National Help A Horse Day is a holiday observed annually on April 26th to encourage horse lovers to join forces with horse advocates to protect neglected and abused horses. It’s also a day that raises awareness about the continuing need for agencies that help rescue horses in trouble.

At any given time, there are up to 10,000 horses housed by various rescue organizations across the U.S. Because of this sad statistic, we think it’s important for all horse lovers to take it upon themselves to observe this holiday each year.

The History of National Help A Horse Day

National Help A Horse Day was created by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 2013. The intended purpose of the holiday was to promote the rescue of neglected, abused, and abandoned horses and to raise public awareness about these horses.

Interesting Facts About Horses

Below are some interesting facts we’ve uncovered about horses.

• Horses can run shortly after being born.
• The fastest recorded sprinting speed of a horse was 55 MPH.
• Horse hooves are made of the same protein as human hair and fingernails.
• Horse ears can rotate a full 180 degrees.
• Horses can see nearly 360 degrees around them, thanks to their eyes being on the sides of their heads.

Observing National Help A Horse Day

The purpose of this holiday isn’t just to sit back and think about how much you love horses. The purpose of this holiday is to encourage you to get out there and help horses that need your assistance.

This usually means supporting the organizations that help these horses by donating your time and/or money. It also means spreading awareness about this holiday to everyone you know and to people you don’t know online, using the hashtag #NationalHelpAHorseDay.