The AAEP Foundation has approved 2018 funding of $701,723 for 28 equine organizations, projects and programs committed to the Foundation’s mission of improving the health and welfare of horses.

The Foundation Advisory Council at its summer meeting selected recipients from a group of applications and ongoing projects seeking continued Foundation support. These recommendations were ratified by the AAEP board of directors. 

Scholarship support to help financially stabilize students’ transition into practice received the lion’s share of proceeds with funding of 49 scholarships for $340,000. The disbursement also includes support for a record 10 Equitarian (working equid) programs.

Less than a year after hurricanes and wildfires inflicted a considerable physical and emotional toll on humans and animals in the U.S. and Caribbean, disaster training and preparation are spotlighted with funding of a pair of training programs at veterinary schools to include veterinarians, students, first responders and horse owners; and an equine disaster planning session for veterinarian leaders and industry stakeholders, likely to be hosted in 2019.

Among new programs receiving support are the recently launched Equine Welfare Data Collective, a collaborative effort to enhance programming for transitioning and at-risk horses; development of iBooks at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine; and development of up to four $20,000 first-time faculty awards for research projects.

Congratulations to the following recipients (by mission category):

Benevolence

Equine Advocacy/Unwanted Horses
Equine Welfare Data Collective
Unwanted Horse Coalition/Operation Gelding Program

Equitarian (Working Equid) Programs
Equitarian Projects in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru and South Dakota
Equitarian Young Leader Development Scholarships
Fast Horse Seminar and Herder Training in Mongolia
Veterinary Agent Training in Haiti
Working Equid Owner Education Program

Disaster Preparedness & Relief
Equine Disaster Planning Session
Louisiana Tech University Foundation Disaster Preparation Training
University of California, Davis, Veterinary Emergency Response Team Disaster Preparation Training

Equine Research

Research Awards & Projects
AAEP Past Presidents’ Research Fellow
EQUUS Foundation Research Fellow
First-time faculty awards for research projects

Education

Programs & Projects
World Equine Veterinary Association Congress
University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine iBooks development
Equine Veterinary Student Educational Programs:
     AAEP Annual Convention student programs
     Focus on Students summer programs
     Student chapter Essential Skills Workshops
     Student chapter activities

Equine Veterinary Student Scholarships
AVMA Congressional Fellowship Program
Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarships
Merck Animal Health Scholarships
Northwestern Pennsylvania VMA Equine Symposium Scholarships
Oakwood Charitable Trust Scholarships
Winner’s Circle Scholarships (in partnership with the Race for Education, Platinum Performance & AAEP Foundation)
Zoetis Scholarships

For more information about the AAEP Foundation’s effect on horse welfare, visit foundationforthehorse.org and click the “Our Impact” link.

The AAEP Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization created in 1994, serves as the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners to improve the welfare of the horse. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $5.4 million to support its mission.

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