- Supported enactment of the Economic Stimulus Act, which raised the Section 179 expense deduction to $250,000 and reinstated 50% bonus depreciation for horses and other depreciable property.
- Passed legislation reducing the depreciation period for younger race horses to three years. The change placed all racehorses in the three-year category for depreciation purposes regardless of when they were placed in service.
- Included provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill that specifically designated “horses” within the definition of livestock eligible for federal disaster assistance and “equine farmers and ranchers” within the definition of agricultural producers eligible for federal emergency loans.
- Worked with USDA to draft and adopt an amendment to its import rules to allow non-competitive entertainment horses to be brought temporarily into the U.S. from countries affected with Contagious Equine Metritis without undergoing all of the tests required for permanent entry.
- Submitted comments supporting the USDA’s proposal to extend the regulations governing the commercial transport of horses to slaughter to horses bound for slaughter, but delivered first to an assembly point, feedlot, or stockyard.
- Published “Getting Involved in the 2008 Elections,” a guide for the horse industry. The guide stemmed from the program at the AHC’s National Issues Forum in Washington explaining how the horse industry could take advantage of the 2008 federal elections to get more involved with their elected representatives. This was the first national program of this kind for the horse industry.
- Sponsored a day-long program with the Department of Agriculture on “The Unwanted Horse Issues: What Now” in response to the growing problem of unwanted horses across the country.
The American Horse Council is a Guidestar Silver Participant
The AHC believes that the more opportunities available to use horses in various activities, the better the overall health of the industry and those who participate.
1775 Tysons Blvd
5th Floor
Suite 6110
McLean VA, 22102
General Phone: 202.296.4031
E-Mail: info@horsecouncil.org