In 2009, The Minnesota Horse Welfare Coalition, the Minnesota Horse Council and the Animal Humane Society in cooperation with the Minnesota Association of Equine Practitioners launched The Gelding Project. This two part program is designed as a key step to reduce the number of unwanted horses in Minnesota. The unwanted horse is the single biggest welfare issue facing the horse industry today. The first aspect of the project, Education Earns Stallions to Geldings, will encourage horse owners to choose to make stallions into geldings through education and financial incentives. An interested horse owner who enrolls in the program will be eligible for a voucher to cover the cost of castration surgery by a participating veterinarian, once the owner attends 8 horse health management educational sessions. Many of the sessions are offered at the Minnesota Horse Expo, held at the state fairgrounds in St. Paul, MN on the fourth weekend in April. Minnesota’s veterinarians have been quick to support the program, and will play an integral role in both the educational sessions and in the surgical procedure. Below you will find links for the list of participating veterinarians, a list of educational opportunities, as well as sources for the vouchers.
On September 26th, 2009, organizations that rescue unwanted horses in Minnesota had the option to participate in the second aspect of The Gelding Project: The Castration Clinic. The Minnesota Horse Council certified horse rescue organizations on the basis of their compliance with the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ published guidelines for such facilities. These certified organizations were able to bring colts and stallions to the Washington County Fairgrounds in Stillwater, MN for free gelding. The procedure was performed by veterinary students under the close supervision of area veterinarians. This clinic was the first in a series of clinics that will take place in diverse areas of Minnesota. The certification of the horse rescue facilities will enable the Minnesota Horse Council to establish a communication network for these facilities and generate objective data on the magnitude of the unwanted horse problem in the state.
