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A successful series of three low-cost gelding clinics was completed by National Equine Resource Network (NERN), in conjunction with R-VETS, local venues and volunteers.
Day 1 and 2 were hosted by JM Quarter Horses in North Highlands. Day 3 was held at Cedar Lane Stables & Livery in Placerville and was supported by volunteers from All About Equine Animal Rescue. At the end of the series, NERN, R-VETS, and a team of UC Davis veterinary students, had created 47 new geldings.
“The current economy has left increasing numbers of responsible owners, who have always provided good care for their horses in the past, struggling to do so. Anything we can do to help them, while also reducing the future population, will play an important role in helping solve the state’s homeless horse problem,” said Shirley Puga, NERN’s executive director.
Puga said that since the average privately owned stallion will sire an average of five foals in is lifetime, the local clinic effectively reduced the future horse population in the area by over 200 possible new horses.
NERN is conducting low-cost gelding clinics throughout California this year, with a goal of gelding 250 colts and/or stallions, and potentially reducing the state’s future equine population by 1,250 horses. So far, 197 horses have been successfully castrated in 15 clinics.
The organization, headquartered in Encinitas, was founded two years ago by Puga to provide a resource to America’s equine welfare community at a time when the continuing down economy has displaced horses in epic proportions.
“In this day and age those of us in equine welfare and advocacy must find new, creative and proactive ways to help our horses. Low-cost gelding clinics play an important role in this,” Puga said.
“We are targeting California’s most horse rich communities. As word spreads about this service, we are getting more and more demand for our clinics,” she said.
NERN’s goal is to share its gelding clinic model with members of the equine welfare community around the country. Washington is the first out-of-state clinic, and it will be followed by clinics in other Western states such as Nevada, Arizona and Texas.
For more information on upcoming clinics, e-mail NERN at nationalequine@gmail.com.
To learn more about NERN’s Gelding Program, visit nationalequine.org.
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