The Unwanted Horse Coalition’s (UHC) Operation Gelding program continues into the new year with three more clinics on the schedule for March 2012. The UHC’s Operation Gelding program has aided in gelding 359 stallions to date.
The program, which was first launched in late August 2010, is able to continue aiding in the castration of stallions thanks to the support and seed money provided by the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation (AAEP).
Operation Gelding is designed to offer funding assistance to organizations, associations, and events that wish to conduct a public gelding clinic under the name and guidelines of Operation Gelding. An organization that has completed an Operation Gelding clinic will receive funding of $50 per horse, $1,000 maximum, to aid in the costs associated with the clinic.
The Operation Gelding program is in its second year, with seven clinics already completed since September 2011. Clinics have been held in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Texas, and Washington
Ericka Caslin, UHC Director, said “We are excited to be able to continue this important nationwide program, thanks to the generosity of the AAEP. The UHC continues to seek public support, via tax-deductible donations, to extend the program year round. Each generous donation of $50 goes entirely toward funding the gelding of a stallion. We hope to gain assistance from the equine industry in order to offer more grant money for Operation Gelding clinics, to help tackle the problem of indiscriminate breeding.”
Currently there are six more Operation Gelding clinics on the calendar. Upcoming clinics will be held in Florida, Kansas, Iowa and Texas.
For more information on Operation Gelding, how to conduct a clinic, the schedule and location of Operation Gelding clinics, or how you can help continue this program, please contact Ericka Caslin, UHC director, at ecaslin@horsecouncil.org or 202-296-4031.
In addition, the coalition also focuses on informing and educating struggling horse owners about facilities, programs and second uses for their equines with a series of questions that owners should consider.
“These questions will help owners know what options are available and what to look for in a facility. This is a difficult decision for many owners to make and we want to help them make the best one for their horse. There are plenty of horses that need care, training, and a good home. We want horse owners to be aware of the large rescue/ retirement facilities with multiple locations as well as the smaller facilities that may serve a local area. They all have an important place in this effort,” said Caslin.
For a direct link to the UHC’s Facilities That Accept Horses, please visit: http://www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org/?id=7&s=4 . For information about the UHC and its efforts please contact Ericka Caslin at ecaslin@horsecouncil.org or 2022964031.
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