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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2017; 7(7); 53; doi: 10.3390/ani7070053

Estimating the Availability of Potential Homes for Unwanted Horses in the United States.

Abstract: There are approximately 200,000 unwanted horses annually in the United States. This study aimed to better understand the potential homes for horses that need to be re-homed. Using an independent survey company through an Omnibus telephone (land and cell) survey, we interviewed a nationally projectable sample of 3036 adults (using both landline and cellular phone numbers) to learn of their interest and capacity to adopt a horse. Potential adopters with interest in horses with medical and/or behavioral problems and self-assessed perceived capacity to adopt, constituted 0.92% of the total sample. Extrapolating the results of this survey using U.S. Census data, suggests there could be an estimated 1.25 million households who have both the self-reported and perceived resources and desire to house an unwanted horse. This number exceeds the estimated number of unwanted horses living each year in the United States. This study points to opportunities and need to increase communication and support between individuals and organizations that have unwanted horses to facilitate re-homing with people in their community willing to adopt them.
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Publication Date: 2017-07-20 PubMed ID: 28726730PubMed Central: PMC5532568DOI: 10.3390/ani7070053Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study seeks to estimate the potential homes in the U.S. for approximately 200,000 unwanted horses annually, based on a sample of 3036 adult respondents. The results suggest that as many as 1.25 million households may have the interest, self-reported capacity, and perceived resources needed to adopt an unwanted horse, which outnumbers the estimated annual count of unwanted horses.

Methodology

  • An independent survey company was used to conduct an Omnibus phone survey featuring both landlines and cell phones.
  • The sample was composed of 3036 adults and was designed to be nationally representative.
  • The survey aimed to understand people’s interest in adopting a horse and their perceived capacity to do so, including managing any medical or behavioral problems the horse might present.

Results

  • From the total sample, 0.92% of respondents demostrated interest in adopting horses, including those with medical or behavioral issues, and self-assessed their capability to adopt a horse.
  • Utilizing U.S. Census data for extrapolation, this percentage transposes to an estimated 1.25 million households across the United States.

Implications

  • The number of potential homes significantly surpasses the estimated number of unwanted horses in the U.S. each year. This shows an opportunity to facilitate the re-homing of these horses.
  • Greater communication and support between individuals and organizations that handle unwanted horses could be beneficial in making these possible adoptions come to pass.
  • Communities may hold the key to addressing the unwanted horse dilemma, bridging gaps between unwanted horses and potential adopters.

Cite This Article

APA
Weiss E, Dolan ED, Mohan-Gibbons H, Gramann S, Slater MR. (2017). Estimating the Availability of Potential Homes for Unwanted Horses in the United States. Animals (Basel), 7(7), 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7070053

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 7
Issue: 7
PII: 53

Researcher Affiliations

Weiss, Emily
  • Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA ®), New York, NY 10128, USA. Emily.weiss@aspca.org.
Dolan, Emily D
  • Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA ®), New York, NY 10128, USA. emily.dolan@aspca.org.
Mohan-Gibbons, Heather
  • Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA ®), New York, NY 10128, USA. heather.mohan-gibbons@aspca.org.
Gramann, Shannon
  • Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA ®), New York, NY 10128, USA. shannon.gramann@aspca.org.
Slater, Margaret R
  • Research and Development, Community Outreach, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA ®), New York, NY 10128, USA. margaret.slater@aspca.org.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Fenner K, Matlock S, Williams J, Wilson B, McLean A, Serpell J, McGreevy P. Validation of the Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ): A New Survey Instrument for Exploring and Monitoring the Domestic Equine Triad. Animals (Basel) 2020 Oct 28;10(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10111982pubmed: 33126670google scholar: lookup
  2. Knox AL, Fenner K, Zsoldos RR, Wilson B, McGreevy P. Owner-Observed Behavioral Characteristics in Off-the-Track Thoroughbreds (OTTTBs) in Equestrian Second Careers. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jul 11;15(14).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15142046pubmed: 40723508google scholar: lookup
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