The U.S. Equestrian Federation announced a call to action on March 8 for donations to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fun following the storms in the southeast United States.

The tornadoes left a wake of splintered wood, shattered glass, downed power lines, despair and shock for residents. As if that weren’t enough, one of the region’s heaviest snowfalls of the year came on Sunday night and further hindered an already difficult recovery process. For some affected residents the physical and monetary burdens of recovery are intensified by the need to care for their horse or horses.

These storms struck the heart of horse country and have made the cost of relocating, feeding and caring for horses overwhelming. The USEF uses the Equine Disaster Relief fund to help make sure horses are not overlooked, forgotten or abandoned and to relieve the burden of affected horse owners and caretakers in times of crisis.

The USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund was formed during the aftermath of hurricanes Rita and Katrina to ensure the safety and wellbeing of horses during trying times.

“It is important to understand this fund is a dollar in and a dollar out,” said USEF CEO John Long. “Nothing is withheld.” Money donated to the fund is held by the USEF in an account restricted for this purpose. 

Donations may be made online at www.usef.org by going to https://www.usef.org/_AUAIFrames/DisasterRelief/DisasterRelief.aspx.

To contribute by check, please make it out to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund and mail it to: The United States Equestrian Federation, 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511.