Rescue & Welfare

Do Horses Grieve the Loss of a Companion?

Updated:

April 27, 2026

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Horses are highly social animals that form close bonds with other members of their group. Because of this, it is reasonable to expect that the loss of a companion may affect their behaviour and emotional well-being. However, until recently, there has been surprisingly little scientific research into how horses respond to the death of another horse. A study led by Claire Ricci-Bonot and Daniel Mills at the University of Lincoln, with MSc student Emily Wilson, alongside Stefania Uccheddu of the San Marco Veterinary Clinic and Laboratory, Padua, Italy, aimed to address this gap.

Tight Nosebands Compromise Equine Welfare and Affect Movement

Updated:

April 10, 2026

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A recent study confirms that tightening a horse’s noseband may do more than change appearance or control the mouth — it may also affect the horse’s movement.

Every Horse Counts: Why the Canadian Horse Identification Program Matters

Updated:

April 1, 2026

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In an industry as diverse and mobile as Canada’s equine sector, accurate identification and traceability are more important than ever. The Canadian Horse Identification Program (CHIP) was created to meet that need, offering a voluntary, national equine identification and traceability system designed specifically for Canada’s horses — and the people who care for them.

The Equine Foundation of Canada Leaves a Lasting Legacy

Updated:

March 15, 2026

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The Equine Foundation of Canada (EFC), a small but influential charity dedicated to improving the welfare of horses nationwide, officially filed for dissolution effective December 31, 2025, bringing to a close more than four decades of volunteer-driven impact.

Alberta’s Free-Roaming Horses: Historically important or invasive pests?

Updated:

January 30, 2026

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About 1,500 horses run free on the eastern slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains north of Highway 1, which bisects Calgary, and south of Highway 16, which splits Edmonton. Their presence is controversial.

Bear Valley Rescue

Updated:

January 23, 2026

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Calgarian Karen Allen began volunteering at Bear Valley Rescue in Sundre, Alberta, a decade ago, to heal after her horse Mac, a 34-year-old Connemara, passed away. “It was healing to be with like-minded people who understood that the beauty, majesty, and true value of a horse was so much greater than the sum of what they could help us accomplish,” Allen says.

Readers Weigh In on Alberta's Free-Roaming Horses - View Website Poll Results and Comments

Updated:

January 15, 2026

Our Autumn/Winter 2025 issue of Canadian Horse Journal included a special feature, also featured on this website at Alberta’s Free-Roaming Horses: Historically important or invasive pests? — a topic that clearly struck a chord with readers. Continuing the conversation, in late summer we launched an online poll with the same question. The response was huge — 5,407 votes poured in — and the results are shown below:

The Christmas Rescue of Two Abandoned Horses That United a Community

Updated:

January 15, 2026

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Looking back, it is difficult to imagine how close two horses came to dying alone on a mountainside — and how a community’s determination turned that near tragedy into a story of hope that still resonates years later.

The 'Old Ones' - A Christmas Story for the Horse Lover

Updated:

December 18, 2025

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A brother and sister had made their usual hurried, obligatory pre-Christmas visit to the little farm, where dwelt their elderly parents with a small herd of horses. The farm was where they had grown up. It had been named Lone Pine Farm because of the huge pine, which topped the hill behind the farmhouse.