattended in pasture. Many of the rescues that happen have stallions that are mixed in with the herd. These clinics sound like a great idea to me.
Here is the spring schedule in California:
- March 21 – Salinas, CA
- March 22 – King City, CA
- March 23 – Lodi, CA
- March 24 – Auburn, CA
- March 26 – Woodland, CA
- March 28 – Cottonwood, CA
- April 7&8 – Oakdale, CA
- April 15 – Ramona, CA
We have additional clinics in the works. Our goals are to assist economically challenged horse owners to castrate their colts/stallions AND to help reduce the future (over)supply of horses. Interested parties can contact us at nationalequine@gmail.com
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New gelding clinics scheduled:
August 29 – North Highlands, CA
August 30 – North Highlands, CA
August 31 – Placerville, CA
September 8 – Grapeview, WA
September 9 – Poulsbo, WA
Anyone interested in participating can contact us at nationalequine@gmail.com
Shirley Puga
Executive Director
NATIONAL EQUINE RESOURCE NETWORK
http://stablewomangazette.com/articles/nern-and-r-vets-join-forces-to-create-100-new-geldings-in-8-days/index.html
Stacy,
A quick follow up to let you know that our 8-day gelding clinic series (March 21-28), done in collaboration with R-VETS, was able to castrate 100 colts/stallions. Photos and details are posted on our FaceBook page at http://www.facebook.com/national.equine
We have additional one-day clinics coming up, as follows:
April 7 – Oakdale, CA
April 15 – Ramona, CA
April 21 – Bishop, CA
April 28 – Oakdale, CA
Anyone interested in participating can contact us at nationalequine@gmail.com
Shirley Puga
Executive Director
NATIONAL EQUINE RESOURCE NETWORK
Get real people. Banning the Slaughter Houses has all but ruined the Horse Industry. People are left with no way out of the financial burden of horse ownership once the animal has become disabled. Regulations say you cannot bury a horse on your own property . . . so, what are people suppose to do with them? Every Rescue Organization you call is FULL, every Foster Home is FULL . . . can you not see the writing on the wall? How do the horses fend in the wild when a cougar runs one down for the dinner kill; do you think that being eaten alive is a fast death? It’s a natural food chain. Horses aren’t going to the slaughter houses for our dinner-table. If the meat goes overseas, who cares; if it goes for dog food, so what . . . it’s a food chain! Our Government does not support our horse fancy interests; it is up to each individual owner. With the economy the way it is, why should I be expected to spend what money I have to support my horse, when I need to feed myself? I don’t hear the same outcry for Cattle, Chickens, Pigs, Sheep, etc.; they are used as companion pets as well as any horse; but, reality is reality. The U.S. does not have to slaughter horses for human consumption; slaughter for carnivorous animal diets or dog and cat food! There are far too many horses and not enough individual incomes to cover them and certainly no Grants. You cannot give a horse away these days; come-on get real people!!! Ban together and offer suggestions for a better way to get rid of the unwanted horses, if there is one; but, for right now, the Slaughter Houses are all we got.
Despite the fact that horse meat is not widely consumed in Canada, over 90,000 horses a year are slaughtered for food there. Its high-protein, low-fat meat is still consumed in many parts of the world, including Italy, Japan and Brazil. The taboo of eating horse meat persists in most of North America, however, and the Canadian horse meat industry remains controversial. If horse meat isn’t your thing, perhaps you would like camel (Egypt), whales (Norway) or monkeys (sub-Saharan Africa).
Thanks for the share, Stacy! Now if we can do some ‘re-training’ of the minds of racers & pharmaceutical labs…this is where most of the slaughter animals will be coming from for meat sales…2 yos. that don’t cut it on the track, & babes that are ‘consequences’, are like veal on the market…and that market is not waiting patiently!
