EQUINE ADVOCATES INCORPORATED

Our "Field of Dreams" pasture: Melanie & Annie, both rescued from the Canadian PMU Industry, and Mark, a rescued former Philadelphia Carriage Horse.

Mama Cass is a Belgian Draft mare born around 2003. In 2022, she and a group of other horses were seized by police from a private farm in Vermont, where, sadly, the owner had passed away, leaving them in less capable hands and their care severely compromised. Several local rescue groups got involved and helped place the horses in new homes. Months later, Mama Cass was still in foster care when we learned of her story from Dorset Equine Rescue, who had been looking after her. After a thorough evaluation at the hospital, she finally arrived at the sanctuary on February 15, 2023. We are so happy to be able to give a loving home to this bright and curious girl, whose personality is just as enormous as her size!

Hayden (right) and his pasture mate, Kachina (left), are Wild American Mustangs hailing from the Pryor Mountains in Montana. At just two years old, they were both rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management and removed to off-range holding facilities. Sadly, as is often the case with captured wild horses, both Hayden and Kachina were shuffled from home to home, going through multiple failed adoptions before finally finding their way to our sanctuary. We are so grateful to be able to give them a forever home and see them settled, living happily together in a section of the sanctuary, we call "Born to be Wild." We are collaborating with other organizations to see protections reinstated for our wild horse and burro herds. We are also pushing for a complete ban on horse slaughter in the U.S. and the transport of America’s horses to foreign countries for that purpose. Only once America’s horses can no longer be transported across the border for slaughter, will the flow of wild Mustangs and burros into kill pens be halted. Passing new legislation and educating the public on these issues continue to be at the forefront of our work.

An integral part of our advocacy work is public outreach. We welcome hundreds of visitors every year during our monthly Open Days, inviting the public to come meet our residents and learn about their rescue stories. Visitors have the opportunity to form meaningful connections with our residents and gain a greater understanding of the many issues facing America's horses and the different ways we can effect change.

Before his rescue, Jake had been locked in a stall for nearly a decade with no access to turnout or other equines. His feet and teeth were badly in need of attention. His owner finally agreed to give him up and Jake was immediately shipped to Cornell University Animal Hospital where he was thoroughly evaluated, treated, and gelded. Equines that come to the sanctuary from cruel and unnatural circumstances like Jake do best in a sanctuary where they receive endless amounts of TLC and time to deal with their issues. For years, Jake didn't get along with other equines because of his previous neglect. But a miracle happened last year - He made a friend! Jake now lives with Emma, another Standard Donkey, in a section of the sanctuary called “Donkey Serenade.”