Welcome, Horsemen!
What
a long way we’ve come since the beginning, when we were two groups: United Horseman’s Front (UHF) and United
Organizations of the Horse (UOH). UHF
started in late 2007, when forward-thinking horsemen realized the devastation
that would follow the closure of the last domestic horse processing plants. UOH
started in late 2008 as a lobbying group, and in 2009, UHF officially became
United Horsemen.
Since
that time, we’ve fought tooth and nail against what seemed at times to be insurmountable
odds, riding on a wing and a prayer, limited funds and the faith of our
members, who have believed in us and our mission. Thank you.
Without all of you, we could not have done what we have. Many
thought that we couldn’t, but we did.
As
David stood against Goliath, so have we stood against the well-funded,
well-staffed animal rights movement (ARM).
We have proven that the might of the ARM does not make them right. We’ve brought together thousands of horse
industry professionals—trainers, breeders, ranchers, and veterinarians—in a
united voice against the bullying tactics of the ARM, and we are taking back
the reins of our industry. It’s people
like us, with centuries of combined experience and knowledge, dedication, and
passion for our lifestyles and livelihoods, that should determine the course of
the equine industry. And we are.
What’s
right for the horse industry, what’s right for horsemen, and what’s right for
horses—those are the things UH is all about.
Two issues define our mission:
animal welfare (not animal rights), and private property rights.
Since
the final domestic horse processing plants closed in 2007, approximately
600,000 horses have been shipped and processed across our borders and out of
our jurisdiction for humane treatment.
The closing of the plants combined with a recessed economy, not to
mention rising costs, made for a “perfect storm” of circumstances. What resulted was quite literally hell for
horses, with cases of neglect and abandonment skyrocketing. The following graph compares 2006 to 2010,
and demonstrates the dramatic shift in numbers of horses processed—across our
borders, out of our control.
Please see: http://www.gao.gov/assets/320/319935.pdf for more detailed information.
We
invite you to watch this video by Jeri Dobrowski. It’s lengthy, as the issue is a complicated
one, but nothing else so effectively and compellingly summarizes the
circumstances leading up to the situation we find ourselves in today.
This
brings us to today, and the amazing progress we’ve made toward real, holistic
solutions. We are perhaps most proud of the
Equine Rescue & Rejuvenation Program, which will offer a fresh and unique
strategy of dealing with unwanted horses.
As a little preview we’ll leave
you with this diagram that illustrates the dynamics of the Program. We think you’ll like what you see.
Stay
tuned, horsemen, for our next blog, which will feature our Equine R&R
Program in detail.
