by Carrie Hull (first appeared in the December 2019 Equiery)

It’s December! A time to celebrate with family and friends. The Maryland Horse Council, The Equiery, and the Maryland Equine Transition Service wish you and yours the happiest holiday season this year. December is also a time of giving. Our November issue featured those Marylanders Giving Back throughout the horse community. This month, we ask you to consider giving back to the Maryland Equine Transition Service.

In August, METS entered its second full program year after an extremely successful first year. We helped more Maryland horses than we could have expected! In fact, over 150% more horses than we expected! We receive calls, emails, and Facebook messages every day from horse owners across the state who are looking to transition their horses to happy, healthy, and safe new homes. Over the last few months, we are also thankful to have received more and more inquiries on our available horses. Since just August of this year, we have placed 14 horses in new homes (including two pairs of senior horses!).

These results are amazing, but we can still transition more Maryland horses with your help! Horses in need of transition come in every shape, size, breed, color, age, training level, and temperament. No horse in Maryland should ever be at risk of entering the slaughter pipeline.

In order to place these horses, METS provides as much assistance as possible from the initial request and application completed by Program Coordinator, Emily Stakem, to the on-site health and behavioral assessment completed by both METS Director, Brittney Vallot, and new Assessments Specialist, Katy Whipple, as well as several volunteers, to the final marketing process which is a full team effort.

Our most important need is to continue to support the assessment and marketing process. The cost of an assessment is roughly $100 depending on where in the state the horse or horses are located. Recently, there has been a growing need to help some horses that need updates on shots, floating, and farrier care. METS can provide financial assistance to these horses as it is available.

So, this December, we ask you, our readers, to consider giving back to our Maryland horses. Just $35 provides one Coggins test, $80 one Dental float, $100 one assessment visit, or $250 gives one horse a dignified end when its quality of life is poor.

From METS Director, Brittney Vallot
Maryland’s equine community is vast and strong, thanks to people like you who love horses and want to see their legacy continue in our state. People like you are the ones who enable programs like METS to continue and prosper. I encourage and invite you to consider getting involved in the mission of METS and making a financial contribution if you are able. None of this work could be made possible without your support!
Every dollar, small or large, helps! Donations can also be made online at https://mdequinetransition.org/donate/ or you may reach out to me directly at chull@mdhorsecouncil.org or 844-MDHORSE.

Looking back … and forward!
Next year marks the 35th anniversary of the Maryland Horse Council and the 30th anniversary of the first printing of The Equiery. It will be a year of great celebration for the Maryland horse community.

Throughout 2020, we will be remembering the significant achievements of MHC here in The Equiery both in print and online. Pulling from our archives, we will recap three decades of horse history and heritage throughout the state.

Do you have a Maryland Horse Council or The Equiery memory to share? We would love to see your pictures and hear your stories over the years. You can send them to Executive Director, Carrie Hull, at chull@mdhorsecouncil.org

Also, keep your eyes peeled for announcements about upcoming anniversary events and programs. In 2020, we will unveil new member benefits and a schedule of exciting events to celebrate the Maryland horse community past, present, and future!