Andrea de Carlo
Horse working at summer camp
Attending horse camp promotes independence while the child learns responsibility and cooperation.
As the spring days grow longer the promise of a fun-filled summer begins to blossom as parents start their search for the perfect camp.
Each summer thousands of kids head off to beautiful countryside summer camps where they will be offered a variety of activities that challenge them to reach their full potential as individuals. Days are filled with every imaginable arts, sports, and adventure activities. Many camps feature an exciting opportunity to enjoy nature and experience the powerful gift of horses.
THE CAMP HORSE
Much like the story of Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, horses have a long history of being bought and sold, to good homes and bad, ending their journey at horse camp
At kids’ summer camps, most horses are well fed, groomed, trained, loved and adored for an entire summer by children who are bequeathed an incredible gift ─ that of self-discovery, personal responsibility, nurturing relationships, and self-confidence.
Summer camp horses are often older horses who have been passed around from owner to owner throughout their lives. Steady, bombproof and loyal, these horses are a great way to introduce children to the world of equestrian sports. Yet at the same time, camp is their only hope of having a home, if only for the summer.
Once camp ends children tearfully leave behind their equine friends as they return to their parents’ arms, telling Mom and Dad all about their exciting experiences and how that one special horse changed them forever.
For many horses, camp is the final curtain call. Leased by the camps for just the summer, they will return to the brokers they came from and will be sent to auction. If no one buys them, they most likely will be bought by the many kill buyers waiting to make a profit and send them to slaughter.
Andrea de Carlo
Horse working at summer camp
Participating in a horse camp is a great way to build a childs self-confidence and help a child develop good decision making skills.
A HORSE’S LIFE
To understand the fate of these horses after camp is over, you have to understand the life cycle of a horse.
Rarely does a horse have just one owner. With good care, a horse can live 30-plus years. Within their lifetime, they can experience being companion animals, farm workers, and sport horses. Some horses may become three-day-eventers and compete all over the world. Some may become racehorses and run in the Kentucky Derby. Some horses may become show jumpers and go wherever the sport takes them. Or some horses may become a nice riding horse for a young child somewhere.
Horses are amazing athletes and wonderful companions, but are a significant investment of both time and money. Unfortunately, some horses have career-ending injuries while others simply grow old and eventually are no longer useful to their owners. Rising costs and overbreeding contribute to the current state of an estimated 160,000 unwanted horses in the United States.
Andrea de Carlo
Horse working at summer camp
Fun activities like painting strengthen the bond between horses and kids
LAST CHANCE
Most horses who end up at auction have simply outlived a human purpose. Whether it is due to age, sickness or injury, when they stop making money or become a financial burden they become a liability. It is during this precarious time that their owners are either unwilling or unable to own up to the financial responsibilities of horse ownership.
When a horse ends up at auction it is often his last chance to find a forever home. The reality is that camp horses routinely end up in the hands of horse brokers and land at public auction where they may be purchased by kill buyers or agents for the foreign-owned horse slaughterhouses. Some camp organizations unknowingly buy into a broker’s tale of a loving home after summer camp is over. However, even the auction houses now advertise the end of summer “camp sale.”
Not all of the horses brought to auction are from summer camps. Brokers travel throughout the area responding to Craigslist advertisements for free horses, visiting riding stables and individuals who have an immediate need to rid themselves of the responsibility of owning a horse.
At auction, horses are purchased by individuals, rescue organizations and kill buyers waiting to make a profit. Some will be saved, but for most horses, public auctions are a funnel system to slaughter. In 2013, more than 140,000 horses were shipped to Canada and Mexico for slaughter.
Andrea de Carlo
Horses working at summer camp
At Manito Equestrian Center in Allentown, Pa horses are part of their year-round herd and summer camp program where kids learn the value of horsemanship through experiential learning.
THE SLAUGHTER PIPELINE
Each year thousands of American horses are purchased (or stolen) from unsuspecting owners and sent to a terrifying death at a slaughterhouse. Horses bound for slaughter are often viewed as less viable working animals. Yet, the USDA reported that more than 92 percent of horses slaughtered are in good condition and considered to be usable riding horses. Many are former racehorses, pleasure horses, show horses or backyard pets.
Horse dealers routinely tell those unsuspecting owners that their horse will have a wonderful home with green pastures and loving new owners. Lesson stables and riding camps tell naive students and boarders that the unsound lesson or camp horse is on his way to a retirement farm, when in reality the horse has embarked on his last ride.
CHANGING FATE
Ignorance is not bliss. Changing a horse’s fate can be as simple as becoming part of the solution. Asking questions and choosing to support programs that are ensuring safe homes for horses after camp is over can make a big difference.
Many organizations and equestrian camps keep their herd of horses year-round and/or return them to responsible owners with whom they have built long-term relationships. Others may think they are dealing with reputable brokers but are unaware of the grim fate that befalls their summer herd or will continue to pass down the song and pony dance just to make you feel better.
Any reputable camp will share with you the individuals they deal with if they lease their horses. A quick google search can usually flag down the dishonest brokers. A call to local horse rescues, who are familiar with many of the brokers throughout the United States, can be helpful in verifying the reputation of these individuals.
BREAKING THE CYCLE
Only a horse's owner can ensure that their horse is well treated and does not fall into bad hands or end up at a horse slaughterhouse.
Responsible rehoming can break the cycle for many horses. Individuals can rehome their horse with a no-slaughter/no auction contract even if selling to a friend. Where a horse falls through the cracks is when, years later, the horse is sold again, long after the original owner thought she/he had found a safe and secure home.
A SAFE FUTURE
There has been an increasing awareness of microchipping in the horse community, and a number of entities and breed associations now require it. Unlike brands and tattoos, microchips cannot be altered, deleted or removed without notable scarring and damage.
The Equine Rescue Network (ERN) has implemented a growing nationwide network of over 215,000 individuals and volunteers who now scan horses at auctions and kill pens. If a slaughter-bound horse is found with a microchip or tattoo, ERN is able to notify previous owners. Adding the microchip number to a sale contract can also encourage new owners to adhere to the contract they signed.
Horse owners, riders, parents and individuals who just love horses need to open themselves to the reality of the chain reaction that leads to the slaughter of America’s horses. Microchip your horse, donate a couple bucks to your local rescue, write your state representatives and support the causes that land your way. You can make a difference and the wave of change will follow.
Carolyn Crew is the editor of Holistic Horse Magazine. She has over 20 years of sales, marketing and design experience ranging from television, print, web and interior design. She is a Parelli level 3 student and hopes to educate more readers about the horse-human relationship and the spiritual, mental and emotional sides of their horses.