Maryland Equine Transition Service, Innovative Equine Welfare Solution Visits The Right Horse Summit by Emily Stakem, Brittney Vallot, and Carrie Hull


METS Update Did you know that Maryland has more horses per square mile than any other state? Did you also know that Te Maryland Horse Council (MHC) was the first and still only state horse council to stand up in support of the SAFE Act, which prevents horse slaughter within the U.S., as well as the shipment of horses for slaughter outside of the country. Maryland leads the nation in supporting our horses and developing innovative ways to address equine welfare issues. In an effort to provide horses in need of transition with safe alternatives, and to prevent them from being neglected or sent to auc- tion,


slaughter, the


Maryland Equine Transition Ser- vice (METS) was formed through a generous three year grant provided by Te Right Horse Initiative (RHI), a program funded by Te Wa- terShed Animal Fund, which is dedicated to improving the lives of animals, large and small alike. RHI’s goal, like METS, is to increase the number of successful horse adoptions (and humane, compassionate euthanasia when ap- propriate) by working collaboratively with like- minded organizations across the country. METS is a unique program and the first of its kind in the country. Since METS does not have a farm facility (sanctuary or rescue farm) of its own, it does not actually take ownership of the horses it assists. Te challenges and ex- penses such as land, herd and staff management are not a concern, because it is a mobile ser- vice with minimal staffing requirements, which eliminates many challenges that other equine assistance programs face. As a mobile assessment unit, the METS pro-


horses listed on its site. Each of these inqui- ries requires a stringent reference check. From there, all information about the applicant is passed along to the horse’s owner with trans- parent feedback from METS so that the owner can make the best decision for his or her horse. METS works closely with owners in order to


ensure that they have the resources they need and feel comfortable enough to make an in- formed decision on where their horse will be rehomed. Te fact that owners reach out to METS means that they want what’s best for their horses and they just need honest guid- ance, feedback, and advice to make the right decision. METS’ mission is to provide re-


and Program Coordinator Emily Stakem land- ed in Lexington, Kentucky for the 2019 Right Horse Summit. METS is proud to be a Right Horse Partner and was fortunate to be invited to the first-ever Summit. Te goal of the Summit was to bring together


Brittney Vallot, METS program director, speaking on a panel at The Right Horse Summit in KY.


sources and help Maryland horse owners find the best options for their situations, but most importantly to help the horses. As METS nears twelve full months of equine assessments, it is important to reflect and take stock on the past, present, and future of the pro- gram. After RHI pledged their support, METS begin a multi-month program development phase. Te program was fully rolled out offering assessments and assistance to owners in August 2018. As of June 30, 2019, METS has completed 57 appointments with owners, totaling 107 hors- es assessed. Tis means that METS is encoun- tering many owners looking to place multiple horses, averaging about two horses per owner. Out of those assessed, METS has helped to


place 26 horses into new homes. After almost a full year in operation, METS


gram is uniquely structured to provide as much assistance and feedback to owners as possible so that they can make both safe and responsible de- cisions for their horses. Once an owner contacts METS and submits an application, Program Di- rector Brittney Vallot visits each horse and per- forms a behavioral and physical assessment. From there, she discusses with the owner what options she thinks would be best for the horse, whether that be placement assistance or end of life support. If placement is the best option, a listing is cre- ated on the METS website and Facebook page, as well as RHI’s listing site, myrighthorse.org, and other social media and websites as appro- priate. METS handles all inquiries about the www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580


has grown a network of equine professionals and enthusiasts to include over 100 individu- als such as veterinarians, farriers, transporters, dentists, professional barn owners, trainers, and private owners. METS has also recruited 47 volunteers willing to help with assessments, events, and distribution of METS information and most importantly, fundraising. All of these people are an integral part of the program and owes many of its accomplishments to their help! METS is constantly working on recruit- ing more of those seeking to help Maryland horses in any way possible.


Right Horse Summit On May 21, METS Director Brittney Vallot


various programs focused on equine welfare in a collaborative event that would encourage and inspire each program to keep improving and growing to enable them to continue help- ing horses. Te two-day Summit kicked off the evening before with a networking reception for all of the attending Partners. Tis reception was held at the Lexington base of New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program. METS and the other Partners at- tending were able to walk around the property and visit some of the horses. New Vocations is de- voted to offering off- the-track Torough- breds a safe haven, as well as rehabilitation and continued edu- cation to help place


them in their forever homes. In addition to their Lexington location, New Vocations also has lo- cations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Te first day of the Summit was limited to Right Horse Partners. Te day had a strong focus on collaboration; one of the phrases printed on the Summit schedule and repeated throughout the two days was “Innovate, Ideate, Collaborate.” It is clear that the equine welfare community works better when using resources effectively and collaboratively. Sometimes those resources aren’t physical, like pasture space or budget for hay. Often those resources are the connections and the knowledge of how to help each other. Tis is fundamental to the METS methodology, and METS is constantly work- ing on expanding its resources to better help Maryland owners and horses. It was both refreshing and inspiring to the


METS staff to be around so many other pro- grams dedicated to equine welfare and to hear how each individual program works to be suc- cessful in its own way. METS was honored to attend this event and excited to see how to ap- ply others’ ideas to its own unique program. On the Partner day, Brittney sat on a panel


titled “Answering Te Call: Managed Admis- sions.” Due to the fact that METS is a mobile service and does not take ownership of the horses, Brittney was able to provide a different take on managed admissions since METS is not limited on how many horses it can accept into the program. All the panelists found common


continued... AUGUST 2019 | THE EQUIERY | 17


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