S O U N D   O F F

December 21, 2007

Subject: So what is the Colorado Horse Council? by Dennis Kuehl

Actually, most of you probably know it exists because of the Horse Expos held in Denver, Vail and Durango.  However, these events are important to their “Education and Outreach” focus of their mission statement which is …‘Our mission is to unite the horse owners and the horse industry of the State of Colorado into a powerful, common voice in order to protect their common equine interest through legislation and education.’
 
As noted in the Presidents Report for their annual meeting of 2007, besides working on the Expos which supports them financially, they monitored, supported, opposed and introduced a number of pieces in the state legislation. Primarily their interest for 2008 will be Animal Rights issues, South Platte Water issues and Division of Wildlife issues regarding equine access to trails in State and National Parks.  At the national level, they continue to be involved in bills that will impact the equine industry if passed, including proposed legislation regulating horse slaughter, the right to ride in wilderness areas, tax treatment of the equine industry, and immigration issues.
 
Just so you know, the Colorado Horse Council’s stand regarding horse slaughter acts is the larger question of thousands of unwanted horses currently in Colorado and across the country.  The American Horse Council has launched a significant effort to bring this issue to the forefront of debate.
 
Most of you are engaged in web sites and e-mails so you can check on their updates by visiting their website, www.cohoco.com. This site is used for breaking news, committee reports and schedules.  Finally, on the 7th of January the Colorado Horse Development Authority will hold a summit which is featuring Dr. Tom Lenz who is director of the Unwanted Horse Coalition.  Check this out on their website.  

Dennis Kuehl is the Draft Horse Assn representative to the Colorado Horse Council. He has written the following article to inform our members and to keep you in touch with their activities. Look for the upcoming articles in our newsletters!