Lexington, KY (September 7, 2017) - As another record breaking hurricane barrels down on the United States, the Kentucky Horse Council is again working with equine groups to aid horses in those affected areas.  The KHC put out a call to Kentucky farms and facilities willing to take in equine evacuees and the response has been overwhelming.  

"We are overwhelmed by the willingness of Kentucky residents to open their farms to horses being displaced by Hurricane Irma," said Executive Director Katy Ross. "We have had over forty responses, led by the Kentucky Horse Park, and more coming in every hour.  We've heard from everyone from the small owner that has two stalls available to the Horse Park with 200.  It is extremely heartwarming." 

The current list of available facilities can be found by clicking here:  Hurricane Irma Relief.  It will continue to be updated regularly. 

An additional list of facilities along the East Coast is available here:  East Coast Evacuation List

In addition to offering space for evacuees, Kentucky based equine industry groups continue their relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Harvey and will continue these efforts in the wake of the anticipated destruction of Hurricane Irma.   These groups are collecting monetary donations as well as supplies, although monetary donations are preferred at this time due to the difficulty in knowing exactly what will be needed after this latest devastating storm.

Monetary Donations:

Financial donations are preferred because of the difficulty in getting supplies from outside of the region to affected horses. The AAEP Foundation Equine Disaster Relief Fund, National HBPA Foundation, and USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund are all accepting support that will be distributed among credible programs and organizations helping with recovery and rebuilding efforts. Additionally, please consider giving directly to PATH International, as several of their therapeutic riding facilities sustained extreme flooding damage.

Supply Donations:

A supply drive is also being coordinated in Lexington, Ky., through a partnership of local equine groups. Click here to see a current list of needed supplies requested by first responders. Supply donations will be accepted at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) office inside the Kentucky Horse Park:

4033 Iron Works Parkway

Lexington, KY 40511

(859)-233-0147

Donation hours are Monday - Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call the AAEP office if directions are needed. After hours donations may be arranged by contacting Keith Kleine at kkleine@aaep.org or (859)-327-8750.

For more information about how to help horses and their caretakers, visit the AAEP Foundations Harvey relief page, social media outlets for supporting organizations, and search #HarveyHorseHelp on Twitter.

Supporting Organizations

American Association of Equine Practitioners & Foundation

American Horse Council

American Quarter Horse Association

Breeders' Cup Limited

Brook Ledge Horse Transportation

Creech Horse Transportation

Equine Land Conservation Resource

Equine Medical Associates, PSC

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute & Pharmacy

Horse Country

KBC International

Keeneland Association

Kentucky Equine Humane Center

Kentucky Horse Council

Kentucky Quarter Horse Association & Youth Association

Kentucky Thoroughbred Association

Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners & Breeders

Maker's Mark Secretariat Center

National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association

Our Mims Retirement 
Park Equine Hospital

PATH International

Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital & Pharmacy

The Jockey Club
Thoroughbred Charities of America

Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association

United States Equestrian Federation

United States Hunter Jumper Association

ABOUT THE KENTUCKY HORSE COUNCIL - The Kentucky Horse Council is a non-profit organization dedicated, through education and leadership, to the protection and development of the Kentucky equine community. The Kentucky Horse Council provides educational programs and information, outreach and communication to Kentucky horse owners and enthusiasts, equine professional networking opportunities through KENA, trail riding advocacy, health and welfare programs, and personal liability insurance and other membership benefits.  The specialty Kentucky Horse Council license plate, featuring a foal lying in the grass, provides the primary source of revenue for KHC programs                        

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