Lessons Learned about Equine Welfare

There are no easy answers regarding equine welfare. One vet shares what he’s learned from being involved in the issue.
Share
Favorite
Close

No account yet? Register

ADVERTISEMENT

It's a statement that Tom Lenz, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACT, has said before, and it's one he'll say again: "The more you know about unwanted horses, the more complicated the issue becomes."

That sentiment rings true for equine welfare in general, something Lenz said the public began taking interest in back in the early 2000s, when they learned that American processing plants were slaughtering so-called unwanted horses for human consumption in foreign countries. Following public outcry, U.S. horse processing was eventually shuttered.

But the public's interest in horse welfare didn't stop there. In fact, it's continued through to the present day and will likely remain in the future. So what have we learned about equine welfare since the issue first gained national attention? Lenz, senior director of equine veterinary services for Zoetis and former chairman of the Unwanted Horse Council, shared his thoughts on the lessons learned during a University of Kentucky Department of Veterinary Science Equine Diagnostic and Research Seminar.

Important Points to Remember

Before one can fully understand the equine welfare issues currently facing the horse industry, there are a few important points to remember. Tom Lenz, DVM, MS, Dipl

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.

Share

Written by:

Erica Larson, former news editor for The Horse, holds a degree in journalism with an external specialty in equine science from Michigan State University in East Lansing. A Massachusetts native, she grew up in the saddle and has dabbled in a variety of disciplines including foxhunting, saddle seat, and mounted games. Currently, Erica competes in eventing with her OTTB, Dorado.

Related Articles

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

How much time do you usually spend grooming your horse?
439 votes · 439 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

Sign In

Don’t have an account? Register for a FREE account here.

Need to update your account?

You need to be logged in to fill out this form

Create a free account with TheHorse.com!