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

Interesting Facts About Horses

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

• Horses can run not long after being born.
• The fastest sprinting speed of a horse was 55 MPH.
• Horse hooves are made of the same protein that hair and human fingernails are made from.
• 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 to sit back and think about how much you love horses. No, the purpose of this holiday is to encourage you to get out there and help horses that need your help.

This usually means helping 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.