e-HAHS, the electronic newsletter of the Hooved Animal Humane Society December 1, 2005 Volume 4, Issue 12

**In the News: Unwanted Horse Coalition
**Events: December Volunteer Days
**Animal of the Month: Amy and Chelsea
**Horse Health: Shelter for horses
**How to Help: HAHS’ Year-end Fundraiser
**Links: Horse shelter info and building plans
**FAQ: Is there anything you can do about horses standing out in the cold?

***********************

**In the News: Unwanted Horse Coalition

Following the nation’s first-ever Unwanted Horse Summit in Washington , D.C. , on April 19, a national steering committee has been named to perform the organizational work necessary to keep the project moving forward. The following representatives were selected to serve on the steering committee:

Dr. Tom Lenz, American Association of Equine Practitioners (Chair) Dr. Andrew Lang, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Vice-chair) Remi Bellocq, National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association Dr. Jim Cook, American Veterinary Medical Association Dr. Lydia Gray, Hooved Animal Humane Society Pennell Hopkins, Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Herb Moelis, Thoroughbred Charities of America Ward Stutz, American Quarter Horse Association Russell Williams, U.S. Trotting Association

The newly formed Steering Committee will operate on an interim basis until a final organizational structure is adopted. Steering Committee duties include proposing one or more organizational structures for continuation of the initiative, developing a definition of the unwanted horse and a mission statement for the initiative, and preparing an agenda for the next face-to-face meeting of the entire committee.

***********************

**Events: December Volunteer Days

Volunteer Information Session. Saturday, December 17, 2005 , from 10:00 am to 11:00 am . Anyone interested in becoming a HAHS volunteer must attend one of these informational sessions, held once each month throughout the year. For more information, visit www.hahs.org/help/volunteer.htm

Volunteer Work Day. Saturday, December 17, 2005, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Current HAHS volunteers should contact Linda our Volunteer Coordinator to let her know you would like to come out this day and help where needed: 847-549-6877 or wildfilly@prodigy.net

***********************

**Animal of the Month: Amy and Chelsea

This past June, we assisted the Illinois Department of Agriculture in the impoundment of a herd of horses in LaSalle County , which included two foals. During the herd’s rehabilitation on our farm, our interns decided to name them after president’s wives and daughters, so we now have a Hillary and her baby Chelsea, a Rosalynn and her baby Amy, plus a two-year-old filly named Jackie O.

We had to wean the foals a little earlier than we wanted because both mothers were already emaciated and continuing to lose weight by producing milk. But that just gave us a head start on gentling the fillies. At almost six months of age, the two are broke to lead, have had their feet trimmed, and are on a deworming and vaccination schedule.

For information on adopting either of these weanlings, please contact the HAHS Office at 815-337-5563 or info@hahs.org. Check out their pictures on our website at www.hahs.org.

***********************

**Horse Health: Shelter for horses

A three-sided, roofed shelter is a good choice for shelter because it offers the horse protection from the fiercest of weather. While the main goal in the summer is to provide shade, wintertime can throw a number of weather challenges:

**Dry and Windy

In extreme winds, a three-sided shelter is a good choice, especially if the back wall faces the prevailing wind. If winds are a problem in your area, another option is to have the walls arranged around a center post like wheel spokes. That gives the horse options for choosing the best spot to stay out of the wind.

 

**Rainy and Windy

Horses can tolerate rain fairly well, but very cold rain driven by wind batters the horse’s defenses against it. The three-sided shelter works well for rainy/windy days, but, again, have the back wall facing the prevailing wind. Build your shelter in a well-drained location, and design the roof so water will run off away from the entrance. Horses tracking in and out of the shelter will already make the entrance muddy and slippery, so try to keep additional water away. Grading the floor is another technique to keeping the mud quota down.

**Cold and Snowy

Although horses do well in cold temperatures, extreme snowy/cold days can be rough. The three-sided shelter protects against these temperature drops as well, but be sure that the roof is solid and slanted to shrug the snow away from the entrance rather than collapse on top of your unsuspecting horse. On extra cold days, you can partially enclose the fourth side, but be sure to leave an entrance wide enough for two horses to move through. You can also bed it down with straw to make it extra cozy.

********************

**How to Help: HAHS’ Year-end Fundraiser

The HAHS’ direct mailer will be arriving in members’ mailboxes in late November. Please give generously so that we can continue to take in horses like the Amy and Chelsea and provide the handling and care they need to get adopted to new homes. If you do not currently receive our mailings, please contact the office at 815-337-5563 or info@hahs.org

********************

**Links: Horse shelter info and building plans. To learn more about shelter for horses and to see some pictures of different types of shelters (including building plans!) visit http://www.frontrangefrenzy.com/horse-information/horse-space-and-shelter.html

*********************

**FAQ: Is there anything you can do about horses standing out in the cold?

Answer: According to the Illinois Humane Care for Animals Act “each owner shall provide for each of his animals adequate shelter and protection from the weather.” However, unless it can be clearly demonstrated that inadequate shelter and protection from the weather is having a harmful effect upon a horse (weight loss in the winter or heat stroke in the summer), this law is difficult to enforce. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, “shelter and protection from the weather” does not necessarily have to be a man-made structure such as a barn. Anything that serves as a windbreak in the winter—such as a line of trees, a gully or even one side of a barn—is acceptable. If you see horses in winter in a confined area such as a round pen or paddock with no windbreak, please contact us and we will do our best to work with the owners to provide the horses with at least some protection.