The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association recently wrote about the results of the unwanted horse survey. It called the problem "staggering" and called for a unified commitment to develop as many productive solutions as possible.

 The Unwanted Horse Coalition's 2009 Unwanted Horse Survey received 27,000 responses—about 20,000 of which came from horse owners. The results were released the second week of July.

According to JAVMA’s report on the survey, rescue and retirement facilities turn away horses—39 percent are at full capacity and another 30 percent are near capacity. More horses are being turned loose or neglected.

"Speculating there is an alarming rise in the numbers of unwanted horses is one thing. Hearing that alarm sounded and confirmed by thousands of responses from all across the country is another," states the survey's executive report. "The results of this study help to document the magnitude of the problem and its effects—and are surprisingly consistent nationwide, with little to no variance by region."