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Saturday, May 25, the 145th day of 2013.
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ASPCA urges support for the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act to ban horse slaughter

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced in a new poll conducted by Lake Research Partners that 70 percent of Missouri voters are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption and that 75 percent do not want a horse slaughter plant in their community. The statewide survey reveals that Missourians overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter regardless of their political affiliation, gender, geographic location or whether they live in an urban or rural area.

In 2011, Congress chose to remove language from an appropriations bill that banned federal inspectors at horse slaughter plants in the U.S., opening the door for a return of horse slaughter on American soil, despite broad opposition to the practice. Several applications have been filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture by companies – including one in Gallatin, Mo. – that want to slaughter horses on American soil. If the application is approved, it would be the first facility in the U.S. to slaughter horses for human consumption since 2007, when the few remaining plants closed and Congress chose to suspend funding for any further horse meat inspections.

“There is broad consensus in Missouri, as there is throughout the nation, that our horses deserve more than to be shuttled off to a gruesome death and served abroad as a toxic delicacy,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations. “With 70 percent of all registered voters in the state opposed to the slaughtering of American horses, opening a horse slaughterhouse in Missouri clearly flies in the face of public opinion, and using our precious tax dollars to enable horse slaughter on U.S. soil is even more tone deaf. Enacting a ban on horse slaughter has never been more urgent.”

According to the new research, 7 in 10 Missouri registered voters are opposed to allowing American horses to be slaughtered for human consumption, with 57 percent in strong opposition to the practice. In addition, 3 in 4 Missouri voters do not want a horse slaughter plant in their community, with just 13 percent of voters supporting such a facility. Furthermore, opposition to a horse slaughtering facility extends across race, age, political affiliation, and geographic divides, with 73 percent of rural voters and 72 percent of urban voters disapproving of such a facility.

The surprising move toward a resumption of domestic horse slaughter comes in the wake of the recent scandal in the European Union, where consumers were alarmed by the discovery of horse meat mislabeled as beef in prepared food products ranging from lasagna to meatballs. Horses are routinely given medications and other substances that are toxic to humans and are expressly forbidden by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in animals intended for human consumption. In March, U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., introduced the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act (S. 541/H.R. 1094) to prevent the introduction of horse slaughter operations in the U.S., end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat.

Horse slaughter is inherently cruel and often erroneously compared to humane euthanasia. The methods used to slaughter horses rarely result in quick, painless deaths, as horses are difficult to stun and often remain conscious during their butchering and dismemberment. Whether slaughter occurs in the U.S. or abroad, these equines suffer incredible abuse even before they arrive at the slaughterhouse, often transported for more than 24 hours at a time without food, water or rest, and in dangerously overcrowded trailers where the animals are often seriously injured or even killed in transit. The majority of horses killed for human consumption are young, healthy animals who could go on to lead productive lives with loving owners. Last year, more than 160,000 American horses were sent to a cruel death by a grisly foreign industry that produces unsafe food for consumers.

To learn more about the ASPCA’s efforts to ban horse slaughter or support the SAFE Act, please visit www.aspca.org.

About the ASPCA^®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Reader’s Digest: When Animals Act Like People

April 17, 2013 – Reader’s Digest compiled a list of 12 stories that show animals at their most personal: practicing yoga, driving cars and comforting their closest friends. The stories include regular pets, such as cats and dogs, and animals as wild as a lion and marmots. Here are their stories:

· Lions Care About Their Hair – According to Peyton M. West, PhD, an evolution and animal behavior expert, female lions actively court males that are more heavily and lushly maned, especially at night, which is reserved for socializing and grooming. Of course, today such bald discrimination is frowned upon by men and women, but the big cats are content to be old-fashioned. When fights break out among members of the pride, lions with flowing tresses get preferential treatment.

