September 5, 2007 — In 2005 back-to-back hurricanes Katrina and Rita catapulted equine enthusiasts from around the country into a cooperative effort to assist horses and their owners after these extraordinary disasters.

At the time, U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF) personnel worked around the clock to coordinate assistance from many local and national organizations. The biggest challenge was not manpower since there were hundreds of potential volunteers but rather funding to obtain and transport much-needed feed and supplies to the equine victims of the disaster, as well as providing emergency veterinary assistance in the affected areas.

In preparation for the future the USEF is starting a permanent USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund and requests contributions from individuals and organizations. Formation of this fund is consistent with the USEF mission to help ensure the safety and well-being of horses.

Money donated to the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund will be used to prepare for disasters and assist horses of any breed who are victims of disasters including but not restricted to hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, blizzards and fires. The money will be held by USEF in an account restricted for this purpose and disbursed only upon authorization of the USEF Chief Executive Officer. The USEF is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Donations to the fund can be made online by credit card at www.usef.org.

Donations by check may be sent to: Finance Department – Equine Disaster Fund, United States Equestrian Federation, 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. Checks should be made payable to: USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund.