Unwanted Horses

An unwanted horse is one that for whatever reason, is no longer wanted by its owner. It is a common misconception that only old or disabled horses are unwanted. However, in the current economy, many young, healthy and talented horses need to find new homes, fast. Most owners love their horses and want to find a good home for them.

On average, a horse can live for 30 years. Horses are expensive to feed and maintain and many people just no longer have the funds to care for their horse or horses. At one point this year, a local blacksmith knew of 36 horses that were free because the owners no longer wanted them. In several cases that I know of, the horse owners were losing their home and farm where they kept their horses. These horses had to find new homes very quickly. It is a heartbreaking problem in this economy.

When a horse is no longer wanted, the owner needs to find a new home for the animal. If the owner is lucky, the horse can be sold or even given away to someone that wants him and can take care of him. In some cases, it may be possible to find an equine rescue that will take the horse and re-home him. In a worse case scenario, the horse will be taken to a local auction and sold for whatever the owner can get for him. At a local auction in my area, horses commonly sell for less than $25.00 each. Some owners that are unable to find homes for their horses opted to euthanize them.

There are a lot of unwanted horses in the United States. Responsible breeding can go a long way towards reducing the number of horses in the population. There is a push in the horse industry for better education, more rescue facilities and “humane euthanasia” programs to help deal with this problem.