· Whale Says Thanks – Each winter for nearly 20 years, Great Whale Conservancy co-director Michael Fishbach has traveled with other research scientists to the Sea of Cortez off Mexico’s west coast to study blue and humpback whales. In 2011, he and his team spotted a humpback whale trapped in a fishing net and spent an hour freeing it. Afterward, in an hour-long display of thanks, the whale swam near their boat and leaped into the air about 40 times.

· Pandas Like to Cavort – Is there anything cuter than a baby panda, except maybe a human baby? Even the word “panda” is cute. In fact, cubs sometimes behave like human babies: They sleep in the same positions and value their thumbs (pandas use theirs for holding the bamboo they munch on all day). Pandas have been known to wander inside mountain homes and get into the pots and pans. And although they grow into solitary adults who roam alone and mate just once a year, they also like to snuggle. If given the chance, they’ll sleep side by side with domestic animals.

· Bear Does Yoga – Santra, a female bear at Finland’s Ahtari Zoo, entertained visitors with a 15-minute “yoga” routine following a nap. Sitting upright, Santra used her front paws to grab her right back paw, then her left, stretching her legs as if doing a One-Legged Split. Next, she demonstrated the Open-Leg Seated Balance Pose with near-perfect form, pulling up both hind legs while keeping her balance.

· Horses Are Picky Eaters – Horses have an even keener sense of taste and smell than humans do, say equine scientists. When horses wrinkle their noses and flare their nostrils, they’re activating their vomeronasal organ, which allows them to sense smells we can’t detect. Horses also have taste buds on the back of their tongues and the roofs of their mouths, which might explain why they reject stale water and meticulously move around meadows, grazing on only the tastiest herbs, experts say.

· A Cat Honors Its Owner – A sprig of acacia, paper towels, and a plastic cup are just a few of the gifts that Toldo, a devoted three-year-old gray-and-white cat, has placed on his former owner Iozzelli Renzo’s grave in Montagnana, Italy, every day since the man died in September 2011. Renzo adopted Toldo from a shelter when the cat was three months old, and the two formed an inseparable bond. After Renzo passed away, Toldo followed the coffin to the cemetery, and now “stands guard” at the grave for hours at a time, says Renzo’s family.

· Pigeons Serve Their Country – Pigeons’ speed and navigational skills made them prized military messengers in World Wars I and II and the most decorated animals in military history. Thirty-two messenger pigeons have received the Dickin Medal, a British award that honors the gallantry or devotion of animals in war. At the moment, pigeons are resting on their laurels. They’ve fallen out of military favor and are no longer used — for now.

· Dogs Drive Cars – Three New Zealand dogs recently navigated a specially modified Mini Cooper around a racetrack at about 20 mph. (Engineers raised the gearshift and pedals and added handles to the steering wheel.) The stunt was an effort by the Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to show off canine intelligence and boost adoptions from animal shelters. After months of practice, Monty, a giant schnauzer, Porter, a bearded collie mix, and Ginny, a bearded collie–whippet mix, followed trainers’ commands to put the car into gear, press the accelerator, and steer with their paws. Since a video of the test drive appeared online last December, all three dogs have been adopted.

· Monkeys Do Math – If capuchins ran the world, we might have avoided the recent banking crisis. In an experiment conducted at Yale, capuchins demonstrated an understanding of pricing and budgeting, as well as a desire to avoid losses when required to buy food with tokens.

· Cat Guides Blind Dog – After Terfel, an 8 year-old chocolate Labrador retriever in North Wales, U.K., developed cataracts last year, he began to bump into walls and furniture. Soon enough, the once energetic dog was spending most of his time in his dog bed, unable to find his way around. On a whim, Terfel’s owner Judy Godfrey-Brown let a stray cat, whom she named Pwditat (pronounced Puddy-tat), into her home. The feline made a beeline for the blind dog and began using its paws and head to herd Terfel into the garden. Now the unlikely friends sleep together, and Pwditat helps Terfel find his way everywhere.

