SPECIAL TO THE JOURNAL:

South Alabama Equine Rescue & Rehabilitation (SAERR) will host a low cost gelding clinic for owners who might not otherwise be able to afford the procedure.

The clinic will be held at the Tom Harbin Ag. Center in Luverne on March 11, 2017, from 8 a.m.-until.

There are only 20 spots available, so pre-registration is required.

Funding for the clinic is provided in part by the Unwanted Horse Coalition’s Operation Gelding program. The program was developed based on a philosophy that the castration of a stallion will help prevent accidental or over breeding, thereby reducing the number of unwanted horses beingcborn.

Castration also produces calmer horses that are more rideable, trainable and saleable, possibly enabling them to have multiple careers.

“We are excited to offer a gelding clinic for owners in the Luverne area and surrounding communities,” said Laura Simmons, Executive Director of SAERR. “There are too many unwanted horses nationwide, and we don’t want to see the same trend locally. We invite owners to apply by February 20, 2017, for a spot.”

Since its inception in 2010, Operation Gelding has facilitated the castration of more than 1,447 horses in 112 clinics in 31 states.

The program has a goal of gelding more than 800 horses in 2017.

The Unwanted Horse Coalition is a broad alliance of equine organizations that have joined together under the American Horse Council to educate the horse industry about the problem of the unwanted horse.

For more information, please visit www.unwantedhorsecoalition.org.

For more information about SAERR, please visit their Facebook page @southalabamaequinerescue.