Many of us will remember the story of the Good Samaritan from the gospel of Luke, when the lawyer asked Jesus to define “who is my neighbor?” This question was asked because the lawyer didn’t want to have to go out of his way to help someone that he didn’t have to help. He wanted to focus his attentions close to home and hearth. The moral of the story was that anyone you find with need is your neighbor and deserves your attention.

I just returned from the American Horse Council meeting in Washington, D.C. (see article on page 67). For those who are not familiar with the American Horse Council, it is a lobbying arm of the equine industry established to watch for legislation that might have an impact on the horse industry, inform equine organizations and the horse-owning public of the concerns, and work with the legislature to ensure that the members of Congress don’t forget their horse-owning constituents. The American Horse Council also keeps tabs on national and international regulations that directly affect, or might impact, the horse industry.

There are local and state issues that affect many horse owners. Currently there are 32 states with active horse councils, whose missions are to protect and promote equines in their individual states, and provide a grassroots support for efforts on the national level.

So what does the parable of the Good Samaritan have to do with Washington, D.C