What about the end?

​The Right Horse Initiative believes... "in order to massively increase horse adoption in the United States, we first need to reframe the way people think and talk about it." They have provided this glossary of definitions and explanations for common words and phrases you’ll find utilized in The Right Horse vernacular. As partners we want to encourage you to incorporate these terms into your own language and join our collaborative movement to positively reframe the conversation around equine welfare.

HUMANE TRANSITION
Humane transition is used to describe a safe change in career or ownership situation, retirement, move to a companion-only role, or even a compassionate end of life. Most horses experience multiple transitions throughout their lifetimes, therefore, it is imperative to build proactive systems that provide all horses and owners with humane transition options. ~ The Right Horse

END-OF-LIFE OPTIONS
Horse owners today frequently find themselves in a tough situation when addressing end-of-life options for their horse. In many communities, it is prohibitively costly to humanely euthanize and dispose of a deceased horse. While euthanasia decisions can be difficult or emotionally charged, it is important for any horse owner to understand when euthanasia is appropriate and where to access assistance. For more on euthanasia, please visit therighthorse.org/frequently-asked-questions. ~ The Right Horse

Some of the things that have circulated that have been wrong about The Right Horse are assumptions on time limits placed on horses. We have never felt any pressure or accountability when it comes to end of life decisions or options for our horses. We have been forced to make some hard choices, but only with the recommendation of our Vet, Board members and influential mentors and donors.

The reality is, at this point in time, there are not enough resources that are coordinated to maximize the conditions for every horse we are asked to help. I still believe the resources exist and are enough, but without open industry support and more conversation, things stay disorganized and inefficient. At the end of the day, we will not be able to make everyone happy, but we must do what we believe is in the best interest of the horse. And we have to remember we did not put the horse in this situation, we are just the facilitators for comfort. We are not the mess makers...but often the cleaning crew. It is not easy, but nothing worth really doing every is.