In American culture, the horse holds a special place in people’s hearts. It is often seen as a symbol of freedom and the wild frontier of the West. Unfortunately, in the U.S., many horses are unwanted and are in need of homes. Fortunately, there is a holiday to address this problem, and this holiday is known as National Horse Protection Day.

This holiday is observed annually on March 1st and encourages everyone to think about horses and what they may need, and then go out there to help them find their forever homes. It is a good day for people to give horses the love and respect they deserve.

The History of National Horse Protection Day

National Horse Protection Day was created in 2005 by Colleen Page. Colleen is an animal behaviorist and advocate who is also a self-proclaimed pet lifestyle expert. She created this holiday to raise the public profile of the problems that horses now face.

Fun Facts About Horses

Below are some fun facts that we’ve learned about horses as we researched this holiday. Hopefully, they will prove as educational and entertaining to everyone who reads them as they were to us.

• Horses sleep standing up.
• A horse’s age can be estimated by its teeth.
• A horse can live to be more than 30 years old.
• Horses were domesticated more than 3,000 years ago.
• Horses are not native to North America.
• Horses have the largest eyes of any land mammal.
• Horses are capable of producing up to 10 gallons of saliva a day.

Observing National Horse Protection Day

People can observe this holiday by giving a donation to a horse rescue or even just donating their time to one. They can also share their stories about the neglect and abuse of horses on social media using the hashtag #NationalHorseProtectionDay.