A gentleman from LinkedIn posed a question about a pets' bill of rights that got me thinking about the point of having such a thing for horses and its possible uses and abuses.

For a little research, I Googled pets' bill of rights and found a few inane lists by pet care companies ("we have the right to snuggle daily") that included rights obvious to any animal lover but really didn't, um, fit the bill.

I did find something on the site of the National Alliance of Pet Owners that might prove a good starting point.

Responsible pet owner (sic) have important constitutional liberties and rights under the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. State Constitutions and States Bill of Rights also reinforce the concept of Pet Owner Rights. The Fourth, Fifth and Fourteenth amendments of the U.S. Constitution protect citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures, affirm our rights to property which cannot be denied without the due process of law, ensures equal enforcement and protection of the law, and imposes fundamental constraints on what government can do to a citizen in the name of the law. This is what most responsible pet owners have been taught to believe and to place their trust.

The remainder of this so-called bill of rights is a rant against animal rights activism instead of a real document. It certainly opens an enormous can of worms in terms of taking aim at PETA and HSUS.

I wonder if there is any interest out there in working toward a real Horses' Bill of Rights that might someday be ratified by applicable organizations? I'm thinking more of something useful for animal welfare rather than the hot button topic of animal rights, mostly because things get done quicker when you travel down the middle of the road.

I wonder if there is enough interest to brainstorm the constituent articles of such a document and come to agreement on what is essential?

If you have opinions on this, please weigh in.
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Comment by Jackie Cochran on June 15, 2009 at 5:11pm
I've been thinking of this, and it will be hard to formulate something that would cover all areas of horsemanship. Of course there are the constants of decent feed and decent care, but what can you do about riding and showing that would not crimp the style of most riders and competitors? Yes, all horses should have the right to decent riders. Well, most riders think that they are decent in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.
One article I would REALLY like to see is the right of a horse not to be tormented to fulfill an artificial breed "ideal". Over 45 years I've seen Arabs go from being decent small horses to being cariactures of camels in the show ring. Of course a lot of money and ego feeds all of this, and of course the people do not think they are abusing their horses, who they LOVE SO MUCH.
I really admire your bravery in proposing this.
Comment by Kimberly Cox Carneal on June 11, 2009 at 12:32am
Perhaps more of the cruelties of that time are repeated today than we wish to admit.
Comment by Jackie Cochran on June 10, 2009 at 2:40pm
I am re-reading Black Beauty. I think that this might be a great place to start, as the author systematically goes through the cruelties of her time.

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