Search Site   
News Stories at a Glance
Deere 4440 cab tractor racked up $18,000 at farm retirement auction
Indiana legislature passes bills for ag land purchases, broadband grants
Make spring planting safety plans early to avoid injuries
Michigan soybean grower visits Dubai to showcase U.S. products
Scientists are interested in eclipse effects on crops and livestock
U.S. retail meat demand for pork and beef both decreased in 2023
Iowa one of the few states to see farms increase in 2022 Ag Census
Trade, E15, GREET, tax credits the talk at Commodity Classic
Ohioan travels to Malta as part of US Grains Council trade mission
FFA members learn about Australian culture, agriculture during trip
Timing of Dicamba ruling may cause issues for 2024 planting
   
Archive
Search Archive  
   
Horse Council supports new Kentucky livestock care bills

By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

LEXINGTON, Ky. — It has been a busy year from an agricultural standpoint in this year’s General Assembly with many organizations voicing opinions on respective bills.

The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) is one such group that has kept abreast of issues connected to their cause and in the 2010 session more than a dozen separate bills were filed that related in one way or another to the state’s equine industry.

Two of the more visible bills included Senate Bill 105 that creates a 14-member Kentucky Livestock Care Standards Commission (KLCSC), which will serve as an advisory board in overseeing rules related to the treatment of animals and poultry on the farm and House Bill 398 that would establish the Kentucky Equine Health and Welfare Board to maintain the health, welfare, and safety of equines throughout the state.

The KHC supported both bills. SB 105 passed both chambers and will go to a conference committee this week to iron out the different versions. The committee will also add the entire contents of the bill to HB 398 as extra insurance to put the bill in a good position to become law.

Essie Rogers, director of education with the KHC said that organization was pleased with both bills and that it makes sense that a livestock care standards commission and an equine health and welfare board would go together.

“We’re very happy to see these two bills combined. We have supported SB 105 and HB 398,” she said. “We think that it is a natural fit.”

While tracking legislation is important to the organization, which is the official affiliate of the American Horse Council, located in Washington, D.C., because of its non-profit status, it is limited in terms of lobbying. Instead, education aimed at protecting and developing the equine community is at the root of what the group provides according to Rogers.

In 2008 the Council began to offer equine training to animal control and peace officers throughout the state. After a year and a half, through a partnership with the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Assoc., the training was expanded to include other species of livestock and develop a second level training. The KHC now teaches livestock investigation training to officials and has gotten support from other groups such as the Kentucky Pork Producers, the Kentucky Soybean Assoc., Kentucky Animal Control Assoc. and the Kentucky Veterinarian Medical Assoc. for these trainings.

“These are one-of-a-kind trainings. Nobody else in the country is doing what we are doing here,” said Rogers. “These are three-day, intense, hands-on trainings where animal control officers learn how to approach and handle livestock and learn how to recognize industry standards for different species.”

The KHC developed an educational document to help officials and while it is not set in statute, it can be used as a guideline and tool for officers to use when going out on cases.

“Under Kentucky law, an owner must provide adequate feed, space, drink and health care for their animals. The problem we saw right away when we started doing this was everyone’s definition of ‘adequate’ was different,” said Rogers. “Certainly some of the dog laws have addressed adequate, but it has not been addressed for livestock.”

She also said that SB 105 would speak to this issue. “It would give enforcement officials the tools they need to recognize appropriate and adequate care or does this fall below the line. This, for the first time would define ‘adequate by species’ for livestock.”

The horse capital

Kentucky is widely known as the “Horse Capital of the World” and certainly the eyes of the world will be focused on the state in September when the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games come to the Kentucky Horse Park.

With that in mind, it is unfortunate when cases of equine abuse and neglect surface. In 2007 and 2008, the state went through drought conditions that prevented many farmers from producing enough hay to feed their animals through the winter months. The result was an overrun of animals being brought to rescue facilities and many cases of neglect.

Since then, the economic downturn has added to the problem. “We saw more actual neglect cases over the summer of 2009 than the winter of 2009, interesting enough,” said Rogers. “The economy certainly has been very tough on folks and there is always a certain percentage of people who, regardless of conditions will struggle to maintain their animals. So the rescue facilities that we work with are still recording overwhelming numbers of surrenders. People are losing their jobs and having to make tough decisions about what to do with their horses.”

Regardless of whether times are good or not, the KHC works to keep the equine community safe and teach those involved best practices when it comes to their animals.

For more information about the KHC, visit their website at www.kentuckyhorse.org The site contains a large amount of equine-related information including current news about equine issues, a horse trail directory and information about owner education.

3/31/2010