On June 16 the American Horse Council held “The Welfare of the Horse” forum in Washington, D.C. The Forum, sponsored by Luitpold, was held as part of the AHC’s National Issues Forum and featured speakers from segments of the horse community as varied as competition, sport, work, and entertainment. Speakers and panelists discussed the many welfare and safety initiatives that various segments of the horse industry have in place or are instituting.

“The Welfare of the Horse forum created an opportunity for the industry to provide reports on the welfare and safety initiatives already in place and those that are being undertaken. It also lets the fans, the general public, the media, and elected officials know how important this is to the horse community,” said AHC’s President Jay Hickey.

The forum is available for on-demand viewing on https://www.horsetv.com/hspan_ahc1.htm. H-SPAN is a digital channel providing coverage of industry symposiums, meetings, educational presentations, and more on its equestrian television portal, HorseTV.com.

Scott Palmer, VMD, a nationally known veterinarian and past-president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, delivered the keynote address. Other featured speakers included Gary Carpenter, executive director of the American Quarter Horse Foundation, Cindy Schonholtz, president of the Animal Welfare Council, Tom Lenz, DVM, chairman of the Unwanted Horse Coalition, and Gail Golab, DVM, PhD, director, Animal Welfare Division of the American Veterinary Medical Association