The theme for the American Horse Council’s (AHC) National Issues Forum is “A Healthy Horse, A Healthy Industry.” This year’s forum will be held on June 18 in Washington, D.C. during the AHC’s annual convention, which will run from June 16 to 19 at the Washington Court Hotel.

In addition to reports on the progress of the National Equine Health Plan and the AHC’s Marketing Consortium to reinvigorate the horse industry, the forum will feature a panel on the future of the industry featuring four women who are leading national organizations this year and a presentation on how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare,” could affect the horse industry.

“Women have always been leaders in the horse industry," noted Jay Hickey, AHC president. “But this year we have four outstanding women leading major national organizations. We thought it would be interesting to get their perspective on the future of various sectors in the industry.”

Scheduled to speak are Johne Dobbs, president of the American Quarter Horse Association; Ann Dwyer, DVM, president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners; Cynthia Richardson, president of the Arabian Horse Association; and Chrystine Tauber, president of the United States Equestrian Federation