American Service Horse Rescue: Active-Duty Equine Retirement

Above: Horses are used to transport supplies in Iraq.

From the explorations of Lewis & Clark to the westward covered wagon trains, from the Pony Express to the Civil War battlefields, from the empire-building cattle drives to the Western Union railroads, from the depths of the coal mines to today’s prestigious mounted police forces, horses have had — and continue to play — a critical role in the progress and direction of our nation.

At any given time, horses (and other equines) are being employed by the United States government to carry on traditions not possible without them. Thousands of horses are collectively working under the U.S. Department of Defense, the United States Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management — not to mention the countless others in service to law enforcement in our cities and along our borders, as well as for recreational uses under the domain of national and state parks.

Each year, these willing animals carry soldiers, government ranchers, guides, law enforcers, and a host of America’s taxpayers throughout our nation’s public lands and places. And each year, a number of these animals, due to injury or illness, age or uselessness, are retired from service. What happens to them after they leave government service is not a mystery. Many of them are bought by well-intentioned horse lovers, but most of them are too damaged or expended to be of any use to anyone — and they are often slaughtered.

And that's where we come in: we rescue and retire government-used horses and mules.