On July 4, 2023, the American Horse Council’s podcast (produced with Horse Radio Network) released “Episode 3: Helping Horses in Need,” featuring Stacie alongside Brittney Vallot of Days End Farm Horse Rescue and Ashley Harkins, Director of the United Horse Coalition. Hosts Julie Broadway, AHC President, and Megan Arszman spoke with Stacie about kill-pen purchases, what new rescue owners should plan for, and why quarantine matters. Her segment begins at 18:15.
Helping Horses in Need — American Horse Council Podcast
Stacie G. Boswell, DVM, DACVS-LA, podcast guest — American Horse Council, July 4, 2023. Excerpts below are lightly edited for clarity.
Asked about the rise of kill-pen buyouts on social media, she resisted easy answers in either direction:
There’s lots of people that are doing a really nice job in helping horses. I think the visibility has really made it a hot topic for sure. And just like everything, I think it’s really hard to pass judgment on the situation as a blanket. Every single individual purchase and sale is probably different circumstances, and understanding that helps us figure out where each of us can fit into that whole system.
On what buyers should plan for, she led with the one problem almost nobody checks:
Buying a healthy horse is probably cheaper than buying that bargain horse, because of the way that medical bills can really stack up on these cases. The number one thing that I wish that people would understand and look for is pregnancies. The number of “surprise — I bought an auction horse in the fall and look, she foaled out a baby this morning and we didn’t even know she was pregnant” — those stories are rampant.
And on why quarantine is about more than disease:
If you think about what these horses have been through — sometimes these horses have bounced through four, five, six owners in the last six months to a year, and that’s a lot for a horse to manage mentally. So getting them settled in your situation can really help have a better long-term outcome, and better for them from a well-being standpoint.
Listen to the full episode at the American Horse Council. The Ultimate Guide for Horses in Need is available directly from Stacie or from Trafalgar Square Books.