I’ve been a fan of horses since I was about 3 years old. I basically grew up in the stable, always making bff’s with the biggest and baddest horses of course 😉 Moving across seas and lands has made it difficult to keep a horse, but I am still filled with joy whenever I cross path with one.
This year I have been reading with much dismay about the war that the united states and canada are waging against the wild-horses and burros. I watched in horror as they rounded them up with helicopters, either to perform cruel and dangerous sterilisation operations or to sell them for as little as 1$ for slaughter. The reason behind it? The hunger for beef. The public wildlands these magnificent creatures been calling home for millenials is being sold and redirected to graze cattle or even worse, to make room for factory farms.
All this has been going on on the low, making as little noise as possible to not enrage the public. Mustangs are regarded as a symbolic animal for american freedom after all. Thankfully, it’s all out in the open now and it’s about time; at least 45.000 have already been sentenced to death after being held without shelter in 100°F holding pens. The IDA (In Defence Of Animals) reports that around 270,000 mustangs have been removed since 1971, leaving the 2018 population to fewer than 50.000.
Another organizations fighting for these amazing animals is Front Range Equine Rescue. They gained some attention after CNN reported on them suing the Interior Department Bureau of Land Management to try and stop the ongoing persecution and inhumane treatment of these icons. The verdict’s still pending.
The heart and soul of Front Range Equine Rescues work is the Horse Rescue Program. It’s a direct rescue program that involves saving horses from abusive situations, providing rehabilitation, training evaluation and adoption to qualified homes. A small number of horses retire with Front Range when they are unlikely to adopt but are still in overall good health.
Horses are obtained from auctions, kill lots, animal control impound, abandonment cases, and owner surrender. Front Range’s solutions to horse slaughter are another form of indirect rescue as are its legal campaigns to protect wild horses and responsibly end horse slaughter. Front Range’s rescue horses are kept in Colorado and Florida. If you are interested in adopting or sponsoring a horse, click on this link!
I know that you’re probably as concerned as I am about the many different and ongoing threats against our wild lands and animals. It’s important that we stay conscious and spread the information so that neither governments nor companies can operate and do vile things in the dark. A good way to fight for what’s right is also considering to be an ongoing supporter to charity organizations like the ones mentioned in this article. Standing together is the only way forward towards a more compassionate and loving world for all.
Raise you voice right now and speak up for wild-horses by signing this petition!