Be a Voice for Horses...

From Jim: Our society has become increasingly urban and citified. If you were to ask the residents of the suburbs or cities how often they thought about equines you could expect an answer of ZERO. Horses are important to horse people. They are usually seen in movies, at theme parks, or race tracks or the occasional rodeo. They are not a part of the average person's landscape. Most folks think of them as farm or ranch animals, not pets. The idea of public horse shelters is not even considered. There's some romance about mustangs, but the level of commitment outside of horse circles is pretty low. Horses, donkeys, and mules exist is large numbers which exceed the available number of owners by a bunch-thus, unwanted animals and no social safety net. Horse ownership is a declining aspiration amongst younger folks. The more urban, the less likely. Our government has historically been anti-horse. They're classed as pets more for tax reasons than any appreciation of their nature. The BLM is iconic in representing our government's view. The recurring efforts in some states to resurrect horse slaughter simply another example. Most county animal control facilities have little or no capacity for large animals. Rescues and sanctuaries are primarily 501c3 charities. There is no governmental support-NONE. We have 75 permanent resident equines. Most would be dead now if not for the sanctuary and it's loyal and generous supporters. Society's general responsibility to care for animals in a humane manner falls on a very special few. Irresponsible owners and breeders face little or no consequences for their behavior and our beleaguered legal system is unlikely to ever step-up in a meaningful way. What this means is if you are part of the few, you have a duty to speak up. The notion that for evil to prevail only requires that good people do nothing is certainly true with this issue. There is a deadly quiet at work here and that needs to change. Raise up voice for those that have none!