Standing Ovation by Ovation Riding

Today’s honoree: the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund.

In times of natural disasters and tragedies, it’s human nature to want to help — to come to the assistance of not only our fellow man but animals in need as well. The hard part is making sure that our donations of money or supplies reach the right people who need it the most to help equines in need — it’s hard to verify individual crowdfunding sites, and donations to relief groups, while always appreciated and put to good use, may not necessarily make it to horse owners.

In response to the widespread destruction in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the United States Equestrian Federation (now US Equestrian) worked hard to try to coordinate funding for feed and transportation of that feed to devastated horse owners. This effort demonstrated the need for a centralized equine relief fund, and the governing body for US equestrian sport got to work to form the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund.

Money donated will be used to prepare for natural disasters, such as blizzards, hurricanes, floods, wildfires and tornadoes. The USEF holds funds restricted just for this purpose, disbursed by the USEF Chief Executive Officer. Funds are usually used to purchase and transport feed as well as provide emergency veterinary care. One of the most recent assists through the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund was to aid victims of flooding in Louisiana in 2016.

Donations can be made to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund at any time through the US Equestrian donation web page.

Many thanks thanks to Ovation Riding for their support of both Horse Nation and individuals and organizations that are doing good work in the horse world. If you know someone who deserves a Standing Ovation, we would love to recognize them in a future post. Email the name of the person or organization along with a message about the good work they do to [email protected]. Photos/videos are always welcome, and include a link to their website if applicable.