· Camel Eats Breakfast with People – The first time Joe dined with British farmers Nathan and Charlotte Anderson-Dixon, he was uninvited. The four-year-old Bactrian camel stuck his head through their open kitchen window in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, and proceeded to empty the contents of a fruit bowl. Now the couple, who rent out reindeer, camels, goats, and other creatures for television shows, movies, and photo shoots, set a place at their table for the assertive double-humped creature, where he munches on cereal and his favorite: bananas on toast.

· Marmots Befriend a Boy – A colony of marmots in the Austrian Alps has embraced eight-year-old Matteo Walch, whose family vacations there in summer. The Alpine marmots are the largest of their species, sometimes reaching 15 pounds. Typically, they beat their tails, chatter, and whistle to warn other marmots of danger, but with Matteo, they behave much differently, allowing the boy to feed, pet, and even touch noses with them.

To read about these personal animals, please visit: http://www.rd.com/slideshows/animal-stories-when-beasts-act-like-humans/#slide2=&slideshow=slide1.

More: Visit ReadersDigest.com to subscribe. This hot topic and additional interesting Reader’s Digest stories are now available at www.ReadersDigest.com. Reader’s Digest, recognized by 99% of American adults, simplifies and enriches consumers’ lives by discovering and expertly selecting the most interesting ideas, stories, experiences and products. Reader’s Digest is available in print; online at ReadersDigest.com; via digital download on iPad, mobile apps, Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook, Zinio; books and music. Obtain a subscription at www.ReadersDigest.com or on your favorite digital download device.

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Animal welfare organizations support move to block spending

WASHINGTON—Congress could once again ban the use of federal funds to inspect horse slaughter plants in the United States if it follows the lead of the White House—a move that is strongly supported by The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI). President Obama’s FY 2014 budget proposal includes a request for Congress to block spending by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to inspect U.S. horse slaughter plants. A similar spending prohibition was put in place in 2005, which effectively shut the door to the grisly horse slaughter industry on U.S. soil. However, it was not renewed in 2011, leading to the potential for horse slaughter plants to reopen in the U.S at the expense of American taxpayers.

There are no horse slaughter facilities operating in the U.S., but the USDA confirms it has received at least six applications and is processing those requests. Humane organizations oppose the slaughter of American horses for human consumption because the practice is inherently cruel to horses. Additionally, horse meat poses a potential human health risk, as horses are not raised for food in the U.S. and are consequently treated with a wide range of drugs that are not approved for use in animals intended for human consumption.

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, said: “It’s a fool’s errand to inspect tainted horse meat, and this Administration is wise to reject that path and to embrace the idea, even indirectly, that horses belong in the stable and not on the table.”

Nancy Perry, senior vice president of the ASPCA, said: “It is wonderful to see our government taking steps to ensure American horses are not slaughtered on our own soil for foreign demand, especially in light of the daily news from Europe about the horrors of discovering horse meat in their food supply from co-mingling with beef in tainted food products. Wasting tax dollars on cruel and dangerous practices makes no sense, and we urge Congress to adopt this budget cut.”

Chris Heyde, deputy director of government and legal affairs for the AWI, said: “Now that the administration has taken this important step toward ending horse abuse, reducing the size of the federal government, and saving taxpayer dollars, we urge Congress to swiftly ensure this widely supported language is maintained when sent back to the president for his signature later this year. Given the serious fiscal choices facing our elected officials in Washington, restoring an unpopular foreign driven horse slaughter industry that only serves to drain taxpayers’ money every year, this should be the easiest spending cut they can approve.”

The Safeguard American Food Exports Act, H.R. 1094 / S. 541, introduced this year by U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., is a bipartisan measure that would prevent the introduction of horse slaughter operations in the U.S., end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horsemeat.

