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Every horse owner dreams of a lifetime partnership, a “forever home” where a horse will always be safe, loved, and cared for. But as Christina Keim knows, reality is often more complicated. The writer, educator, and lifelong horsewoman joined a recent Plaidcast In Person to talk about her new book Unwanted—and the difficult truths behind what she calls “America’s invisible horses.”
Keim’s work examines what happens when horses fall through the cracks of ownership, age, injury, or economics. Her message isn’t one of despair, but of accountability. “It’s easy to say every horse deserves a forever home,” she said, “but it’s much harder to make that promise a reality.”
The Myth of the Forever Home
The idea of a “forever home” is comforting, but Keim explained that it can also oversimplify the complexities of horse care. Lifespans are long, circumstances change, and not every owner can predict what life will look like ten or twenty years down the line. “Even with the best intentions, life happens,” she said. “People move, finances shift, health changes. It doesn’t always mean neglect, but it means we need systems that help horses transition safely when things change.”
Through her research for Unwanted, Keim met owners who adored their horses but had to make heartbreaking choices when illness, divorce, or economic hardship struck. She also encountered rescue professionals working tirelessly to fill the gaps, often with limited funding and emotional toll. “It’s not about blame,” she said. “It’s about honesty. We have to talk about what happens when ‘forever’ doesn’t work out.”
Understanding the Bigger Picture
Keim emphasizes that the unwanted horse issue isn’t confined to any one discipline or region. It’s a national, cultural, and economic problem. Many horses enter the rescue pipeline not because of cruelty, but because their owners ran out of options. “We have too many horses and not enough safety nets,” she explained. “And until we address that imbalance, we’ll keep having this problem.”
That imbalance extends beyond the cost of feed and care. Horses that are older, injured, or no longer competitive often have little resale value, leaving owners with few alternatives. Some are rehomed successfully; others fall into uncertain hands. Keim described the experience of visiting low-end auctions and kill pens while researching her book. “It’s not what anyone wants to think about,” she said quietly. “But pretending it doesn’t exist doesn’t help the horses who end up there.”
The Role of Rescue and Rehabilitation
One bright spot in Keim’s research is the rise of small, grassroots rescues that specialize in rehabilitation and retraining. She highlighted organizations like Heart of Phoenix, which has successfully rehomed hundreds of horses by pairing practical horsemanship with community education. “They’re doing incredible work,” she said. “They don’t just pull horses from bad situations. They give them the skills to succeed in new homes.”
Keim also praised the growing collaboration between rescues and the broader horse industry. Adoption programs through major shows, partnerships with trainers, and aftercare models borrowed from racing are slowly helping shift perception. “When we start seeing rescue horses as part of the same ecosystem as show horses, we stop drawing that line between ‘them’ and ‘us,’” she said. “That’s where real progress happens.”
Rethinking Responsibility
The unwanted horse crisis, Keim argued, won’t be solved by emotion alone. It requires practical planning, policy reform, and a cultural change in how owners think about long-term care. That includes setting aside emergency funds, establishing rehoming plans, and being honest about end-of-life decisions. “Euthanasia isn’t failure,” she said. “For some horses, it’s the most humane choice we can make.”
Her willingness to tackle uncomfortable truths is what gives Unwanted its power. By blending data, fieldwork, and empathy, Keim brings humanity to a problem often reduced to statistics. “I wanted to write something that didn’t shame anyone,” she explained. “We all love horses. But loving them means facing the hard parts too.”
Hope in Hard Conversations
Despite the challenges, Keim remains hopeful. She believes that transparency and education can help shift the industry’s mindset toward shared accountability. “Every person who owns, trains, or breeds a horse has a role to play,” she said. “If we all take small steps, rehoming one horse responsibly, supporting one rescue, talking about one hard topic, that ripple can become a wave.”
The unwanted horse crisis is about learning to care differently. As Keim put it, “Compassion isn’t only about keeping them forever. It’s about making sure they’re okay, even when they’re not with us.”
Want more insight from Christina Keim and other thought leaders tackling equine welfare issues? Listen to the full discussion on Plaidcast In Person, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services, and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform.
