WASHINGTON, DC – December 6, 2011 – The Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) is pleased to welcome the KentuckyEquineHumaneCenter (KyEHC) and New Vocations as the newest members of the Coalition. With the limited capacity of our nation’s equine care facilities and the number of unwanted horses still on the rise, the UHC looks forward to gaining the knowledge of these two well-established rescue and adoption centers and working towards finding viable solutions.

The KyEHC provides humane treatment and shelter while working as a clearinghouse to seek adoptive homes for all of Kentucky’s unwanted horses, regardless of breed. Under the direction of Tanya Stalion, the KyEHC works toward educating the public and creating awareness for responsible ownership so that fewer horses end up in crisis. Like the UHC, the KyEHC works with and serves as a model for organizations with the same mission, to help our nation’s unwanted horses.

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program was founded in 1992 to offer retiring racehorses a safe-haven, rehabilitation, and continued education through placement in experienced, caring homes. New Vocations provides a safety net for our country’s unwanted horses, matching them with qualified individuals and following up on their rehabilitation and training to ensure a successful transition. Additionally, the Program acts as an outreach to disadvantaged youth. Over 3,000 retiring Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds have been placed in qualified homes since New Vocations opened its doors. New Vocations has locations in Dayton, Ohio; Marysville, Ohio; Danville, Indiana; Lexington, Kentucky; Manchester, Michigan; Reinholds, Pennsylvania; and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Unwanted Horse Coalition 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.  

“We look forward to gaining the knowledge, expertise, and experience of these two well-respected and established facilities. With the help of KyEHC and New Vocations, we will be able to work towards helping even more horses in need,” said Ericka Caslin, director of the UHC. 

For questions and to learn more about the UHC please contact Ericka Caslin at ecaslin@horsecouncil.org or visit the UHC website at www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org.

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.