Background:

• American horses are raised to be companions, athletes and work horses. They are often treated with drugs, both legal and illegal, that can endanger the food supply. There is currently no system in the U.S. to track medications and veterinary treatments given to horses throughout their lives to ensure that their meat is safe for human consumption.
• “Kill buyers” gather up horses from random sources and profit by selling horsemeat from healthy horses that bring the best price per pound for their meat. USDA reports show that approximately 92 percent of American horses going to slaughter are healthy and would otherwise be able to go on to lead productive lives.
• The methods used to kill horses rarely result in quick, painless deaths, as horses often endure repeated blows to render them unconscious, and sometimes remain conscious during the slaughtering process. When horse slaughter plants previously operated in the U.S., the USDA documented severe injuries to horses incurred during their long-distance transport to slaughter plants in unsafe, overcrowded trailers, including broken bones and eyeballs hanging from their sockets by a thread of skin.

About HSUS
Subscribe to Wayne Pacelle’s blog, A Humane Nation. Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your Apple or Android device by searching for our “Humane TV” app.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization, rated the most effective by its peers. Since 1954, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. We rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals each year, but our primary mission is to prevent cruelty before it occurs. We're there for all animals, across America and around the world. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty – on the Web at humanesociety.org.

About the ASPCA^®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

About AWI
The Animal Welfare Institute (www.awionline.org) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. AWI engages policymakers, scientists, industry, and the public to achieve better treatment of animals everywhere—in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates and other important animal protection news.

ASPCA urges support for the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act to ban horse slaughter

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today announced in a new poll just conducted by Lake Research Partners that 70 percent of New Mexico voters are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption and do not want a horse slaughter plant in their community. The statewide survey reveals that New Mexicans overwhelmingly oppose horse slaughter regardless of their political affiliation, gender, ethnicity, geographic location or whether they live in an urban or rural area. Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its plan to process an application for inspecting horse slaughter at a Roswell, N.M. facility. If the application is approved, Valley Meat Company LLC will be the first facility in the U.S. to slaughter horses for human consumption since 2007, when the few remaining plants closed and Congress chose to suspend funding for any further horse meat inspections.

“There is broad consensus in New Mexico, as there is throughout the nation, that our horses deserve more than to be shuttled off to a gruesome death and served abroad as a toxic delicacy,” said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations. “With nearly three quarters of all registered voters in the state in opposition to the slaughtering of American horses, opening a horse slaughterhouse in New Mexico clearly flies in the face of public opinion, and using our precious tax dollars to enable horse slaughter on U.S. soil is even more tone deaf. Enacting a ban on horse slaughter has never been more urgent.”

According to the new research, 7 in 10 New Mexico registered voters are opposed to allowing American horses to be slaughtered for human consumption, with 55 percent in strong opposition to the practice. In addition, 70 percent of New Mexico voters do not want a horse slaughter plant in their community, with just 20 percent of voters supporting such a facility. Furthermore, opposition to a horse slaughtering facility extends across race, age, partisan, and geographic divides with 76 percent of Hispanic voters and 66 percent of Anglos disapproving of such a facility.

“In every way, shape and form, New Mexicans continue to reject the idea of a horse slaughter plant in our state,” said Lisa Jennings, executive director of Animal Protection of New Mexico. “New Mexico benefits from living and thriving horses, not dead ones. We're determined to continue developing a robust equine safety net, not condemn horses to a slaughter pipeline that will guarantee the misery continues.”

The surprising move toward a resumption of domestic horse slaughter comes in the wake of the scandal unfolding in the European Union, where consumers have been alarmed by the discovery of horse meat mislabeled as beef in prepared food products ranging from lasagna to meatballs. Horses are routinely given medications and other substances that are toxic to humans and are expressly forbidden by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in animals intended for human consumption. Last month, U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Reps. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., introduced the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act to prevent the introduction of horse slaughter operations in the U.S., end the current export of American horses for slaughter abroad, and protect the public from consuming toxic horse meat.

