Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) is the latest organization to endorse the American Horse Council’s (AHC) Welfare Code of Practice.
The AHC Welfare Code of Practice is a broad set of principles designed to establish good welfare procedures for organizations to follow to “Put the Horse First.” The code outlines in broad strokes what principles organizations are committed to in breeding, training, competing, transporting, enjoying, and caring for their horses. The code encourages everyone to consider the health, safety, and welfare of their horses in all aspects of their activities, including the social and ethical issues.
FOSH is a national leader in promoting, supporting and protecting gaited horses. Its purpose is to provide information to the public about the humane care, treatment and training of gaited horses, with a special emphasis on the Tennessee Walking Horse, and to promote the exhibition of the flat shod and barefoot Walking Horse at competitions designed to showcase the natural gaited pleasure walking horse. “From its inception 15 years ago, FOSH has always placed the welfare of the horse first, and it is pleased to fully support the tenets of the AHC Welfare Code of Practice,” said Teresa Bippen, President FOSH.
“By supporting the code, FOSH is reemphasizing its support for the principles that the Welfare Code represents and which FOSH strives to enact daily,” said AHC President Julie Broadway. “We encourage all members of the equine industry to support and endorse the Welfare Code of Practice as yet another indication to the horse community, the public, the media, federal and state officials that the industry is committed to ‘Putting the Horse First.”
The AHC’s code is not intended to supersede an organization’s rules or regulations. Any organization’s more specific rules still govern activities sanctioned and regulated by the organization. Rather the code is a compliment to any such rules and restates the principles to be followed by breed registries, trade associations, various disciplines and the horse community as a whole in pursuing their equine activities.
To review the AHC Welfare Code of Practice, a list of the 54 organizations supporting the code, and a FAQs page, please click here.
