The United Organizations of the Horse is a newly forming lobbying group for those whose aim is to restore and maintain viability in the equine industry. Sue Wallis is a Wyoming state representative and spokesperson for the new group, "The horse industry in the United States and has been hit by kind of a – oh – triple whammy." Wallis says the bad economy, an upsurge in animal rights-driven initiatives impacting the industry, and the closing of the three remaining horse slaughter facilities in the U.S. have resulted in zero market for lower end horses, "We've taken those horses and we have turned them into very expensive liabilities with no options."
Wallis tells Brownfield she helped found the United Organizations of the Horse to provide strong leadership in the equine community at the national level where she says a void currently exists. Wallis says the future of the equine industry is at stake, "We know that in order for there to be any chance of our livelihoods, our traditions, our culture surviving, we have to find a way to communicate."
The American Horse Council has taken a neutral stand on the issue of horse slaughter. Wallis says her group will lobby to restore it. The United Organizations of the Horse has its first planning meeting in Washington, DC on June 14th.
Wallis says the organization's number one core principle is that horses be managed and cared for humanely.