Horse slaughter is inherently cruel and often erroneously compared to humane euthanasia. The methods used to slaughter horses rarely result in quick, painless deaths, as horses are difficult to stun and often remain conscious during their butchering and dismemberment. Whether slaughter occurs in the U.S. or abroad, these equines suffer incredible abuse even before they arrive at the slaughterhouse, often transported for more than 24 hours at a time without food, water or rest, in dangerously overcrowded trailers where the animals are often seriously injured or even killed in transit. The majority of horses killed for human consumption are young, healthy animals who could go on to lead productive lives with loving owners. Last year, more than 160,000 American horses were sent to a cruel death by a grisly foreign industry that produces unsafe food for consumers.

To learn more about the ASPCA’s efforts to ban horse slaughter or support the SAFE Act, please visit www.aspca.org.

About the ASPCA^®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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ASPCA, Equestrian Sport Productions and Gold Coast Feed launch new initiative
to help Florida equine rescues care for at-risk horses

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), Equestrian Sport Productions and Gold Coast Feed have partnered to launch the ASPCA Hay It Forward project, designed to raise awareness of equine welfare issues while providing much needed hay to local equine rescue organizations in the Wellington, Fla. community. Gold Coast Feed is currently accepting donations for the project, which can be made by purchasing hay directly from the supplier. The ASPCA and Equestrian Sport Productions will identify local equine rescue groups in need of hay, and it will be distributed to recipients throughout South Florida. If successful, this program could serve as a model for other regions of the country.

The ASPCA Hay It Forward program celebrated its official launch at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center on March 16. ASPCA Equine Welfare Ambassadors Hayley Barnhill, Georgina Bloomberg, Brianne Goutal, Paige Johnson, Stacia Madden, and Jessica Springsteen, joined ASPCA advocacy officials, Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions, and other VIPs for a reception at the new ringside Nespresso Boutique to raise awareness about the many grave issues impacting horses today, including the threat of horse slaughter. As long as horse slaughter remains a legal option, the rescue network is a critical safety net to ensure that every horse has a place to go. Most rescues are able to rehome horses and prevent otherwise healthy horses from being purchased by kill buyers.

“The ASPCA is proud to be joining forces with Equestrian Sport Productions and Gold Coast Feed to help at-risk horses and provide much needed aid to local equine rescue groups,” said Valerie Angeli, senior director of equine and special projects for the ASPCA. “This program encourages equestrians to give back to the local community and brings attention to the fact that there are many horses in this country facing an uncertain future who need our voice and assistance.”

"The price of hay has been impacted by fires and droughts, so hay has become a precious commodity for horse owners. Rescue groups operating on small donations are always struggling to afford feed, and I think it is our duty as equestrians to make an effort for horses at risk who are not as lucky as the show horses competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington,” added Georgina Bloomberg, ASPCA Equine Welfare Ambassador. “I am excited that there are some amazing horse rescue groups in the Wellington, South Florida area that will benefit from this program, and I am happy that this community is stepping up to assist the ASPCA in helping horses who need our voice."

"We are excited about working with the ASPCA Hay It Forward project, another great example of working collaboratively for the benefit of the equestrian community,” said Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions. “We hope everyone will participate."

"This has been a really good project for the Wellington horse show community and we have enjoyed being part of such a great cause,” said Barbara Stanfield, a representative from Gold Coast Feed. “We are all horse people, so it is amazing that so few of us are aware of critical equine welfare issues, and the many unlucky horses who need help.”

“The ASPCA Hay It Forward project is a supplemental program to our existing Hay Bale Out grants program, which helps feed hungry horses across the United States,” said Jacque Schultz, senior director of the ASPCA Equine Fund. “This new initiative allows us to dedicate even more resources to at-risk horses, and we are honored to be a part of this program.”

In 2012, the ASPCA Equine Fund awarded $1.8 million in the form of over 250 grants to equine welfare groups throughout the United States. The ASPCA Equine Fund provides grants to non-profit equine welfare organizations in the United States for purposes in alignment with their efforts to protect horses. The grants program seeks to award equine organizations who strive to achieve best practices, including sound horse care, maintenance of updated websites and robust fundraising practices.

