Panhandle Wildfire Relief Resources

Are you looking to help the residents of the Texas Panhandle who sustained losses due to recent wildfires?
Please visit this page for livestock supply points and information on how to make a monetary donation. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service thanks you for your support of Texans.

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Texas 4-H Homes for Horses Project

Type
Project
College student leading a horse through a field

Overview

Texas 4-H Homes for Horses connects 4-H youth with the opportunity to work towards solving the at-risk horse problem through education, outreach and adoption.

Contact

Dr. Chelsie Huseman
Assistant Professor and AgriLife Extension Horse Specialist

Texas continues to have the highest number of horses (approximately 767,100) in the United States according to the American Horse Council’s (AHC) 2017 economic impact study. This coupled with the population of at-risk horses, sometimes referred to as “unwanted” horses, puts Texas in a unique position to develop more opportunities and programs to mitigate the abuse, neglect, and abandonment of our beloved equine partner.

Texas 4-H youth are keenly aware of the issues surrounding the substantial increase in the number of horses needing new homes and new purpose. They struggle to find opportunities that are meaningful and impactful in making a real difference in an industry they are so passionate about. By facilitating alternatives for horses through innovative program goals, we can work towards solving a long overdue problem, one horse and one kid at a time.

Program Details

The Texas 4-H Homes for Horses program is uniquely designed to connect 4-H youth with horses in need of additional training and attention to prepare them for adoption. A close working partnership with The Right Horse Initiative, a group strongly committed to improving equine welfare through increasing adoption, has been established to help identify equine adoption partners that can effectively serve this program by procuring suitable equine partners for the youth.

To participate, youth will undergo an application process and eligibility requirements include being at least 13 years old and being an active Texas 4-H member that has participated or is enrolled in a Texas 4-H horse educational event and/or contest.

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