There’s nothing nice about “It’s not personal, it’s business”…and isn’t that a shameful legacy of ‘intelligent’ beings?:(
WASHINGTON STATE NEEDS GUILDING CLINICS BADLY!!!! THIS PROBLEM WITH OVERBREEDING IS A PEOPLE PROBLEM, HORSES ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR IGNORANT, SELFISH, GREEDY PEOPLE!!!!! HORSES DESERVE BETTER, SLAUGHTER SHOULD NEVER BE AN OPTION FOR HORSES, ITS NEVER HUMANE AND HORSE MEAT IS TOXIC FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, AND WAS BANNED FROM BEING DOG FOOD YEARS AGO, I WONDER WHY????? NOT CLEAN ENOUGH FOR DOGS? WHY WOULD IT BE CLEAN ENOUGH FOR HUMANS?????
If we are going to make a difference in the horse population, we need to all work together. If breeders will reduce by 1% that will eliminate the 100,000 going to slaughter. If people can afford to geld, which in my opinion they should plan on before breeding, but some folks don’t seem to plan ahead. There are many good, legitimate rescues that will step up and help out. Our states need to offer help to people who have horses and livestock in times of need. We pay farmers not to grow certain crops, how about paying for some hay so people can keep their horses.
I’ve seen clinics in Georgia, Texas and Kansas also. I am encouraged by the number and breadth of innovative programs to help equines and their owners at risk because of the economy. From regional hay banks to free rescue transport programs, to online marketing of at risk horses, to retraining to chip-ins, it is amazing how many horses are being saved.
Certainly the solution starts with curbing production, and increasing gelding is one important option. Creating better breed standards and registries advocating more responsible breeding (AQHA/APHA especially) are equally important. Slaughter has for too long been an enabler of lottery style breeding, by providing a way for these breeders to cut losses on culls.
What a great opportunity for people to become part of the solution. We will spread the word. Thank you Stacy.
Jodi – for Washington State, please check out Ripleys Horse Aid Foundation. They have a gelding clinic coming up on April 1st in Kitsap County. Email w.tronstad@frontier.com for more information.
Front Range Equine Rescue in Colorado has a national program with no deadline. Simply email your receipt to them for a 30% reimbursement of your costs. There is a 50% reimbursement for euthanasia costs. There is no reason for slaughter.
Find Front Range on facebook – or simply mail receipts to PO Box 307, Larkspur, CO 80118. Every owner in every state is eligible, every day of the year.
Bless you Stacy Westfall….You get it and I thank you for that. You have the ability that most don’t and that is a celebrity status that can get things rocking and rolling in the right direction. Rock on Sista ! ! !
I truly hope many people take advantage of it. Great idea.
Any programs like this in Washington State? How cool!
Stacy,
Thank you so much for featuring our Spring Gelding Clinic series! It has been expanded a bit, and we are working to expand it even more…
Here is the current schedule:
March 21 – Salinas, CA
March 22 – King City, CA
March 23 – Lodi, CA
March 24 – Auburn, CA
March 25 – Petaluma, CA
March 26 – Woodland, CA
March 27 – Orland, CA
March 28 – Cottonwood, CA
April 7 – Oakdale, CA
April 15 – Ramona, CA
April 21 – Bishop, CA
April 28 – Oakdale, CA
Anyone interested in attending a clinic can contact us at nationalequine@gmail.com or visit our website http://www.nationalequine.org for updates on the schedule.
Shirley Puga
Executive Director
NATIONAL EQUINE RESOURCE NETWORK
What a great idea! And I have to say, its nice to see an option presented to people, rather than just seeing the same slaughters good/slaughters bad argument. Everyone has strong feelings about it, but rarely do you see a different path suggested.
There can not be too much networking and encouragement on this topic. In this country we still have a let nature be nature attitude with regard to horses and every little mediocre stud adds his two cents to the population. It is antiquated and plain ole wrong to breed at all unless it is ethically done in a well managed fashion. Bravo for promoting this Stacy!