To make a donation to the ASPCA Hay It Forward project, contact Gold Coast Feed at (561) 793-4607. To learn more about the ASPCA’s advocacy efforts for horses, the ASPCA Equine Fund and the Hay It Forward project, visit www.aspca.org/horse.

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Wellington Equestrian Partners
Wellington Equestrian Partners is the group of investors that provides guidance for its subsidiary, Equestrian Sport Productions. ESP owns and operates 42 weeks of USEF rated horse shows from September through June at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida, including the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. The FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) is the world's largest and longest running equestrian competition. The 12-week event, which runs from January 9 through March 31, awards over $7 million dollars in prize money and hosts 5,000 horses and 2,800 riders from 50 states and 33 countries.

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Spring Reins of LIFE
Horses, Humans & Healing (501c3)
Spring Reins of Life (SROL) is a non‐profit 501c3 organization.
We are an EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning
Association) model program offering Equine Assisted Psychotherapy
(EAP) and Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) which incorporates the use
of horses for therapeutic intervention toward promoting emotional
growth and healing. Our program is a team approach featuring a
licensed Mental Health Professional (MHP), a certified Equine
Specialist (ES), and Horses specifically selected for their capacity to
work with individuals who are troubled or suffering. We do not offer
any riding or mounted work in our program. While there are many
physical benefits to horseback riding, the EAGALA model is a solution
focused base that enhances the emotional benefits of behavioral
rehearsal and experiential component that is displayed when observing the horses in free will interacting with
clients.
Animal assisted therapy with horses combines the positive emotional effects gained from the human/horse
bond with opportunities to challenge and explore one’s thoughts and internal struggles during activities with
an equine partner. It is a therapeutic intervention that defeats the
stigma often associated with traditional counseling, but more
importantly, it is an intervention that works. Spring Reins of Life
provides services to those populations who have the least access to
equine therapy yet are the same individuals who would derive the
greatest benefit. Currently, we offer our services to the
military and their families, bereaved children, at‐risk
youth and addiction recovery. We invite you to explore our
website and learn more about our innovative and effective program
promoting positive growth and healing.
SPRING REINS of LIFE is a non profit organization. We need support and
funding to offer EAP and EAL services to the Military and their Families, Bereaved
Children and At Risk Youth. Currently we have several organizations that are
working with us and more are contacting us each week. However in order to serve
these populations free of charge we must rely upon generous donations and funding.
Please consider SROL when determining gifts this holiday season. We accept
donations in any amount, we accept sponsorship of horses, and donation of horse
supplies (please check with us first) and also we accept volunteers ☺
www.SpringReinsofLife.org / 917‐275‐SROL (7765) / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
“There is something about the outside of a horse
that is good for the inside of a man”
~ Sir Winston Churchill
SPRING REINS of HOPE
Getting to the Horse of the Matter
Spring Reins of Hope (SROH) is a ground‐breaking program
offering Equine Assisted services which are designed to generate
personal resources and empowerment. At Spring Reins of Hope we
are committed to improving people’s lives both personally and
professionally. The field of Equine Assisted work is growing at a rapid
pace with marked results. Founded in 2009; Spring Reins of Hope
offers both Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (for personal growth) and
Equine Assisted Learning (for professional growth).
Horses, which are herd bound prey animals, are a perfect choice to serve as gentle guides in this arena due to
their inherent ability to increase self‐awareness and generate opportunities for resiliency. All exercises are unmounted
and no horse experience is necessary to benefit. Please join us and explore the various services we
offer. On a Zephyr Wind* the horses patiently await your arrival…
SROH is an EAGALA Certified Model Program (www.eagala.org
Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) where all
horse related activities are ground based (un‐mounted). Under
the LLC we offer both EAP and EAL services for the following:
Individual Therapy
Couples Therapy
Family Therapy
*Anxiety, Depression, Communication/Social and Relationship
Skills, PTSD, Trauma, Anger‐Stress Management, Phobias, ADD,
ADHD, Bi‐Polar, Divorce, Bereavement, Addictions, and more…
We also offer life‐skills learning workshops (EAL) for:
• Corporate Training and Executive Excellence (team building / leadership)
• Defiant Teens at Home (disrespect and disobedience)
• “ Horse for Healers” improving bedside manner workshop for Medical and Dental professionals
• Improving social and communication skills for schools, teens, parents & children, groups.
It Is Amazing What Can Be Learned, Resolved or Solved with the help of...A HORSE!
S = Stimulating P = Personal R = Resources I = Inspired by N = Non verbal G = Guidance
www.SpringReinsofHope.com / 347‐560‐3125 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

