The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) and the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) are joining forces in 2013 to help unwanted horses and equine care facilities.
Trail rides to benefit unwanted horses
The UHC website has a list of facilities that accept horses, additional assistance for horse owners in need, free downloadable materials about unwanted horses, and information about owning responsibly.
In 2013, ACTHA and the UHC will orchestrate a dedicated effort to host as many competitive trail rides as possible for the benefit of the unwanted horse and our nation’s equine care facilities. ACTHA will donate funds raised from each ride hosted this year to the UHC and the local nonprofit equine rescue or care facility.
The UHC and ACTHA will be looking for equine rescues and care facilities to get involved with this effort. Currently there are over 700 equine care facilities listed on the UHC’s website. “ACTHA and the UHC would love to include each one of the rescues listed in this yearlong effort,” said Tom Scrima, Managing Member of ACTHA.
ACTHA rides are casual, judged trail rides that are untimed and 6-8 miles long. There are open, junior, and pleasure divisions and horses and riders can win ribbons and prizes. The rides are designed so that any skill of horse/rider combination can compete. Non competing horses and riders are also welcome at ACTHA rides.
“We are pleased to partner with ACTHA, an organization that has held hundreds of rides to benefit unwanted horses. The natural result of ACTHA’s large number of rides is that there is an opportunity for more jobs for more horses and many unwanted horses are provided with the chance of a second career.
Our organizations’ missions are similar and we look forward to working with ACTHA to assist our nation’s equine care facilities, while helping horses in need,” said Ericka Caslin, UHC Director.
"The next 12 months present an amazing opportunity to help hundreds of horse rescues. ACTHA is honored to work with the UHC to help unwanted horses," said Scrima.
Anyone that is interested in participating in this effort as a volunteer, sponsor, rider, etc. can contact American Competitive Trail Horse Association or the Unwanted Horse Coaltion.
You may also contact Tom Scrima at 830-693-2065 or tom@actha.us
The UHC is a broad alliance of equine organizations that have joined together under the umbrella of the American Horse Council. The Coalition’s mission is to reduce the number of unwanted horses and to improve their welfare through education and the efforts of organizations committed to the health, safety, and responsible care and disposition of these horses.
The UHC website has a list of facilities that accept horses, additional assistance for horse owners in need, free downloadable materials about unwanted horses, and information about owning responsibly.
The Unwanted Horse Coalition
The mission of the Unwanted Horse Coalition is to reduce the number of unwanted horses and improve their welfare through education and the efforts of organizations committed to the health, safety and responsible care and disposition of these horses. The UHC grew out of the Unwanted Horse Summit, which was organized by the American Association of Equine Practitioners and held in conjunction with the American Horse Council’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in April 2005.
The summit was held to bring key stakeholders together to start a dialogue on the unwanted horse in America. Its purpose was to develop consensus on the most effective way to work together to address the issue. In June 2006, the UHC was folded into the AHC and now operates under its auspices.