About the ASPCA®

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Gov. Christie signs bill prohibiting slaughter, transport, and sale of horses for human consumption

NEW YORK—The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today commended New Jersey legislators and Gov. Chris Christie for enacting a measure to prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The new law also bans the transport of horses to slaughter, as well as the sale and transport of horse meat for human consumption.

“We thank Governor Christie for protecting New Jersey’s equines from the unnecessary and inherently cruel practice of horse slaughter,” said Debora Bresch, Esq., senior state director of ASPCA Government Relations for the Mid-Atlantic region. “As the official state animal, horses enjoy great respect among New Jersey residents, and horse slaughter is out of step with their deeply held values.”

Introduced by Assemblyman Ronald Dancer (R-Cream Ridge) and Sen. Raymond J. Lesniak (D-Union), A.2023/S.1976 makes it illegal to slaughter horses for human consumption, prohibits the sale of horse meat, and bans the transport of horse meat or live horses for the purpose of slaughter. Horse slaughter is inherently cruel, as horses’ physiology and instinctual flight responses makes them ill-suited for stunning, so they often endure repeated blows and sometimes remain conscious during their slaughter and dismemberment. In addition, horses bound for slaughter suffer incredible abuse even before they arrive at the slaughterhouse, often transported for more than 24 hours at a time in overcrowded trailers without food, water or rest.

Americans do not consume horse meat—the meat is shipped overseas to specialty markets. Further, horse meat is not safe for human consumption as horses are not raised as food animals and are frequently administered drugs that are prohibited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These drugs would be extremely harmful to humans if ingested. A national poll conducted earlier this year by Lake Research Partners shows that 80 percent of American voters, including the vast majority of horse owners (71 percent), are opposed to the slaughter of U.S. horses for human consumption.

“All states that do not specifically ban this abhorrent practice are at risk of becoming home to new slaughtering facilities,” added Bresch. “By signing this bill into law, Governor Christie has spared New Jersey communities exposure to the extreme cruelty of horse slaughter and the horse slaughter trade that has made the state a major artery for the transport of horses to slaughterhouses in Canada, ultimately providing us with another crucial victory in the growing movement for a complete and total ban on horse slaughter.”

Earlier this month, several prominent New Jersey horse owners and advocates, including accomplished equestrian Jessica Springsteen, daughter of musician Bruce Springsteen, joined the ASPCA in submitting a letter to Gov. Christie urging him to sign the critical legislation into law. The letter, signed by several well-known equestrians from across the state, including ASPCA Equine Welfare Ambassador and top international rider Brianne Goutal, read in part:

“As horse owners and enthusiasts, we are appalled that once-loved horses could meet such a brutal end. When no re-homing option exists, a horse should be humanely euthanized by a licensed veterinarian, not loaded onto a truck, cruelly transported, and then butchered for consumption abroad.”

The ASPCA urges all caring Americans to contact their federal legislators to press for passage of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act of 2011 (H.R. 2966/S.1176), which would prohibit the sale and transport of horses for slaughter in the United States, as well as across the border to Canada and Mexico. The passage of this critical legislation would end the current export and slaughter of approximately 100,000 American horses each year. For more information on the ASPCA and to join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade, please visit www.aspca.org.

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation’s leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Warner Bros. Pictures and MalPaso Productions present a PG-13, 111 minute drama directed by Robert Lorenz and written by Randy Brown with a theater release of September 21, 2012.